Roscoe Karns

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.

Acting career Karns began acting with a San Diego stock company when he was still in high school. "I’ve never earned a dime outside of show business. I can't even claim having a newspaper route as a kid," he declared.

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.

By the late 1940s Karns was finding it difficult to obtain movie roles, and was considering retiring, but he contacted a friend who worked for the DuMont Television Network, and he was asked to consider coming to New York City to act on television.

From 1959 to 1962, Karns was cast as Captain (then 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.

Personal life

Roscoe Karns was born September 7, 1891, in San Bernardino, California. He married Mary M. Frasco in 1920, and was the father of two children – Mary Karns Hart, and Roscoe Todd Karns, Jr. He was admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital, in Los Angeles, on December 18, 1969 and died at the hospital on February 6, 1970.

Filmography

Mr. Carlson of Arizona (1915, Short) From Champion to Tramp (1915, Short) – The Girl's Father A Western Governor's Humanity (1915, Short) Beans for Two (1918, Short) – Jimmy's Friend Know Thy Wife (1918, Short) – Steve – Bob's Chum Brides for Two (1919, short) Sally's Blighted Career (1919, Short) Oh, Susie, Be Careful (1919, Short) Poor Relations (1919) – Henry The Family Honor (1920) – Dal Tucker Life of the Party (1920) – Sam Perkins The Man Tamer (1921) – Bradley P. Caldwell Jr Too Much Married (1921) – Bob Holiday Her Own Money (1922) – Jerry Woodward The Trouper (1922) – Neal Selden Afraid to Fight (1922) – Bertie Conquering the Woman (1922) – Shorty Thompson Other Men's Daughters (1923) – Hubert Down to the Ship to See (1923, Short) – Jack The Ten Commandments (1923) – The Boy in the Rain (uncredited) Bluff (1924) – Jack Hallowell The Midnight Express (1924) – Switch Hogan The Foolish Virgin (1924) – Chuck Brady The Overland Limited (1925) – Patrick Henry Madden Dollar Down (1925) – Gene Meadows You'd Be Surprised (1926) – Party Guest (uncredited) Ritzy (1927) – Smith's Valet Wings (1927) – Lieutenant Cameron Ten Modern Commandments (1927) – Benny Burnaway The Jazz Singer (1927) – Agent (uncredited) Beau Sabreur (1928) – Buddy The Trail of '98 (1928) – Man on Ship (uncredited) Something Always Happens (1928) – George The Desert Bride (1928) – Pvt. Terry The Vanishing Pioneer (1928) – Ray Hearn Warming Up (1928) – Hippo Jazz Mad (1928) – Sol Levy Win That Girl (1928) – Johnny Norton II Beggars of Life (1928) – Lame Hoppy Moran of the Marines (1928) – Swatty Object: Alimony (1928) – Al Bryant The Shopworn Angel (1928) – Dance Director The Flying Fleet (1929) – Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited) Copy (1929 short) – City Editor John Mack This Thing Called Love (1929) – Harry Bertrand New York Nights (1929) – Johnny Dolan Troopers Three (1930) – Bugs Safety in Numbers (1930) – Bertram Shapiro The Little Accident (1930) – Gilbert Man Trouble (1930) – Scott The Costello Case (1930) – Blair The Gorilla (1930) – Simmons Dirigible (1931) – Sock McGuire Many a Slip (1931) – Stan Price Laughing Sinners (1931) – Fred Geer Pleasure (1931) – Arnie Left Over Ladies (1931) – 'Scoop' Ladies of the Big House (1931) – Frank – Twenty Questions player (uncredited) High Pressure (1932) – Telephone salesman (uncredited) Stowaway (1932) – Insp. Redding Play Girl (1932) – Gambler (uncredited) The Roadhouse Murder (1932) – Jeff Dale Week-End Marriage (1932) – Jim Davis Two Against the World (1932) – Segall, reporter The Crooked Circle (1932) – Harry Carter One Way Passage (1932) – S.S.Maloa Bartender (uncredited) Night After Night (1932) – Leo They Call It Sin (1932) – Brandt – Rehearsal Director (uncredited) If I Had a Million (1932) – Private O'Brien Under-Cover Man (1932) – Dannie Lawyer Man (1932) – Merritt – Reporter (uncredited) Grand Slam (1933) – Contest Radio Announcer Today We Live (1933) – McGinnis A Lady's Profession (1933) – Tony Gambling Ship (1933) – Blooey One Sunday Afternoon (1933) – Snappy Downer The Women in His Life (1933) – Lester Alice in Wonderland (1933) – Tweedledee Search for Beauty (1934) – Newspaper Reporter (scenes deleted) It Happened One Night (1934) – Oscar Shapeley Come On Marines! (1934) – Spud McGurke Twentieth Century (1934) – O'Malley Shoot the Works (1934) – Sailor Burke Elmer and Elsie (1934) – Rocky Cott I Sell Anything (1934) – Monk Wings in the Dark (1935) – Nick Williams Red Hot Tires (1935) – Bud Keene Four Hours to Kill! (1935) – Johnson Alibi Ike (1935) – Carey Front Page Woman (1935) – Toots O'Grady Two-Fisted (1935) – Chick Moran Woman Trap (1936) – Mopsy Border Flight (1936) – Calico Smith Three Cheers for Love (1936) – Doc "Short Circuit" Wilson Three Married Men (1936) – Peter Cary Cain and Mabel (1936) – Reilly Clarence (1937) – Clarence Smith Murder Goes to College (1937) – Sim Perkins Night of Mystery (1937) – Sgt. Heath On Such a Night (1937) – Joe Flynn Partners in Crime (1937) – Sim Perkins Scandal Street (1938) – Austin Brown Dangerous to Know (1938) – Duncan Tip-Off Girls (1938) – Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan You and Me (1938) – Cuffy Thanks for the Memory (1938) – George Kent King of Chinatown (1939) – 'Rip' Harrigan Dancing Co-Ed (1939) – Joe Drews Everything's on Ice (1939) – Felix Miller That's Right—You're Wrong (1939) – Mal Stamp His Girl Friday (1940) – Reporter McCue Double Alibi (1940) – Jeremiah Jenkins Saturday's Children (1940) – Willie Sands They Drive by Night (1940) – "Irish" McGurn Ladies Must Live (1940) – Pete H. 'Pighead' Larrabee Meet the Missus (1940) – Joe Higgins Petticoat Politics (1941) – Joe Higgins Footsteps in the Dark (1941) – Monahan Black Eyes and Blues (1941 short) – Alfred Harmon The Gay Vagabond (1941) – Arthur Dixon, Jerry Dixon Half Shot at Sunrise (1941, Short) – Henry Warren Road to Happiness (1942) – Charley Grady A Tragedy at Midnight (1942) – Det. Lt. Cassidy Woman Of The Year (1942) – Phil Whittaker Yokel Boy (1942) – Al Devers You Can't Escape Forever (1942) – 'Mac' McTurk My Son, the Hero (1943) – Big-Time Morgan Stage Door Canteen (1943) – Himself Riding High (1943) – Shorty (uncredited) His Butler's Sister (1943) – Fields Old Acquaintance (1943) – Charlie Archer The Navy Way (1944) – Frankie Gimble Hi, Good Lookin'! (1944) – Archie Minstrel Man (1944) – Roscoe One Way to Love (1946) – Hobie Simmons I Ring Doorbells (1946) – Stubby Avalanche (1946) – Red Kelly Down Missouri Way (1946) – Press Agent Vigilantes of Boomtown (1947) – Billy Delaney That's My Man (1947) – Toby Gleeton The Inside Story (1948) – Eustace Peabody Devil's Cargo (1948) – Lt. Hardy Speed to Spare (1948) – Kangaroo Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven (1948) – Carmody Onionhead (1958) – 'Windy' Woods Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) – Major Phipps