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Roscoe Karns

Roscoe Karns

Acting September 6, 1891 (78 years old) February 6, 1970 San Bernardino, California, USA

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Roscoe Karns (September 7, 1891 – February 6, 1970) was an American actor who appeared in nearly 150 films between 1915 and 1964. He specialized in cynical, wise-cracking (and often tipsy) characters, and his rapid-fire delivery enlivened many comedies and crime thrillers in the 1930s and 1940s. Though he appeared in numerous silent films, such as Wings and Beggars of Life, his career didn't really take off until sound arrived. Arguably his best-known film role was the annoying bus passenger Oscar Shapeley, who tries to pick up Claudette Colbert in the Oscar-winning comedy It Happened One Night (1934), quickly followed by one of his best performances as the boozy press agent Owen O'Malley in Howard Hawks' Twentieth Century. (Six years later, he co-starred as one of the reporters in another Hawks classic, His Girl Friday.) In 1937, Paramount teamed him with Lynne Overman as a pair of laconic private eyes in two B comedy-mysteries, Murder Goes to College and Partners in Crime. From 1950 to 1954, Karns played the title role in the popular DuMont Television Network series Rocky King, Inside Detective. His son, character actor Todd Karns, also appeared in that series. From 1959 to 1962, Karns was cast as Admiral Walter Shafer in seventy-three of the ninety-five episodes of the CBS military sitcom/drama series, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper in the title role of a United States Navy physician, and Abby Dalton as nurse Martha Hale. His final film was another Hawks comedy, Man's Favorite Sport?, in 1964. Karns was born in San Bernardino, California, and died in Los Angeles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roscoe Karns, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Movies 138

It Happened One Night 7.8

It Happened One Night

as Oscar Shapeley

1934
His Girl Friday 7.4

His Girl Friday

as McCue

1940
Wings 7.2

Wings

as Lieutenant Cameron

1927
Man's Favorite Sport? 6.9

Man's Favorite Sport?

as Major Phipps

1964
The Jazz Singer 6.1

The Jazz Singer

as Agent (uncredited)

1927
They Drive by Night 6.9

They Drive by Night

as Irish McGurn

1940
Woman of the Year 7.0

Woman of the Year

as Phil Whittaker

1942
The Ten Commandments 6.4

The Ten Commandments

as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)

1923
Old Acquaintance 7.1

Old Acquaintance

as Charlie Archer

1943
Stage Door Canteen 6.3

Stage Door Canteen

as Roscoe Karns

1943
Alice in Wonderland 6.1

Alice in Wonderland

as Tweedledee

1933
Footsteps in the Dark 7.0

Footsteps in the Dark

as Monahan

1941
The Woman in Red 6.0

The Woman in Red

as Man in court room (uncredited)

1935
If I Had a Million 6.5

If I Had a Million

as Private O'Brien

1932
That's My Man 6.7

That's My Man

as Toby Gleeton

1947
Twentieth Century 6.8

Twentieth Century

as Owen O'Malley

1934
That's Right – You're Wrong 6.2

That's Right – You're Wrong

as Mal Stamp

1939
Onionhead 5.5

Onionhead

as 'Windy' Woods

1958
One Way Passage 7.3

One Way Passage

as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)

1932
Dangerous to Know 6.6

Dangerous to Know

as Duncan

1938
Today We Live 6.3

Today We Live

as McGinnis

1933
Cain and Mabel 6.4

Cain and Mabel

as Reilly

1936
Clarence 9.0

Clarence

as Clarence Smith

1937
Front Page Woman 5.9

Front Page Woman

as Toots O'Grady

1935
His Butler's Sister 7.2

His Butler's Sister

as Fields

1943
The Women in His Life 4.3

The Women in His Life

as Aloysius Lester

1933
You'd Be Surprised 7.0

You'd Be Surprised

as Party Guest (uncredited)

1926
Murder Goes to College 5.2

Murder Goes to College

as Sim Perkins

1937
A Tragedy at Midnight 5.2

A Tragedy at Midnight

as Cassidy

1942
You and Me 6.6

You and Me

as Cuffy

1938
One Way to Love 7.0

One Way to Love

as Hobie Simmons

1946
The Navy Way 6.2

The Navy Way

as Frankie Gimble

1944
Thanks for the Memory 5.8

Thanks for the Memory

as George Kent

1938
The Trail of '98 6.1

The Trail of '98

as Man on Ship (uncredited)

