Roscoe Karns
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 crime 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
It Happened One Night
as Oscar ShapeleyA runaway heiress makes a deal with the rogue reporter trailing her but the mismatched pair end...
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The Ten Commandments
as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)The first part tells the story of Moses leading the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, his...
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His Girl Friday
as McCueWalter Burns is an irresistibly conniving newspaper publisher desperate to woo back his paper’s...
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The Jazz Singer
as Agent (uncredited)A young Jewish man is torn between tradition and individuality when his old-fashioned family...
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Twentieth Century
as Owen O'MalleyA temperamental Broadway producer trains an untutored actress, but when she becomes a star, she...
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Wings
as Lieutenant CameronTwo young men, one rich, one middle class, both in love with the same woman, become US Air Corps...
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Woman of the Year
as Phil WhittakerRival reporters Sam Craig and Tess Harding fall in love and get married, only to find their...
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Man's Favorite Sport?
as Major PhippsRoger Willoughby is a renowned fishing expert, who, unbeknownst to his friends, co-workers, or...
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They Drive by Night
as Irish McGurnJoe and Paul Fabrini are Wildcat, or independent, truck drivers who have their own small...
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Old Acquaintance
as Charlie ArcherTwo writers, friends since childhood, fight over their books and lives.
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You and Me
as CuffyMr. Morris, the owner of a large metropolitan department store, gives jobs to paroled...
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If I Had a Million
as Private O'BrienAn elderly business tycoon, believed to be dying, decides to give a million dollars each to...
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Today We Live
as McGinnisTwo lovers are living together and are not married; they had made a promise as children to get...
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Alice in Wonderland
as TweedledeeIn Victorian England, a bored young girl dreams that she has entered a fantasy world called...
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One Way Passage
as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)A terminally ill woman and a debonair murderer facing execution meet and fall in love on a...
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Night After Night
as LeoA former boxer purchases a classy speakeasy and falls in love with a wealthy society girl.
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The Woman in Red
as Man in court room (uncredited)A professional jockey struggles to fit in with her new husband's upper-crust family in this...
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Safety in Numbers
as Bertram ShapiroBefore handing over a large inheritance, a guardian hires three chorus girls to educate his...
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Four Hours to Kill!
as JohnsonA detective who has "four hours to kill" before delivering his prisoner, an escaped killer,...
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Beggars of Life
as Lame HoppyAfter killing her treacherous step-father, a girl tries to escape the country with a young...
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Stage Door Canteen
as Roscoe KarnsA young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous...
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The Navy Way
as Frankie GimbleThe experiences of a disparate group of young men as they make their way through Navy boot camp.
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Footsteps in the Dark
as MonahanA high-society gent has a secret life - he writes murder mysteries and hangs out with the police...
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King of Chinatown
as Rep HarriganA Chinese-American surgeon faces a moral dilemma after operating on the mob boss in charge of...
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Dirigible
as Sock McGuireDirigible commander Jack Braden and Navy pilot 'Frisky' Pierce fight over the glory associated...
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Alibi Ike
as CareyIdiosyncratic new recruit Francis "Ike" Farrell tries to help the Cubs to the pennant with his...
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Onionhead
as 'Windy' WoodsAn irresponsible student enlists in the Coast Guard expecting to sit out World War II.
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Dancing Co-Ed
as Joe DrewsAfter discovering his star dancer is expecting and can't perform, film producer H.W. Workman and...
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Three Married Men
as Peter CaryJennie Mullins and her fiancé Peter Cary are happily in love but their families are miserable...
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The Flying Fleet
as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)Six friends, all hoping to become aviators, are to graduate the next day from the United States...
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Partners in Crime
as Sim PerkinsDetective Hank Hyer investigates a blackmail case involving a candidate for mayor.
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The Crooked Circle
as Harry CarterA group of amateur detectives sets out to expose The Crooked Circle, a secretive group of hooded...
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Front Page Woman
as Toots O'GradyAce reporter Curt Devlin and fellow reporter Ellen Garfield love one another, but Curt believes...
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That's Right – You're Wrong
as Mal StampJ. D. Forbes, head of the almost-bankrupt Four Star Studios in Hollywood contacts band leader...
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Red Hot Tires
as Bud KeeneAn escaped convict redeems himself by becoming an auto racing champion.
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Murder Goes to College
as Sim PerkinsThe policy-racket reaches it lean, bony fingers into the ivy-towers of a large university and...
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Cain and Mabel
as ReillyA chorus girl and a heavyweight boxer are paired romantically as a publicity stunt.
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You Can't Escape Forever
as 'Mac' McTurkA demoted reporter (George Brent) and his girlfriend (Brenda Marshall) seek to expose a crime...
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The Trail of '98
as Man on Ship (uncredited)Fortune hunters from all over the country rushing to the Klondike in 1897 to seek their fortunes...
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The Shopworn Angel
as Dance DirectorShortly after the United States enters World War I in 1917, a Broadway actress agrees to let a...
