Roscoe Karns
Known for Acting · 143 credits
- Born
- 1891-09-06
- Died
- 1970-02-06
- Place of birth
- San Bernardino, California, USA
- Also known as
- Roscoe Karnes
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
Known For
TV Shows (6)
The Lucy Show
1962
as Mr. Foley
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Ed Church
December Bride
1954
as Charley Allen
Hennesey
1959
as Capt. Walter Shafer
Rocky King, Detective
1950
as Police Inspector Rocky King
Inside Detective
1950
as Police Inspector Rocky King
Movies (137)
It Happened One Night
1934
as Oscar Shapeley
His Girl Friday
1940
as McCue
Wings
1927
as Lieutenant Cameron
The Jazz Singer
1927
as Agent (uncredited)
Woman of the Year
1942
as Phil Whittaker
Grand Slam
1933
as Contest Radio Announcer
Man's Favorite Sport?
1964
as Major Phipps
The Trouper
1922
Troopers Three
1930
as Bugs
You and Me
1938
as Cuffy
Gambling Ship
1933
as Blooey
Onionhead
1958
as 'Windy' Woods
They Drive by Night
1940
as Irish McGurn
Alice in Wonderland
1933
as Tweedledee
Petticoat Politics
1941
as Joe Higgins
Twentieth Century
1934
as Owen O'Malley
Elmer and Elsie
1934
as Rocky Cott
The Ten Commandments
1923
as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
They Call It Sin
1932
as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
Stage Door Canteen
1943
as Roscoe Karns
If I Had a Million
1932
as Private O'Brien
Scandal Street
1938
as Austin Brown
Beggars of Life
1928
as Lame Hoppy
Old Acquaintance
1943
as Charlie Archer
Lawyer Man
1932
as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
Road to Happiness
1941
as Charley Grady
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948
as Officer Carmody
Dirigible
1931
as Sock McGuire
You'd Be Surprised
1926
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Today We Live
1933
as McGinnis
Front Page Woman
1935
as Toots O'Grady
Alibi Ike
1935
as Carey
Riding High
1943
as Shorty
Left Over Ladies
1931
as 'Scoop'
Dangerous to Know
1938
as Duncan
The Woman in Red
1935
as Man in court room (uncredited)
I Sell Anything
1934
as Monk
The Navy Way
1944
as Frankie Gimble
One Way Passage
1932
as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
Ladies of the Big House
1931
as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
Dancing Co-Ed
1939
as Joe Drews
Half Shot at Sunrise
1941
as Henry Warren
The Women in His Life
1933
as Aloysius Lester
Cain and Mabel
1936
as Reilly
Something Always Happens
1928
as George
Thanks for the Memory
1938
as George Kent
Double Alibi
1940
as Jeremiah Jenkins
Laughing Sinners
1931
as Fred Geer
Wings in the Dark
1935
as Nick Williams
Play Girl
1932
as Gambler (uncredited)
King of Chinatown
1939
as Rip Harrigan
Shoot the Works
1934
as Sailor Burke
Jazz Mad
1928
as Sol Levy
Border Flight
1936
as Calico Smith
Saturday's Children
1940
as Willie Sands
The Crooked Circle
1932
as Harry Carter
Night After Night
1932
as Leo
On Such a Night
1937
as Joe Flynn
Come On, Marines!
1934
as Spud McGurke
You Can't Escape Forever
1942
as 'Mac' McTurk
That's My Man
1947
as Toby Gleeton
His Butler's Sister
1943
as Fields
Four Hours to Kill!
1935
as Johnson
The Shopworn Angel
1928
as Dance Director
A Tragedy at Midnight
1942
as Cassidy
Night of Mystery
1937
as Sergeant Heath
Man Trouble
1930
as Scott
The Midnight Express
1924
as Switch Hogan
The Inside Story
1948
as Eustace Peabody
That's Right – You're Wrong
1939
as Mal Stamp
This Thing Called Love
1929
as Harry Bertrand
The Desert Bride
1928
as Pvt. Terry
Copy
1929
as City Editor John Mack
Woman Trap
1936
as Mopsy
Her Own Money
1922
as Jerry Woodward
The Flying Fleet
1929
as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
Footsteps in the Dark
1941
as Monahan
The Vanishing Pioneer
1928
as Ray Hearn
Dollar Down
1925
as Gene Meadows
High Pressure
1932
as Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
Yokel Boy
1942
as Al Devers
Object: Alimony
1928
as Al Bryant
Poor Relations
1919
as Henry
Minstrel Man
1944
as Lasses White
Week-End Marriage
1932
as Jim Davis
Murder Goes to College
1937
as Sim Perkins
Beau Sabreur
1928
as Buddy
Three Married Men
1936
as Peter Cary
Red Hot Tires
1935
as Bud Keene
Two-Fisted
1935
as Chick Moran
The Costello Case
1930
as Blair
Under-Cover Man
1932
as Dannie
Stowaway
1932
as Insp. Redding
The Trail of '98
1928
as Man on Ship (uncredited)
One Way to Love
1946
as Hobie Simmons
Two Against the World
1932
as Segall, reporter
Everything's on Ice
1939
as Felix Miller
Ladies Must Live
1940
as Pete Larrabee
Vigilantes of Boomtown
1947
as Bill Delaney
Little Accident
1930
as Gilbert
Win That Girl
1928
as Johnny Norton II
One Sunday Afternoon
1933
as Snappy Downer
The Family Honor
1920
as Dal Tucker
Ritzy
1927
as Smith's Valet
Conquering the Woman
1922
as Shorty Thompson
Avalanche
1946
as Red Kelly
New York Nights
1929
as Johnny Dolan
Moran of the Marines
1928
as Swatty
My Son, The Hero
1943
as Big-Time Morgan
Warming Up
1928
as Hippo
Partners in Crime
1937
as Sim Perkins
The Roadhouse Murder
1932
as Dale
The Life of the Party
1920
as Sam Perkins
Meet the Missus
1940
as Joe Higgins
Tip-Off Girls
1938
as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
Hi, Good Lookin'!
1944
as Archie
A Species of Mexican Man
1915
The Gay Vagabond
1941
as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Other Men's Daughters
1923
as Hubert
Many a Slip
1931
as Stan Price
About Roscoe Karns
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 Shapele… With 143 credits spanning from 1915 to 1964, Roscoe Karns has appeared in 137 films and 6 TV shows.
Fans searching for Roscoe Karns movies, Roscoe Karns filmography, or the latest projects starring Roscoe Karns can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Roscoe Karns Movies
- It Happened One Night (1934) — as Oscar Shapeley
- His Girl Friday (1940) — as McCue
- Wings (1927) — as Lieutenant Cameron
- The Jazz Singer (1927) — as Agent (uncredited)
- Woman of the Year (1942) — as Phil Whittaker
Where to Watch Roscoe Karns Films
Most Roscoe Karns movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Roscoe Karns, check our movies catalogue and browse page.