1928
Dirigible 5.5

Dirigible

as Sock McGuire

1931
Ladies of the Big House 6.0

Ladies of the Big House

as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)

1931
Gambling Ship 5.7

Gambling Ship

as Blooey

1933
Night of Mystery 10.0

Night of Mystery

as Sergeant Heath

1937
Lawyer Man 6.1

Lawyer Man

as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)

1932
You Can't Escape Forever 6.0

You Can't Escape Forever

as 'Mac' McTurk

1942
Yokel Boy 5.8

Yokel Boy

as Al Devers

1942
Wings in the Dark 6.4

Wings in the Dark

as Nick Williams

1935
Three Married Men 8.0

Three Married Men

as Peter Cary

1936
My Son, The Hero 7.0

My Son, The Hero

as Big-Time Morgan

1943
Night After Night 6.3

Night After Night

as Leo

1932
King of Chinatown 5.6

King of Chinatown

as Rip Harrigan

1939
Copy 6.5

Copy

as City Editor John Mack

1929
Petticoat Politics 9.0

Petticoat Politics

as Joe Higgins

1941
Shoot the Works 6.7

Shoot the Works

as Sailor Burke

1934
Everything's on Ice 5.3

Everything's on Ice

as Felix Miller

1939
The Crooked Circle 5.3

The Crooked Circle

as Harry Carter

1932
This Thing Called Love 9.0

This Thing Called Love

as Harry Bertrand

1929
Her Own Money 10.0

Her Own Money

as Jerry Woodward

1922
Woman Trap 8.0

Woman Trap

as Mopsy

1936
Two Against the World 5.5

Two Against the World

as Segall, reporter

1932
They Call It Sin 6.0

They Call It Sin

as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)

1932
One Sunday Afternoon 6.6

One Sunday Afternoon

as Snappy Downer

1933
The Gorilla 9.0

The Gorilla

as Simmons

1930
Four Hours to Kill! 5.7

Four Hours to Kill!

as Johnson

1935
Play Girl 5.0

Play Girl

as Gambler (uncredited)

1932
The Life of the Party 5.6

The Life of the Party

as Sam Perkins

1920
A Lady's Profession 7.0

A Lady's Profession

as Tony

1933
The Desert Bride 5.5

The Desert Bride

as Pvt. Terry

1928
The Shopworn Angel 9.0

The Shopworn Angel

as Dance Director

1928
I Sell Anything 5.0

I Sell Anything

as Monk

1934
Dancing Co-Ed 6.5

Dancing Co-Ed

as Joe Drews

1939
Ladies Must Live 7.0

Ladies Must Live

as Pete Larrabee

1940
The Vanishing Pioneer 9.0

The Vanishing Pioneer

as Ray Hearn

1928
Grand Slam 4.6

Grand Slam

as Contest Radio Announcer

1933
Alibi Ike 6.2

Alibi Ike

as Carey

1935
The Inside Story 6.6

The Inside Story

as Eustace Peabody

1948
Beggars of Life 7.1

Beggars of Life

as Lame Hoppy

1928
Laughing Sinners 5.3

Laughing Sinners

as Fred Geer

1931
Riding High 5.6

Riding High

as Shorty

1943
Bluff 10.0

Bluff

as Jack Hallowell

1924
Stowaway 6.5

Stowaway

as Insp. Redding

1932
Moran of the Marines 7.0

Moran of the Marines

as Swatty

1928
Three Cheers for Love 8.0

Three Cheers for Love

as Doc 'Short Circuit' Wilson

1936
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven 5.8

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

as Officer Carmody

1948
Double Alibi 5.2

Double Alibi

as Jeremiah Jenkins

1940
The Roadhouse Murder 5.0

The Roadhouse Murder

as Dale

1932
Road to Happiness 5.7

Road to Happiness

as Charley Grady

1941
The Flying Fleet 6.9

The Flying Fleet

as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)

1929
The Family Honor 8.0

The Family Honor

as Dal Tucker

1920
Warming Up 9.0

Warming Up

as Hippo

1928
Partners in Crime 8.0

Partners in Crime

as Sim Perkins

1937
High Pressure 5.8

High Pressure

as Telephone Salesman (uncredited)

1932
Week-End Marriage 5.5

Week-End Marriage

as Jim Davis

1932
Devil's Cargo 5.9

Devil's Cargo

as Lt. Hardy

1948
The Gay Vagabond 9.0

The Gay Vagabond

as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon

1941
Scandal Street 8.0

Scandal Street

as Austin Brown

1938
Mr. Carlson of Arizona

Mr. Carlson of Arizona

1915
Conquering the Woman 8.0

Conquering the Woman

as Shorty Thompson

1922
New York Nights 5.5

New York Nights

as Johnny Dolan

1929
Meet the Missus 7.0

Meet the Missus

as Joe Higgins

1940
Under-Cover Man 6.2

Under-Cover Man

as Dannie

1932
Safety in Numbers 5.0

Safety in Numbers

as Bertram Shapiro

1930
Vigilantes of Boomtown 4.3

Vigilantes of Boomtown

as Bill Delaney

1947
Other Men's Daughters 8.0

Other Men's Daughters

as Hubert

1923
Object: Alimony 7.0

Object: Alimony

as Al Bryant

1928
Beau Sabreur 9.0

Beau Sabreur

as Buddy

1928
Border Flight 6.5

Border Flight

as Calico Smith

1936
Saturday's Children 6.9

Saturday's Children

as Willie Sands

1940
Red Hot Tires 6.0

Red Hot Tires

as Bud Keene

1935
Half Shot at Sunrise 10.0

Half Shot at Sunrise

as Henry Warren

1941
Avalanche 9.0

Avalanche

as Red Kelly

1946
On Such a Night 7.0

On Such a Night

as Joe Flynn

1937
Minstrel Man 5.5

Minstrel Man

as Lasses White

1944
Tip-Off Girls 7.5

Tip-Off Girls

as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan

1938
The Costello Case 8.0

The Costello Case

as Blair

1930
Two-Fisted 8.5

Two-Fisted

as Chick Moran

1935
I Ring Doorbells 7.0

I Ring Doorbells

as Stubby

1946
From Champion to Tramp 9.0

From Champion to Tramp

as The Girl's Father

1915
Hi, Good Lookin'! 6.5

Hi, Good Lookin'!

as Archie

1944
Something Always Happens 10.0

Something Always Happens

as George

1928
Elmer and Elsie 10.0

Elmer and Elsie

as Rocky Cott

1934
A Species of Mexican Man 8.0

A Species of Mexican Man

1915
The Midnight Express 4.7

The Midnight Express

as Switch Hogan

1924
Little Accident 9.0

Little Accident

as Gilbert

1930
Come On, Marines! 5.6

Come On, Marines!

as Spud McGurke

1934
Man Trouble 7.5

Man Trouble

as Scott

1930
Speed to Spare 6.7

Speed to Spare

as Kangaroo

1948
Poor Relations 8.0

Poor Relations

as Henry

1919
Many a Slip 10.0

Many a Slip

as Stan Price

1931
The Man Tamer 10.0

The Man Tamer

as Bradley P. Caldwell Jr

1921
Black Eyes and Blues 9.0

Black Eyes and Blues

as Alfred Harmon

1941
The Foolish Virgin 10.0

The Foolish Virgin

as Chuck Brady

1924
A Western Governor's Humanity 7.0

A Western Governor's Humanity

as The Sheriff

1915
Ritzy 8.0

Ritzy

as Smith's Valet

1927
Ten Modern Commandments 10.0

Ten Modern Commandments

as Benny Burnaway

1927
Left Over Ladies 7.0

Left Over Ladies

as 'Scoop'

1931
Troopers Three 7.0

Troopers Three

as Bugs

1930
Win That Girl 10.0

Win That Girl

as Johnny Norton II

1928
Jazz Mad 8.0

Jazz Mad

as Sol Levy

1928
Pleasure 4.2

Pleasure

as Arnie

1931
Dollar Down 7.0

Dollar Down

as Gene Meadows

1925
The Overland Limited 10.0

The Overland Limited

as Patrick Henry Madden

1925
The Trouper 8.0

The Trouper

1922

TV Shows 7

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