ROSCOE KARNS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Roscoe Karns was born on September 7th, 1891 in San Bernardino, California and began his career as an entertainer when he was only fifteen.  He worked as a stage actor and later became very well known in the film industry.
 
He received his formal education at Harvard Military Academy in California.  He began his acting career with the Marjorie Rambeau's stock company and soon was appearing on a number of shorts with Christie comedy studio's.    

The majority of characters he portrayed were the friend of the hero that would assist in helping to catch the "bad guy".  Throughout his career he appeared in over 150 films, although many of his roles were un-credited.
 
Some of his more popular film roles included, "Conquering the Woman" (1922), "New York Nights" (1929), "The Crooked Circle" (1932), "Week-End Marriage" (1932), "Front Page Woman" (1935), "Woman Trap" (1936), "A Tragedy at Midnight" (1942), "One Way To Love" (1946) and his final film role in 1964, "Man's Favorite Sport".

Along with working as a film actor he added such television credits to his resume as, "Rocky King, Inside Detective", "You and Me" (1938), "His Girl Friday" (1940), December Bride" (1958-1959) starring Spring Byington and Harry Morgan, "Hennesey" (1960-1962) starring Jackie Cooper and "The Lucy Show" (1963) starring Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon.      

Roscoe Karns married only once to Mary M. Fraso in 1920 and they had two children and remained together until he passed away on February 6th, 1970 in Los Angeles, California. 

 
Filmography

1964   Man's Favorite Sport?

1963   The Lucy Show 

1960-1962  Hennesey

1958-1959  December Bride

1958   Onionhead

1958   Richard Diamond, Private Detective 

1951-1954  Rocky King, Detective

1950   The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre

1948   Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

1948   Speed to Spare

1948   Devil's Cargo

1948   The Inside Story

1947   That's My Man

1947   Vigilantes of Boomtown

1946   Avalanche 

1946   I Ring Doorbells

1946   One Way to Love 

1944   Minstrel Man 

1944   Hi, Good Lookin'! 

1944   The Navy Way

1943   Old Acquaintance 

1943   His Butler's Sister

1943   Riding High

1943   My Son, the Hero

1942   You Can't Escape Forever

1942   Yokel Boy

1942   A Tragedy at Midnight

1942   Woman of the Year

1942   Road to Happiness 

1941   Half Shot at Sunrise

1941   The Gay Vagabond

1941   Black Eyes and Blues

1941   Footsteps in the Dark

1941   Petticoat Politics

1940   Meet the Missus

1940   They Drive by Night

1940   Ladies Must Live

1940   Saturday's Children

1940   Double Alibi 

1940   His Girl Friday 

1939   That's Right - You're Wrong

1939   Everything's on Ice

1939   Dancing Co-Ed 

1939   King of Chinatown 

1938   Thanks for the Memory 

1938   Campus Confessions

1938   You and Me 

1938   Tip-Off Girls

1938   Dangerous to Know

1938   Scandal Street 

1937   Partners in Crime

1937   On Such a Night 

1937   Night of Mystery 

1937   Murder Goes to College

1937   Clarence

1936   Cain and Mabel 

1936   Three Married Men

1936   Three Cheers for Love

1936   Border Flight 

1936   Woman Trap 

1935   Two-Fisted

1935   Front Page Woman 

1935   Alibi Ike

1935   Four Hours to Kill!

1935   Red Hot Tires 

1935   Wings in the Dark 

1934   I Sell Anything

1934   Elmer and Elsie

1934   Shoot the Works

1934   Twentieth Century

1934   Come On, Marines!

1934   It Happened One Night

1934   Search for Beauty

1933   Alice in Wonderland 

1933   The Women in His Life 

1933   One Sunday Afternoon

1933   Gambling Ship

1933   Today We Live

1933   A Lady's Profession

1933   Grand Slam 

1932   Lawyer Man

1932   Under-Cover Man

1932   If I Had a Million

1932   They Call It Sin

1932   Night After Night 

1932   One Way Passage 

1932   The Crooked Circle 

1932   Two Against the World 

1932   Week-End Marriage

1932   The Roadhouse Murder

1932   Play-Girl 

1932   Stowaway

1931   Ladies of the Big House

1931   Leftover Ladies 

1931   Pleasure

1931   Laughing Sinners

1931   Dirigible 

1931   Many a Slip

1930   The Gorilla

1930   The Costello Case

1930   Man Trouble

1930   Little Accident

1930   Safety in Numbers

1930   Troopers Three

1929   New York Nights

1929   This Thing Called Love

1929   Copy

1929   The Flying Fleet

1928   The Shopworn Angel

1928   Object: Alimony 

1928   Jazz Mad

1928   Moran of the Marines

1928   Beggars of Life

1928   Win That Girl

1928   Warming Up 

1928   The Vanishing Pioneer 

1928   The Desert Bride

1928   Something Always Happens 

1928   The Trail of '98 

1928   Beau Sabreur

1927   The Jazz Singer 

1927   Ten Modern Commandments

1927   Wings

1927   Ritzy 

1926   You'd Be Surprised 

1925   Dollar Down 

1925   The Overland Limited 

1924   The Foolish Virgin

1924   The Midnight Express 

1924   Bluff 

1923   The Ten Commandments 

1923   Down to the Ship to See

1923   Other Men's Daughters 

1922   Conquering the Woman 

1922   Afraid to Fight 

1922   The Trouper 

1922   Her Own Money 

1921   Too Much Married 

1921   The Man Tamer

1920   Life of the Party 

1920   The Family Honor 

1919   Poor Relations

1919   Oh, Susie, Be Careful

1919   Sally's Blighted Career

1919   Brides for Two

1915   A Western Governor's Humanity

1915   A Species of Mexican Man

1915   From Champion to Tramp

1915   Mr. Carlson of Arizona