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Stowaway
as Insp. ReddingOn her first night as a dockside dancer, Mary Foster loses her job when she tries to fend of the...
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Saturday's Children
as Willie SandsAn inventor and his bride get testy in the city as they try to make ends meet.
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Woman Trap
as MopsyA gangland murder is the motivating factor of this fast-moving crime drama. George Murphy stars...
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Devil's Cargo
as Lt. HardyJohn Calvert takes over as the Falcon in this Poverty-Row continuation of the film series.
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Wings in the Dark
as Nick WilliamsIn his dedicated pursuit of technology that will aid pilots to safely "fly blind" during adverse...
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Thanks for the Memory
as George KentSteve Merrick is an out of work writer who stays home and plays house husband while his wife...
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The Women in His Life
as Aloysius LesterAn immensely successful criminal lawyer is blindsided when he learns that his new case involves...
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Road to Happiness
as Charley GradyA struggling singer, devoted to his young son, fears the child's super-spoiled, unloving but...
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Come On, Marines!
as Spud McGurke"Lucky" Davis, a ladies-man and a devil-may-care U. S. Marine Sergeant, is leading a...
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Lawyer Man
as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)Idealistic attorney Anton Adam makes headlines when he successfully prosecutes a prominent New...
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I Sell Anything
as MonkAuctioneer Spot Cash Cutler is planning the scam of a lifetime, but will he get burned?
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The Desert Bride
as Pvt. TerryCaptain Maurice de Florimont, a French Army intelligence officer, is captured by Arab...
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Tip-Off Girls
as Tom Benson aka Tommy LoganA federal agent goes after a hijacking ring that uses beautiful women to help it hijack the rigs...
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A Tragedy at Midnight
as CassidyThe host of a whodunit radio show finds himself involved in his own mystery when he awakens to...
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That's My Man
as Toby GleetonA poor young man is finally able to achieve his dream of running a horse at the track, but when...
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New York Nights
as Johnny DolanShow girl Jill Deverne is married to song writer Fred Deverne, and everyone is involved in the...
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Grand Slam
as Contest Radio AnnouncerA Russian waiter in New York City becomes a national celebrity after he develops a "system" for...
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One Sunday Afternoon
as Snappy DownerMiddle-aged dentist Biff Grimes reminisces about his unrequited love for beautiful Virginia...
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Everything's on Ice
as Felix MillerComedy about a little girl who's uncle makes her an ice skating star, only to take all of her money.
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Troopers Three
as BugsEddie Haskins, a wisecracking young man, teams up with two ham-acrobats known as 'Bugs & Sunny',...
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Night of Mystery
as Sergeant HeathOne of a series of movies based on the character Philo Vance
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The Family Honor
as Dal TuckerBeverly Tucker, the daughter of an impoverished aristocratic Southern family, has scraped...
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His Butler's Sister
as FieldsAspiring singer Ann Carter visits her stepbrother in New York, hoping to make it on Broadway.
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You'd Be Surprised
as Party GuestA diamond is stolen at a houseboat party given by the district attorney. He gives the thief a...
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Yokel Boy
as Al DeversA film company hires a gangster to mock himself holding up a bank, but he succeeds too well and...
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Border Flight
as Calico SmithFrances Farmer's second film is a typical B-programmer from the Paramount lot of 1936--up and...
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Two-Fisted
as Chick MoranA fast-talking boxing manager and the somewhat hapless fighter he manages happen to run into a...
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The Inside Story
as Eustace PeabodyA collection agent arrives in a small town with $1000 for a local farmer. Whilst waiting for the...
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Left Over Ladies
as 'Scoop'Two married couples are involved in divorce proceedings; Patricia and Ronny, who are still in...
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They Call It Sin
as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)An innocent, young, small-town church organist is thrown out of her home, told she was adopted,...
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Shoot the Works
as Sailor BurkeThe story of seedy sideshow barker Nicky, who uses everyone he meets to get ahead. Nicky isn't...
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Hi, Good Lookin'!
as ArchieAn usher at a radio station studio pretends to be an executive at the station in order to help a...
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Play Girl
as Gambler (uncredited)A young innocent falls for a compulsive gambler.
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Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
as Officer CarmodyEddie Tayloe's grandfather leaves him six thousand dollars and the money belt it came in,...
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On Such a Night
as Joe FlynnWhen her husband is accused of murder, an actress tries to prove his innocence.
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One Way to Love
as Hobie SimmonsA Chicago team of radio scriptwriters must split up when he takes a job with his bride-to-be's...
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This Thing Called Love
as Harry BertrandA romance runs into difficulties because the girl has seen a great deal of the turbulence in her...
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Meet the Missus
as Joe HigginsGran Higgins falls under the spell of a love-starved widow.
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The Vanishing Pioneer
as Ray HearnA western settlement of pioneer descendants is threatened with the loss of its water supply...
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A Lady's Profession
as TonyA couple of down-and-out British aristocrats buy an American roadhouse.
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Riding High
as ShortyNo relation to the 1950 Frank Capra film of the same name, the 1943 Technicolor musical Riding...
