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Roscoe Karns
Actor, Additional Credits
Born September 6, 1891Died February 6, 1970 (78 years)
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
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
Known For
Filmography
| 1964 | Man's Favorite Sport? · as Major Phipps |
| 1962 | The Lucy Show (TV Series) · as Mr. Foley |
| 1959 | Hennesey (TV Series) |
| 1958 | Onionhead · as 'windy' Woods |
| 1956 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective (TV Series) · as Ed Church |
| 1955 | Matinee Theater (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1954 | December Bride (TV Series) · as Charley Allen |
| 1951 | The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Insp. Rocky King |
| 1950 | Rocky King, Detective (TV Series) · as Police Inspector Rocky King |
| 1948 | The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1948 | Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven · as Officer Carmody |
| 1948 | Speed to Spare · as Kangaroo |
| 1948 | Devil's Cargo · as Lt. Hardy |
| 1948 | The Inside Story · as Eustace Peabody |
| 1947 | That's My Man · as Toby Gleeton |
| 1947 | Vigilantes of Boomtown · as Bill Delaney |
| 1946 | Down Missouri Way · as Press Agent |
| 1946 | Avalanche · as Red Kelly |
| 1946 | One Way to Love · as Hobie Simmons |
| 1944 | The Navy Way · as Frankie Gimble |
| 1944 | Minstrel Man · as Lasses White |
| 1943 | Old Acquaintance · as Charlie Archer |
| 1943 | His Butler's Sister · as Fields |
| 1943 | Riding High · as Shorty |
| 1943 | My Son, the Hero · as Big-Time Morgan |
| 1942 | You Can't Escape Forever · as 'mac' Mcturk |
| 1942 | Yokel Boy · as Al Devers |
| 1942 | Woman of the Year · as Phil Whittaker |
| 1942 | A Tragedy at Midnight · as Cassidy |
| 1941 | Road to Happiness · as Charley Grady |
| 1941 | Footsteps in the Dark · as Monahan |
| 1940 | They Drive by Night · as Irish Mcgurn |
| 1940 | Ladies Must Live · as Pete Larrabee |
| 1940 | Saturday's Children · as Willie Sands |
| 1940 | Double Alibi · as Jeremiah Jenkins |
| 1940 | His Girl Friday · as Mccue |
| 1939 | That's Right - You're Wrong · as Mal Stamp |
| 1939 | Everything's on Ice · as Felix Miller |
| 1939 | Dancing Co-Ed · as Joe Drews |
| 1939 | King of Chinatown · as Rep Harrigan |
| 1938 | Thanks for the Memory · as George Kent |
| 1938 | Dangerous to Know · as Duncan |
| 1938 | You and Me · as Cuffy |
| 1938 | Tip-Off Girls · as Tom Benson Aka Tommy Logan |
| 1936 | Cain and Mabel · as Reilly |
| 1935 | Front Page Woman · as Toots O'grady |
| 1935 | Alibi Ike · as Carey |
| 1935 | Four Hours to Kill! · as Johnson |
| 1935 | The Woman in Red · as Man In Court Room (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Red Hot Tires · as Bud Keene |
| 1935 | Wings in the Dark · as Nick Williams |
| 1934 | I Sell Anything · as Monk |
| 1934 | Shoot the Works · as Sailor Burke |
| 1934 | Twentieth Century · as Owen O'malley |
| 1934 | Come On, Marines! · as Spud Mcgurke |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night · as Oscar Shapeley |
| 1934 | Search for Beauty · as Newspaper Reporter |
| 1933 | Alice in Wonderland · as Tweedledee |
| 1933 | The Women in His Life · as Aloysius Lester |
| 1933 | One Sunday Afternoon · as Snappy Downer |
| 1933 | Gambling Ship · as Blooey |
| 1933 | Today We Live · as Mcginnis |
| 1933 | Grand Slam · as Contest Radio Announcer |
| 1933 | A Lady's Profession · as Tony |
| 1932 | Lawyer Man · as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Under-Cover Man · as Dannie |
| 1932 | If I Had a Million · as Private O'brien |
| 1932 | They Call It Sin · as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Night After Night · as Leo |
| 1932 | One Way Passage · as S.s. Maloa Bartender (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Crooked Circle · as Harry Carter |
| 1932 | Two Against the World · as Segall, Reporter |
| 1932 | Week-End Marriage · as Jim Davis |
| 1932 | The Roadhouse Murder · as Dale |
| 1932 | Play Girl · as Gambler (uncredited) |
| 1932 | High Pressure · as Telephone Salesman |
| 1931 | Ladies of the Big House · as Frank - Twenty Questions Player (uncredited) |
| 1931 | Left Over Ladies · as 'scoop' |
| 1931 | Laughing Sinners · as Fred Geer |
| 1931 | Dirigible · as Sock Mcguire |
| 1930 | The Gorilla · as Simmons |
| 1930 | Safety in Numbers · as Bertram Shapiro |
| 1929 | New York Nights · as Johnny Dolan |
| 1929 | The Flying Fleet · as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited) |
| 1928 | The Shopworn Angel · as Dance Director |
| 1928 | Beggars of Life · as Lame Hoppy |
| 1928 | The Desert Bride · as Pvt. Terry |
| 1928 | The Trail of '98 · as Man On Ship (uncredited) |
| 1928 | Beau Sabreur · as Buddy |
| 1927 | The Jazz Singer · as Agent (uncredited) |
| 1927 | Wings · as Lieutenant Cameron |
| 1926 | You'd Be Surprised · as Party Guest (uncredited) |
| 1924 | The Midnight Express · as Switch Hogan |
| 1923 | The Ten Commandments · as The Boy In The Rain (uncredited) |
| 1921 | The Man Tamer · as Bradley P. Caldwell Jr |
| 1920 | The Life of the Party · as Sam Perkins |