Roscoe Karns

Roscoe Karns

Deceased · Born: Sep 7, 1891 · Died: Feb 6, 1970

Personal Details

BornSep 7, 1891 San Bernardino, California, USA
Parents
  • Lewis Scott Larns
  • Susan Jane Messmore

Biography

Roscoe Karns' illustrious career on stage began at the tender age of 15, and he subsequently leveraged his remarkable machine-gun delivery and authentic street-wise demeanor, which initially led many to mistakenly assume he hailed from the Big Apple, when in reality he hails from the picturesque city of San Bernardino, California.

Throughout the 1920s to the 1960s, Karns effortlessly transitioned into character roles in numerous films, amassing a staggering portfolio of work. His most prolific and illustrious period, however, was undoubtedly the 1930s, where he consistently portrayed a wisecracking cabdriver or a brash newspaper reporter, often serving as the trusted friend and confidant of the protagonist, providing crucial assistance in solving the mystery, apprehending the villain, or locating the missing heiress, and so on.

Career

1964
1958
Onionhead
Onionhead as 'Windy' Woods
1948
Speed to Spare
Speed to Spare as Kangaroo
Devil's Cargo
Devil's Cargo as Lt. Hardy
The Inside Story
The Inside Story as Eustace Peabody
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven as Officer Carmody
1947
That's My Man
That's My Man as Toby Gleeton
1946
One Way to Love
One Way to Love as Hobie Simmons
Avalanche
Avalanche as Red Kelly
Down Missouri Way
Down Missouri Way as Press Agent
1944
The Navy Way
The Navy Way as Frankie Gimble
Minstrel Man
Minstrel Man as Lasses White
1943
Riding High
Riding High as Shorty
Old Acquaintance
Old Acquaintance as Charlie Archer
Stage Door Canteen
Stage Door Canteen as Roscoe Karns
1942
Yokel Boy
Yokel Boy as Al Devers
Woman of the Year
Woman of the Year as Phil Whittaker
1941
Road to Happiness
Road to Happiness as Charley Grady
The Gay Vagabond
The Gay Vagabond as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Black Eyes and Blues
Black Eyes and Blues as Alfred Harmon
Half Shot at Sunrise
Half Shot at Sunrise as Henry Warren
1940
Ladies Must Live
Ladies Must Live as Pete Larrabee
Saturday's Children
Saturday's Children as Willie Sands
They Drive by Night
They Drive by Night as Irish McGurn
Double Alibi
Double Alibi as Jeremiah Jenkins
Meet the Missus
Meet the Missus as Joe Higgins
1939
Everything's on Ice
Everything's on Ice as Felix Miller
Dancing Co-Ed
Dancing Co-Ed as Joe Drews
King of Chinatown
King of Chinatown as Rip Harrigan
1938
You and Me
You and Me as Cuffy
Tip-Off Girls
Tip-Off Girls as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
1936
1935
Alibi Ike
Alibi Ike as Carey
Wings in the Dark
Wings in the Dark as Nick Williams
Front Page Woman
Front Page Woman as Toots O'Grady
The Woman in Red
The Woman in Red as Man in court room (uncredited)
1934
Twentieth Century
Twentieth Century as Owen O'Malley
It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night as Oscar Shapeley
1933
Grand Slam
Grand Slam as Contest Radio Announcer
One Sunday Afternoon
One Sunday Afternoon as Snappy Downer
Today We Live
Today We Live as McGinnis
1932
The Crooked Circle
The Crooked Circle as Harry Carter
Two Against the World
Two Against the World as Segall, reporter
If I Had a Million
If I Had a Million as Private O'Brien
They Call It Sin
They Call It Sin as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
One Way Passage
One Way Passage as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
Lawyer Man
Lawyer Man as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
1931
Laughing Sinners
Laughing Sinners as Fred Geer
Dirigible
Dirigible as Sock McGuire
Ladies of the Big House
Ladies of the Big House as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
1930
The Gorilla
The Gorilla as Simmons
Safety in Numbers
Safety in Numbers as Bertram Shapiro
1929
The Flying Fleet
The Flying Fleet as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
1928
Beggars of Life
Beggars of Life as Lame Hoppy
The Trail of '98
The Trail of '98 as Man on Ship (uncredited)
1927
Wings
Wings as Lieutenant Cameron
The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer as Agent (uncredited)
1923
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)