Roscoe Karns
Acting
🎂 1891-09-06
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
Cast credits(136)
Mr. Foley
1962
Police Inspector Rocky King
1950
Ed Church
1957
1954
Charley Allen
1954
1959
'Windy' Woods
1958
McCue
1940
Oscar Shapeley
1934
Agent (uncredited)
1927
Private O'Brien
1932
Snappy Downer
1933
Rip Harrigan
1939
Eustace Peabody
1948
Roscoe Karns
1943
Stubby
1946
Buddy
1928
Toby Gleeton
1947
Fields
1943
Dannie
1932
Gambler (uncredited)
1932
Hobie Simmons
1946
George
1928
Tweedledee
1933
Lieutenant Cameron
1927
Phil Whittaker
1942
Insp. Redding
1932
'Mac' McTurk
1942
Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
1941
Cassidy
1942
Cuffy
1938
Joe Drews
1939
Joe Higgins
1941
Officer Carmody
1948
Fred Geer
1931
Leo
1932
Man in court room (uncredited)
1935
'Scoop'
1931
The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
1923
Archie
1944
Shorty
1943
Dance Director
1928
Benny Burnaway
1927
Carey
1935
Jim Davis
1932
Aloysius Lester
1933
Stan Price
1931
McGinnis
1933
Toots O'Grady
1935
Chick Moran
1935
Nick Williams
1935
Major Phipps
1964
Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
1938
Johnson
1935
Irish McGurn
1940
Spud McGurke
1934
Lasses White
1944
Man on Ship (uncredited)
1928
Joe Flynn
1937
Mal Stamp
1939
Harry Carter
1932
Sock McGuire
1931
Lt. Hardy
1948
George Kent
1938
Peter Cary
1936
Felix Miller
1939
Bud Keene
1935
Big-Time Morgan
1943
Swatty
1928
Charlie Archer
1943
Jeremiah Jenkins
1940
Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
1931
Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
1929
Tony
1933
Charley Grady
1941
Reilly
1936
Monahan
1941
Kangaroo
1948
Sergeant Heath
1937
Duncan
1938
Red Kelly
1946
Police Inspector Rocky King
1950
Blooey
1933
Segall, reporter
1932
Mopsy
1936
Johnny Dolan
1929
S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
1932
Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
1932
Owen O'Malley
1934
Calico Smith
1936
Bertram Shapiro
1930
Scott
1930
Joe Higgins
1940
Sam Perkins
1920
Contest Radio Announcer
1933
Austin Brown
1938
Patrick Henry Madden
1925
Harry Bertrand
1929
Blair
1930
Switch Hogan
1924
Arnie
1931
Sol Levy
1928
Dal Tucker
1920
Sailor Burke
1934
Sim Perkins
1937
Gilbert
1930
Lame Hoppy
1928
Bill Delaney
1947
Dale
1932
Sim Perkins
1937
Frankie Gimble
1944
Party Guest (uncredited)
1926
Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
1932
Alfred Harmon
1941
Pete Larrabee
1940
Jerry Woodward
1922
Pvt. Terry
1928
Henry
1919
Simmons
1930
Willie Sands
1940
City Editor John Mack
1929
Henry Warren
1941
Ray Hearn
1928
1922
Bugs
1930
Al Devers
1942
Clarence Smith
1937
Hubert
1923
Hippo
1928
Monk
1934
The Sheriff
1915
1915
Johnny Norton II
1928
1915
The Girl's Father
1915
Bradley P. Caldwell Jr
1921