Todd Karns - wikipedia Todd Karns Todd Karns in his film debut Andy Hardy 's Private Secretary ( 1941 ) Roscoe T. Karns, Jr. ( 1921 - 01 - 15 ) January 15, 1921 Hollywood, California, U.S. February 5, 2000 ( 2000 - 02 - 05 ) ( aged 79 ) Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico Resting place Ajijic Cemetery Occupation Actor Years active 1941 -- 1955 Spouse ( s ) Katherine Karns ( 1944 - 2000 ) ( his death ) ( 3 children ) Parent ( s ) Roscoe Karns Roscoe Todd Karns ( January 15, 1921 -- February 5, 2000 ) was an American actor perhaps best remembered for playing Harry Bailey, the younger brother of George Bailey in the Christmas classic film It 's a Wonderful Life. Contents 1 Early life 2 Film 3 Television 4 Later years 5 Painting 6 Death 7 Partial filmography 8 External links 9 References Early Life Karns was the son of the well - known character actor Roscoe Karns and his wife Mary Fraso. He initially planned to have a career as a newspaper reporter, but participation in a little theater production changed his mind, turning him toward acting. Film Karns started his film career in 1941 as Harry Land in two Andy Hardy movies with Mickey Rooney, but shortly after that, his beginning film career was interrupted by the Second World War, where Karns served in the Army Air Corps. When he returned to Hollywood, Karnes portrayed his signature role as Harry Bailey in Frank Capra 's Christmas classic It 's a Wonderful Life ( 1946 ). He often had minor film roles, such as in The Caine Mutiny ( 1954 ). Television Karns played Jackson Jones in Jackson and Jill ( 1949 - 1953 ), the first weekly situation comedy for television. He also appeared with his father Roscoe in the criminal series Rocky King, Detective ( 1950 - 1954 ), playing Sergeant Hart. He retired from the film and television business in the mid-1950s. Later years Karns and his wife Katherine with their three children moved to Mexico near Guadalajara where they opened the English - language venue, Lakeside Little Theater in 1971. There Karns produced and directed plays for the next three decades, until his death from cancer at age 79. Painting In addition to acting, Karns also made numerous paintings. He began painting in January 1948 and went on to sell his works to individuals and to businesses. A newspaper reporter wrote, `` His style is strictly his own and bears no resemblance to anything ever heard in an art class or put in a book. '' Death Karns died of cancer in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico on February 5, 2000, age 79. His wife and children had his private family interment in Ajijic 's cemetery. Partial filmography Andy Hardy 's Private Secretary ( 1941 ) - Harry Land The Courtship of Andy Hardy ( 1942 ) - Harry Land Eagle Squadron ( 1942 ) - Meyers It 's a Wonderful Life ( 1946 ) - Harry Bailey Good Sam ( 1948 ) - Joe Adams Jackson and Jill ( 1949, TV series ) - Jackson Jones My Foolish Heart ( 1949 ) - Her escort It 's a Small World ( 1950 ) - Sam Let 's Dance ( 1950 ) - Sergeant ( uncredited ) The Magnificent Yankee ( 1950 ) - Secretary ( uncredited ) Drums in the Deep South ( 1951 ) - Union Captain ( uncredited ) The Red Badge of Courage ( 1951 ) - Soldier ( uncredited ) Mutiny ( 1952 ) - Andrews Jet Job ( 1952 ) - Peter Arlen My Son John ( 1952 ) - Bedford ( uncredited ) The Story of Will Rogers ( 1952 ) - 1st Mechanic ( scenes deleted ) Battle Zone ( 1952 ) - Officer Flat Top ( 1952 ) - Judge Invaders from Mars ( 1953 ) - Jim - Gas Station Attendant ( uncredited ) Mission Over Korea ( 1953 ) - 2nd Lt. Jerry Barker ( uncredited ) Clipped Wings ( 1953 ) - Lt. Dave Moreno China Venture ( 1953 ) - Lt. March ( uncredited ) Sea of Lost Ships ( 1953 ) - Co-Pilot ( uncredited ) Rocky King, Detective ( 1953 - 1954, TV - series ) - Sergeant Hart The Caine Mutiny ( 1954 ) - Petty Officer 1st Class Stillwell ( uncredited ) External links Biography portal Todd Karns on IMDb Todd Karns at Find a Grave References Jump up ^ `` Local Theatre Attractions ''. Santa Cruz Sentinel. California, Santa Cruz. March 9, 1941. p. 10. Retrieved December 18, 2016 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : Terrace, Vincent ( 2011 ). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 6477 - 7. P. 522. Jump up ^ Todd Karns, 79, Who Played Brother in ' It 's a Wonderful Life ' Jump up ^ Wonderful - Life Museum : Todd Karns ( Harry Bailey ) -- Artist Jump up ^ Keavy, Hubbard ( March 13, 1949 ). `` ' Anybody Can Paint -- Todd 's Record Reveals ''. The Decatur Herald. Illinois, Decatur. Associated Press. p. 8. Retrieved December 17, 2016 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ III, Harris M. Lentz ( 2001 ). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2000 : Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. p. 123. ISBN 9780786410248. Retrieved 18 December 2016. VIAF : 17039346 LCCN : no2008097564 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Todd_Karns&oldid=836047555 '' Categories : 1921 births 2000 deaths American male film actors Male actors from Hollywood, Los Angeles 20th - century American male actors American military personnel of World War II American male television actors American emigrants to Mexico Hidden categories : Pages to import images to Wikidata Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016 Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 12 April 2018, at 11 : 11. About Wikipedia

Question: who played harry bailey in it's a wonderful life
Answer: Roscoe Todd Karns