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Roscoe Karns

Roscoe Karns

Known For Acting
Birthday Sep 06, 1891
Died Feb 06, 1970 (78)
Birthplace San Bernardino, California, USA
Popularity 0.1 (history)
Updated Aug 10, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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 cri ... me 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

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Filmography

Man's Favorite Sport?

Man's Favorite Sport?

1964

as Major Phipps

Onionhead

Onionhead

1958

as 'Windy' Woods

Devil's Cargo

Devil's Cargo

1948

as Lt. Hardy

Speed to Spare

Speed to Spare

1948

as Kangaroo

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

1948

as Officer Carmody

The Inside Story

The Inside Story

1948

as Eustace Peabody

That's My Man

That's My Man

1947

as Toby Gleeton

Vigilantes of Boomtown

Vigilantes of Boomtown

1947

as Bill Delaney

Avalanche

Avalanche

1946

as Red Kelly

I Ring Doorbells

I Ring Doorbells

1946

as Stubby

One Way to Love

One Way to Love

1946

as Hobie Simmons

Minstrel Man

Minstrel Man

1944

as Lasses White

The Navy Way

The Navy Way

1944

as Frankie Gimble

Hi, Good Lookin'!

Hi, Good Lookin'!

1944

as Archie

My Son, The Hero

My Son, The Hero

1943

as Big-Time Morgan

Old Acquaintance

Old Acquaintance

1943

as Charlie Archer

Riding High

Riding High

1943

as Shorty

His Butler's Sister

His Butler's Sister

1943

as Fields

Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen

1943

as Roscoe Karns

A Tragedy at Midnight

A Tragedy at Midnight

1942

as Cassidy

You Can't Escape Forever

You Can't Escape Forever

1942

as 'Mac' McTurk

Yokel Boy

Yokel Boy

1942

as Al Devers

Woman of the Year

Woman of the Year

1942

as Phil Whittaker

Petticoat Politics

Petticoat Politics

1941

as Joe Higgins

Black Eyes and Blues

Black Eyes and Blues

1941

as Alfred Harmon

Half Shot at Sunrise

Half Shot at Sunrise

1941

as Henry Warren

The Gay Vagabond

The Gay Vagabond

1941

as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon

Road to Happiness

Road to Happiness

1941

as Charley Grady

Footsteps in the Dark

Footsteps in the Dark

1941

as Monahan

Meet the Missus

Meet the Missus

1940

as Joe Higgins

Double Alibi

Double Alibi

1940

as Jeremiah Jenkins

Saturday's Children

Saturday's Children

1940

as Willie Sands

Ladies Must Live

Ladies Must Live

1940

as Pete Larrabee

They Drive by Night

They Drive by Night

1940

as Irish McGurn

His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

1940

as McCue

Everything's on Ice

Everything's on Ice

1939

as Felix Miller

That's Right – You're Wrong

That's Right – You're Wrong

1939

as Mal Stamp

Dancing Co-Ed

Dancing Co-Ed

1939

as Joe Drews

King of Chinatown

King of Chinatown

1939

as Rep Harrigan

Tip-Off Girls

Tip-Off Girls

1938

as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan

Scandal Street

Scandal Street

1938

as Austin Brown

You and Me

You and Me

1938

as Cuffy

Thanks for the Memory

Thanks for the Memory

1938

as George Kent

Dangerous to Know

Dangerous to Know

1938

as Duncan

Murder Goes to College

Murder Goes to College

1937

as Sim Perkins

Clarence

Clarence

1937

as Clarence Smith

Night of Mystery

Night of Mystery

1937

as Sergeant Heath

Partners in Crime

Partners in Crime

1937

as Sim Perkins

On Such a Night

On Such a Night

1937

as Joe Flynn

Woman Trap

Woman Trap

1936

as Mopsy

Three Married Men

Three Married Men

1936

as Peter Cary

Border Flight

Border Flight

1936

as Calico Smith

Cain and Mabel

Cain and Mabel

1936

as Reilly

Two-Fisted

Two-Fisted

1935

as Chick Moran

Red Hot Tires

Red Hot Tires

1935

as Bud Keene

Front Page Woman

Front Page Woman

1935

as Toots O'Grady

Wings in the Dark

Wings in the Dark

1935

as Nick Williams

Alibi Ike

Alibi Ike

1935

as Carey

Four Hours to Kill!

Four Hours to Kill!

1935

as Johnson

The Woman in Red

The Woman in Red

1935

as Man in court room (uncredited)

Come On, Marines!

Come On, Marines!

