Todd Karns

The son of actor Roscoe Karns, Todd Karns briefly pursued a television and film career in the 1940s and 1950s. He was afforded his best opportunities on TV, where he co-starred with Helen Chapman in Jackson and Jill (1949), the first filmed weekly sitcom. He later appeared in support of his father in the popular DuMont Network cop series, Rocky King, Detective (1950-1954). In the final analysis, Todd Karns will be most fondly remembered as Harry Bailey, the war hero/younger brother of small-town banker George Bailey (James Stewart), in Frank Capra's imperishable film classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Like the character he portrayed in the film, Karns was himself a WWII veteran of the United States Army Air Corps. In 1971, Karns and his wife moved to Ajijic, Mexico, where they established an English-language theater. He directed and produced in this theater for 30 years until his death in early 2000 at the age of 79.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide