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)
Grand Slam
1933
as Contest Radio Announcer
Beggars of Life
1928
as Lame Hoppy
Woman of the Year
1942
as Phil Whittaker
You and Me
1938
as Cuffy
Petticoat Politics
1941
as Joe Higgins
Alice in Wonderland
1933
as Tweedledee
They Drive by Night
1940
as Irish McGurn
Troopers Three
1930
as Bugs
Twentieth Century
1934
as Owen O'Malley
The Trouper
1922
Lawyer Man
1932
as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
If I Had a Million
1932
as Private O'Brien
Dangerous to Know
1938
as Duncan
The Ten Commandments
1923
as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
Gambling Ship
1933
as Blooey
Dirigible
1931
as Sock McGuire
Man's Favorite Sport?
1964
as Major Phipps
Half Shot at Sunrise
1941
as Henry Warren
Elmer and Elsie
1934
as Rocky Cott
Stage Door Canteen
1943
as Roscoe Karns
Old Acquaintance
1943
as Charlie Archer
Scandal Street
1938
as Austin Brown
Onionhead
1958
as 'Windy' Woods
High Pressure
1932
as Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
Thanks for the Memory
1938
as George Kent
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948
as Officer Carmody
I Sell Anything
1934
as Monk
That's My Man
1947
as Toby Gleeton
The Women in His Life
1933
as Aloysius Lester
The Navy Way
1944
as Frankie Gimble
One Way Passage
1932
as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
Week-End Marriage
1932
as Jim Davis
Laughing Sinners
1931
as Fred Geer
Play Girl
1932
as Gambler (uncredited)
Dancing Co-Ed
1939
as Joe Drews
Road to Happiness
1941
as Charley Grady
The Woman in Red
1935
as Man in court room (uncredited)
They Call It Sin
1932
as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
The Flying Fleet
1929
as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
Left Over Ladies
1931
as 'Scoop'
The Inside Story
1948
as Eustace Peabody
Alibi Ike
1935
as Carey
Night of Mystery
1937
as Sergeant Heath
Today We Live
1933
as McGinnis
Under-Cover Man
1932
as Dannie
King of Chinatown
1939
as Rip Harrigan
Riding High
1943
as Shorty
Yokel Boy
1942
as Al Devers
Shoot the Works
1934
as Sailor Burke
Front Page Woman
1935
as Toots O'Grady
Ladies of the Big House
1931
as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
Minstrel Man
1944
as Lasses White
Cain and Mabel
1936
as Reilly
The Trail of '98
1928
as Man on Ship (uncredited)
The Vanishing Pioneer
1928
as Ray Hearn
Man Trouble
1930
as Scott
Night After Night
1932
as Leo
Four Hours to Kill!
1935
as Johnson
His Butler's Sister
1943
as Fields
The Shopworn Angel
1928
as Dance Director
You'd Be Surprised
1926
as Party Guest (uncredited)
You Can't Escape Forever
1942
as 'Mac' McTurk
Something Always Happens
1928
as George
Copy
1929
as City Editor John Mack
Pleasure
1931
as Arnie
Footsteps in the Dark
1941
as Monahan
Her Own Money
1922
as Jerry Woodward
This Thing Called Love
1929
as Harry Bertrand
Saturday's Children
1940
as Willie Sands
On Such a Night
1937
as Joe Flynn
The Desert Bride
1928
as Pvt. Terry
Object: Alimony
1928
as Al Bryant
One Sunday Afternoon
1933
as Snappy Downer
Wings in the Dark
1935
as Nick Williams
Double Alibi
1940
as Jeremiah Jenkins
Poor Relations
1919
as Henry
Red Hot Tires
1935
as Bud Keene
Jazz Mad
1928
as Sol Levy
The Midnight Express
1924
as Switch Hogan
Ladies Must Live
1940
as Pete Larrabee
Dollar Down
1925
as Gene Meadows
Come On, Marines!
1934
as Spud McGurke
Three Married Men
1936
as Peter Cary
Woman Trap
1936
as Mopsy
That's Right – You're Wrong
1939
as Mal Stamp
Murder Goes to College
1937
as Sim Perkins
The Crooked Circle
1932
as Harry Carter
Win That Girl
1928
as Johnny Norton II
Other Men's Daughters
1923
as Hubert
Speed to Spare
1948
as Kangaroo
Conquering the Woman
1922
as Shorty Thompson
Beau Sabreur
1928
as Buddy
Ritzy
1927
as Smith's Valet
Border Flight
1936
as Calico Smith
One Way to Love
1946
as Hobie Simmons
The Roadhouse Murder
1932
as Dale
The Man Tamer
1921
as Bradley P. Caldwell Jr
Stowaway
1932
as Insp. Redding
Vigilantes of Boomtown
1947
as Bill Delaney
The Gorilla
1930
as Simmons
Little Accident
1930
as Gilbert
Two-Fisted
1935
as Chick Moran
Avalanche
1946
as Red Kelly
A Tragedy at Midnight
1942
as Cassidy
The Overland Limited
1925
as Patrick Henry Madden
The Gay Vagabond
1941
as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Devil's Cargo
1948
as Lt. Hardy
Safety in Numbers
1930
as Bertram Shapiro
The Family Honor
1920
as Dal Tucker
My Son, The Hero
1943
as Big-Time Morgan
Meet the Missus
1940
as Joe Higgins
New York Nights
1929
as Johnny Dolan
Warming Up
1928
as Hippo
Two Against the World
1932
as Segall, reporter
Clarence
1937
as Clarence Smith
The Foolish Virgin
1924
as Chuck Brady
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 HinFlix, 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)
- Grand Slam (1933) — as Contest Radio Announcer
Where to Watch Roscoe Karns Films
Most Roscoe Karns movies and series are available to stream on HinFlix 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.