Roscoe Karns Photo

Roscoe Karns

Acting

1.6 Popularity Sep 06, 1891 (78 years old) San Bernardino, California, USA

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 c...

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

Filmography 135

1964
Man's Favorite Sport? Movie

as Major Phipps

1962
The Lucy Show TV

as Mr. Foley

1959
1958
Onionhead Movie

as 'Windy' Woods

1954
December Bride TV

as Charley Allen

1950
Rocky King, Detective TV

as Police Inspector Rocky King

1950
Inside Detective TV

as Police Inspector Rocky King

1948
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven Movie

as Officer Carmody

1948
Speed to Spare Movie

as Kangaroo

1948
Devil's Cargo Movie

as Lt. Hardy

1948
The Inside Story Movie

as Eustace Peabody

1947
That's My Man Movie

as Toby Gleeton

1947
Vigilantes of Boomtown Movie

as Bill Delaney

1946
Avalanche Movie

as Red Kelly

1946
I Ring Doorbells Movie

as Stubby

1946
One Way to Love Movie

as Hobie Simmons

1944
Hi, Good Lookin'! Movie

as Archie

1944
The Navy Way Movie

as Frankie Gimble

Photos 6

Roscoe Karns Photo
Roscoe Karns Photo
Roscoe Karns Photo
Roscoe Karns Photo
Roscoe Karns Photo
Roscoe Karns Photo

Personal Details

Known For Acting
Gender Male
Birthday September 06, 1891 (78 years old)
Died February 06, 1970
Place of Birth San Bernardino, California, USA
Also Known As Roscoe Karnes
Years Active 1915 - 1964
Popularity 1.6
Career Stats
135 Total Credits
128 Movie Roles
7 TV Roles
6 Photos