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The Life of the Party
as Sam PerkinsAn attorney is thrust into wild adventures by an attractive young woman.
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Week-End Marriage
as Jim DavisIn this comedy, a hard-working husband loses his job and his wife becomes the bread winner.
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Laughing Sinners
as Fred GeerIvy Stevens is a cafe entertainer in love with a shifty salesman who deserts her. In attempting...
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Double Alibi
as Jeremiah JenkinsA man's ex-wife is found murdered, and he finds himself to be the prime suspect.
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Ladies Must Live
as Pete LarrabeeA small town farmer, who happens to be very wealthy, meets and falls for an actress, but his...
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The Midnight Express
as Switch HoganWastrel son of a railroad magnate, Jack's father becomes frustrated with his son's wild ways. To...
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Under-Cover Man
as DannieWhen his father is murdered, erstwhile conman Nick Darrow asks the cops if he can go undercover...
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Speed to Spare
as KangarooStunt driver Cliff Jordan takes a job with his old pal Jerry McGee, branch manager of an express...
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My Son, The Hero
as Big-Time MorganLearning that his long-unseen son is soon to arrive for a visit, a small-time con-man enlists...
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The Trouper
as uncreditedWorking as a wardrobe girl in a cheap traveling stock company, Mamie Judd secretly loves Jenks,...
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Jazz Mad
as Sol LevyA composer and his daughter emigrate to America in the hope that he can sell his symphony. But...
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Gambling Ship
as BlooeyTired of the dangerous life as gambling boss, Ace Corbin 'retires' from the racket and travels...
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I Ring Doorbells
as StubbySet at a major newspaper, this crime drama centers on a fellow who returns to newspaper...
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Minstrel Man
as Lasses WhiteUnusually elaborate for a PRC film, Minstrel Man is a lively musical drama built around the...
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Scandal Street
as Austin BrownJoe McKnight temporarily leaves his fiancée, Nora Langdon, for an expedition in a South American...
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The Roadhouse Murder
as DaleAfter he stumbles across a murder, a young reporter devises an elaborate scene to keep his...
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Vigilantes of Boomtown
as Bill DelaneyThe ranch of Red Ryder (Allan Lane) and his aunt, The Duchess (Martha Wentworth), is being used...
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Dangerous to Know
as DuncanRacketeer Steve Recka, art patron and political power-maker, rules his town and Madame Lan Ying,...
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The Gorilla
as SimmonsA series of murders that take place in an old, dark mansion are suspected of being committed by...
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Two Against the World
as Segall, reporterA socialite finds herself involved in a murder trial that is prosecuted by her boyfriend.
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Man Trouble
as ScottA hard-boiled nightclub owner saves a beautiful young girl from drowning. He promptly falls in...
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Warming Up
as HippoBert, a pitcher for a baseball team in a small town, is given the opportunity to try out for a...
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Black Eyes and Blues
as Alfred HarmonRoscoe's wife decides to divorce him and heads for Reno.
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Pleasure
as ArnieA novelist and his younger brother fall in love with the same woman.
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Ladies of the Big House
as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)A woman tries to save her husband from the electric chair after both are sent to prison for a...
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The Costello Case
as BlairAn Irish policeman handles gangsters, a mystery woman and a wise-guy reporter.
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Little Accident
as GilbertOn the day before his second wedding, a man finds out that his bride-to-be has had a baby.
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Beau Sabreur
as BuddyThe film is about a desert-bound member of the French Foreign Legion who exposes a betrayer to...
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Half Shot at Sunrise
as Henry WarrenAfter his wife walks out on him, obnoxious Roscoe takes his son to the movies and creates havoc...
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The Gay Vagabond
as Arthur Dixon / Jerry DixonFarce of identical twins and a wife who takes up real estate business.
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Many a Slip
as Stan PriceComedy centering on the question of whether a man's wife is or isn't pregnant.
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Clarence
as Clarence SmithThe title character is a resourceful young man who knows a whole little about a whole lot of...
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Petticoat Politics
as Joe HigginsPa Higgins has decided to retire but winds up being forced to run for mayor. Ladd is both...
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Avalanche
as Red KellyTwo T-men track a tax evader and his money to an Idaho ski resort, where a raven tends bar.
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Win That Girl
as Johnny Norton IIA gridiron rivalry between two colleges is entering its third generation, and the Norton family...
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Her Own Money
as Jerry WoodwardAfter five years of marriage, Mildred comes to the realization that her husband, Lew, is going...
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Ten Modern Commandments
as Benny BurnawayA chorus girl falls in love with a budding composer.
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The Lucy Show
as Mr. FoleyThe Lucy Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962–68. It was Lucille Ball's...
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Richard Diamond, Private Detective
as Ed ChurchRichard Diamond, Private Detective is an American detective drama which aired on radio from 1949...
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December Bride
as uncreditedDecember Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959,...
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December Bride
as Charley AllenDecember Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959,...
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Hennesey
as uncreditedHennesey is an American military sitcom/drama television series with Jackie Cooper in the title...
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