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
Rocky King, Detective
1950
as Police Inspector Rocky King
December Bride
1954
as Charley Allen
Hennesey
1959
as Capt. Walter Shafer
Inside Detective
1950
as Police Inspector Rocky King
Movies (137)
Dollar Down
1925
as Gene Meadows
It Happened One Night
1934
as Oscar Shapeley
His Girl Friday
1940
as McCue
Wings
1927
as Lieutenant Cameron
Woman of the Year
1942
as Phil Whittaker
Object: Alimony
1928
as Al Bryant
Warming Up
1928
as Hippo
Stowaway
1932
as Insp. Redding
Dirigible
1931
as Sock McGuire
Petticoat Politics
1941
as Joe Higgins
Woman Trap
1936
as Mopsy
Beggars of Life
1928
as Lame Hoppy
The Jazz Singer
1927
as Agent (uncredited)
Clarence
1937
as Clarence Smith
Onionhead
1958
as 'Windy' Woods
Man's Favorite Sport?
1964
as Major Phipps
Yokel Boy
1942
as Al Devers
Bluff
1924
as Jack Hallowell
Alice in Wonderland
1933
as Tweedledee
They Drive by Night
1940
as Irish McGurn
A Lady's Profession
1933
as Tony
Ladies Must Live
1940
as Pete Larrabee
Front Page Woman
1935
as Toots O'Grady
Twentieth Century
1934
as Owen O'Malley
Elmer and Elsie
1934
as Rocky Cott
Copy
1929
as City Editor John Mack
Half Shot at Sunrise
1941
as Henry Warren
Night of Mystery
1937
as Sergeant Heath
Tip-Off Girls
1938
as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
If I Had a Million
1932
as Private O'Brien
The Ten Commandments
1923
as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
You'd Be Surprised
1926
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Something Always Happens
1928
as George
Her Own Money
1922
as Jerry Woodward
Old Acquaintance
1943
as Charlie Archer
Ladies of the Big House
1931
as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
Stage Door Canteen
1943
as Roscoe Karns
You and Me
1938
as Cuffy
The Life of the Party
1920
as Sam Perkins
The Trail of '98
1928
as Man on Ship (uncredited)
The Woman in Red
1935
as Man in court room (uncredited)
The Roadhouse Murder
1932
as Dale
The Shopworn Angel
1928
as Dance Director
One Way to Love
1946
as Hobie Simmons
My Son, The Hero
1943
as Big-Time Morgan
That's My Man
1947
as Toby Gleeton
Mr. Carlson of Arizona
1915
Shoot the Works
1934
as Sailor Burke
Today We Live
1933
as McGinnis
Wings in the Dark
1935
as Nick Williams
His Butler's Sister
1943
as Fields
Three Married Men
1936
as Peter Cary
The Midnight Express
1924
as Switch Hogan
Alibi Ike
1935
as Carey
Night After Night
1932
as Leo
The Crooked Circle
1932
as Harry Carter
The Women in His Life
1933
as Aloysius Lester
The Family Honor
1920
as Dal Tucker
Laughing Sinners
1931
as Fred Geer
One Way Passage
1932
as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
Saturday's Children
1940
as Willie Sands
The Gay Vagabond
1941
as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Grand Slam
1933
as Contest Radio Announcer
King of Chinatown
1939
as Rip Harrigan
You Can't Escape Forever
1942
as 'Mac' McTurk
Thanks for the Memory
1938
as George Kent
The Navy Way
1944
as Frankie Gimble
Dancing Co-Ed
1939
as Joe Drews
Lawyer Man
1932
as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
Footsteps in the Dark
1941
as Monahan
High Pressure
1932
as Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
Little Accident
1930
as Gilbert
Partners in Crime
1937
as Sim Perkins
Conquering the Woman
1922
as Shorty Thompson
The Flying Fleet
1929
as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
That's Right – You're Wrong
1939
as Mal Stamp
Under-Cover Man
1932
as Dannie
Two Against the World
1932
as Segall, reporter
Minstrel Man
1944
as Lasses White
Week-End Marriage
1932
as Jim Davis
They Call It Sin
1932
as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
Double Alibi
1940
as Jeremiah Jenkins
Gambling Ship
1933
as Blooey
A Tragedy at Midnight
1942
as Cassidy
Murder Goes to College
1937
as Sim Perkins
The Overland Limited
1925
as Patrick Henry Madden
On Such a Night
1937
as Joe Flynn
Everything's on Ice
1939
as Felix Miller
Four Hours to Kill!
1935
as Johnson
One Sunday Afternoon
1933
as Snappy Downer
Dangerous to Know
1938
as Duncan
Riding High
1943
as Shorty
Cain and Mabel
1936
as Reilly
A Species of Mexican Man
1915
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948
as Officer Carmody
Road to Happiness
1941
as Charley Grady
Devil's Cargo
1948
as Lt. Hardy
Scandal Street
1938
as Austin Brown
The Inside Story
1948
as Eustace Peabody
Vigilantes of Boomtown
1947
as Bill Delaney
The Vanishing Pioneer
1928
as Ray Hearn
Ritzy
1927
as Smith's Valet
Pleasure
1931
as Arnie
Meet the Missus
1940
as Joe Higgins
Poor Relations
1919
as Henry
Red Hot Tires
1935
as Bud Keene
Beau Sabreur
1928
as Buddy
This Thing Called Love
1929
as Harry Bertrand
Come On, Marines!
1934
as Spud McGurke
Ten Modern Commandments
1927
as Benny Burnaway
Many a Slip
1931
as Stan Price
Other Men's Daughters
1923
as Hubert
I Sell Anything
1934
as Monk
The Costello Case
1930
as Blair
A Western Governor's Humanity
1915
as The Sheriff
Border Flight
1936
as Calico Smith
Moran of the Marines
1928
as Swatty
From Champion to Tramp
1915
as The Girl's Father
Hi, Good Lookin'!
1944
as Archie
Safety in Numbers
1930
as Bertram Shapiro
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
- Dollar Down (1925) — as Gene Meadows
- It Happened One Night (1934) — as Oscar Shapeley
- His Girl Friday (1940) — as McCue
- Wings (1927) — as Lieutenant Cameron
- 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.