1934

as Spud McGurke

I Sell Anything

I Sell Anything

1934

as Monk

It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night

1934

as Oscar Shapeley

Twentieth Century

Twentieth Century

1934

as Owen O'Malley

Shoot the Works

Shoot the Works

1934

as Sailor Burke

One Sunday Afternoon

One Sunday Afternoon

1933

as Snappy Downer

Gambling Ship

Gambling Ship

1933

as Blooey

Today We Live

Today We Live

1933

as McGinnis

The Women in His Life

The Women in His Life

1933

as Aloysius Lester

A Lady's Profession

A Lady's Profession

1933

as Tony

Grand Slam

Grand Slam

1933

as Contest Radio Announcer

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

1933

as Tweedledee

Under-Cover Man

Under-Cover Man

1932

as Dannie

Week-End Marriage

Week-End Marriage

1932

as Jim Davis

Stowaway

Stowaway

1932

as Insp. Redding

Night After Night

Night After Night

1932

as Leo

The Crooked Circle

The Crooked Circle

1932

as Harry Carter

Two Against the World

Two Against the World

1932

as Segall, reporter

The Roadhouse Murder

The Roadhouse Murder

1932

as Dale

If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million

1932

as Private O'Brien

Play Girl

Play Girl

1932

as Gambler (uncredited)

Lawyer Man

Lawyer Man

1932

as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)

They Call It Sin

They Call It Sin

1932

as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)

One Way Passage

One Way Passage

1932

as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)

Dirigible

Dirigible

1931

as Sock McGuire

Left Over Ladies

Left Over Ladies

1931

as 'Scoop'

Pleasure

Pleasure

1931

as Arnie

Many a Slip

Many a Slip

1931

as Stan Price

Laughing Sinners

Laughing Sinners

1931

as Fred Geer

Ladies of the Big House

Ladies of the Big House

1931

as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)

The Costello Case

The Costello Case

1930

as Blair

Troopers Three

Troopers Three

1930

as Bugs

Man Trouble

Man Trouble

1930

as Scott

Safety in Numbers

Safety in Numbers

1930

as Bertram Shapiro

Little Accident

Little Accident

1930

as Gilbert

The Gorilla

The Gorilla

1930

as Simmons

Copy

Copy

1929

as City Editor John Mack

This Thing Called Love

This Thing Called Love

1929

as Harry Bertrand

New York Nights

New York Nights

1929

as Johnny Dolan

The Flying Fleet

The Flying Fleet

1929

as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)

Moran of the Marines

Moran of the Marines

1928

as Swatty

The Shopworn Angel

The Shopworn Angel

1928

as Dance Director

Jazz Mad

Jazz Mad

1928

as Sol Levy

Win That Girl

Win That Girl

1928

as Johnny Norton II

Beau Sabreur

Beau Sabreur

1928

as Buddy

The Desert Bride

The Desert Bride

1928

as Pvt. Terry

The Vanishing Pioneer

The Vanishing Pioneer

1928

as Ray Hearn

Warming Up

Warming Up

1928

as Hippo

Beggars of Life

Beggars of Life

1928

as Lame Hoppy

The Trail of '98

The Trail of '98

1928

as Man on Ship (uncredited)

Ten Modern Commandments

Ten Modern Commandments

1927

as Benny Burnaway

Wings

Wings

1927

as Lieutenant Cameron

The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer

1927

as Agent (uncredited)

You'd Be Surprised

You'd Be Surprised

1926

as Party Guest

The Midnight Express

The Midnight Express

1924

as Switch Hogan

Other Men's Daughters

Other Men's Daughters

1923

as Hubert

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

1923

as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)

Her Own Money

Her Own Money

1922

as Jerry Woodward

The Family Honor

The Family Honor

1920

as Dal Tucker

The Life of the Party

The Life of the Party

1920

as Sam Perkins

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

Rocky King, Detective

as Police Inspector Rocky King

Episodes: 248

First Aired: Jan 14, 1950

Inside Detective

as Police Inspector Rocky King

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Jan 07, 1950

The Lucy Show

as Mr. Foley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 01, 1962

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

as Ed Church

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 01, 1957

December Bride

as Charley Allen

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1954

Hennesey

Episodes: 96

First Aired: Sep 28, 1959

December Bride

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1954

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 6 8 4
2024 7 11 21 4
2024 8 9 20 5
2024 9 7 15 1
2024 10 2 4 1
2024 11 2 3 1
2024 12 3 7 1
2025 1 6 14 2
2025 2 2 4 1
2025 3 3 4 1
2025 5 2 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 1 2 0

Trending Rank


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