Roscoe Karns
Biography
Roscoe Karns was an American actor whose screen work stretched from 1915 to 1964 and took in close to 150 films. Born in San Bernardino, he began in a San Diego stock company while still in high school, becoming known for cynical, wise-cracking characters with fast delivery. Silent pictures such as Wings and Beggars of Life came early, but his career took off once sound arrived. His best-known role was Oscar Shapeley, the bus passenger in the Oscar-winning It Happened One Night (1934), followed by Twentieth Century (1934), where he played the boozy press agent Owen O'Malley. He also appeared in His Girl Friday (1940), and in 1937 Paramount paired him with Lynne Overman in two B comedy-mysteries. When film roles grew scarce in the late 1940s, he moved to television, headlining Rocky King, Inside Detective from 1950 to 1954 and playing Walter Shafer in Hennesey from 1959 to 1962. Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) was his last film.
78years old at death
- Born San Bernardino
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
Movie Career
- Films
- 16
- Career span
- 37 years1927 to 1964
First and latest
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First role
While he was still a high school student, Roscoe Karns started performing with a stock company based in San Diego.
Big break
Karns appeared in many silent films, including Wings and Beggars of Life, but his career did not really take off until sound arrived.
Big break
By the late 1940s Karns was struggling to get movie roles and thought about retiring, but a friend at the DuMont Television Network led to him acting on television in New York City.
Roscoe Karns movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Howard Hawks directed four of these films, William A. Wellman two. George Raft appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
George Raft's page
Irving Bacon's page
Gary Cooper's page
Bette Davis's page
Regis Toomey's page
Alan Hale's page
All films by Howard Hawks
All films by William A. Wellman
Also two films together14 more actors
- Guinn 'Big Boy' WilliamsYou and Me (1938) and Beggars of Life (1928)
- Cecil CunninghamYou and Me (1938) and If I Had a Million (1932)
- William BendixWoman of the Year (1942) and They Drive by Night (1940)
- Richard ArlenBeggars of Life (1928) and Wings (1927)
- Harry C. BradleyFront Page Woman (1935) and It Happened One Night (1934)
- Warren HymerYou and Me (1938) and One Way Passage (1932)
- William BaileyWoman of the Year (1942) and It Happened One Night (1934)
- Glen CavenderToday We Live (1933) and One Way Passage (1932)
- Richard TuckerThe Jazz Singer (1927) and Wings (1927)
- Walter ConnollyIt Happened One Night (1934) and Twentieth Century (1934)
- Joyce ComptonThey Drive by Night (1940) and If I Had a Million (1932)
- Mike DonlinOne Way Passage (1932) and Beggars of Life (1928)
- Frank MarloweTwentieth Century (1934) and Today We Live (1933)
- Alison SkipworthIf I Had a Million (1932) and Night After Night (1932)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Roscoe Karns's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$22.1 million
7 of the 16 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 16 films: 7 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 8 figure not found.
- 7Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 8Figure not found
Highest grossing
The seven biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$6.0M27.1% of the total
- 2$4.5M20.4% of the total
- 3$3.6M16.3% of the total
- 4$2.7M12.2% of the total
- 5$2.6M11.8% of the total
- 6$1.6M7.2% of the total
- 7$1.1M5.0% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.