Ned Sparks

Ned Sparks

Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ned Sparks (born Edward Arthur Sparkman, November 19, 1883 – April 3, 1957) was a Canadian-born character actor of the American stage and screen. Sparks was known for his deadpan expression and deep, gravelly voice. Born in Guelph, Ontario, Sparks left home at age 16 and attempted to work as a gold prospector on the Klondike Gold Rush. After running out of money, he won a spot as a singer on a traveling musical company's tour. At age 19, he returned to Canada and briefly attended a Toronto seminary. After leaving the seminary, he worked for the railroad and worked in theater in Toronto. In 1907, he left Toronto for New York City to try his hand in the Broadway theatre, where he appeared in his first show in 1912. While working on Broadway, Sparks developed his trademark deadpan expression while portraying the role of a desk clerk in the play Little Miss Brown. His success on the stage soon caught the attention of MGM's Louis B. Mayer who signed Sparks to a six picture deal. Sparks began appearing in numerous silent films before finally making his "talkie" debut in the 1928 film The Big Noise. In the 1930s, Sparks became known for portraying dour-faced, sarcastic, cigar-chomping characters. He became so associated with the type that, in 1936, The New York Times reported that Sparks had his face insured for USD$100,000 with Lloyd's of London. The market agreed to pay the sum to any photographer who could capture Sparks smiling (Sparks later admitted that the story was a publicity stunt and he was only insured for $10,000). Sparks was also caricatured in cartoons including the Jack-in-the-Box character in the Disney short Broken Toys (1935), and the jester in Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (1938), a hermit crab in both Tex Avery's Fresh Fish (1939) and Bob Clampett's Goofy Groceries (1941), a chicken in Bob Clampett's Slap Happy Pappy (1940), Friz Freleng's Warner Bros. cartoon Malibu Beach Party (1940), and Tex Avery's Hollywood Steps Out (1940). Sparks also voiced the cartoon characters Heckle and Jeckle from 1947 to 1951. Sparks appeared in ten stage productions on Broadway and over 80 films. He retired from films in 1947, saying that everyone should retire at 65

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: November 18, 1883

Deathday: April 03, 1957

Popularity:

2.19

Known For

42nd Street
42nd Street

1933-03-11

Gold Diggers of 1933
Gold Diggers of 1933

1933-05-27

Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland

1933-12-18

Lady for a Day
Lady for a Day

1933-09-13

Blessed Event
Blessed Event

1932-09-10

Sweet Adeline
Sweet Adeline

1934-12-29

In Search of a Sinner
In Search of a Sinner

1920-03-07

Imitation of Life
Imitation of Life

1934-11-23

The Canary Murder Case
The Canary Murder Case

1929-02-16

Corsair
Corsair

1931-11-28

Nothing But the Truth
Nothing But the Truth

1920-01-01

Love's Blindness
Love's Blindness

1926-12-04

This Way Please
This Way Please

1937-10-15

Street Girl
Street Girl

1929-08-21

The Bride Walks Out
The Bride Walks Out

1936-07-10

One in a Million
One in a Million

1937-01-01

Big City Blues
Big City Blues

1932-09-18

Marie Galante
Marie Galante

1934-10-25

Seven Keys to Baldpate
Seven Keys to Baldpate

1925-10-19

Conspiracy
Conspiracy

1930-08-10

Sweet Music
Sweet Music

1935-02-23

George White's 1935 Scandals
George White's 1935 Scandals

1935-03-29

Sing and Like it
Sing and Like it

1934-04-20

The Wide Open Spaces
The Wide Open Spaces

1931-12-28

Big Dame Hunting
Big Dame Hunting

1932-01-15

The Bond Boy
The Bond Boy

1923-05-23

Hi, Nellie!
Hi, Nellie!

1934-01-20

The Crusader
The Crusader

1932-10-04

Wake Up and Live
Wake Up and Live

1937-08-23

Love Comes Along
Love Comes Along

1930-01-05

The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy

1930-06-15

The Star Maker
The Star Maker

1939-08-25

Down to Their Last Yacht
Down to Their Last Yacht

1934-08-31

The Devil's Holiday
The Devil's Holiday

1930-05-09

Magic Town
Magic Town

1947-10-07

Too Much Harmony
Too Much Harmony

1933-09-23

Secrets
Secrets

1933-03-16

Hawaii Calls
Hawaii Calls

1938-03-12

The Miracle Man
The Miracle Man

1932-04-01

The Small Bachelor
The Small Bachelor

1927-11-06

The Hidden Way
The Hidden Way

1926-07-26

When the Wife's Away
When the Wife's Away

1926-10-20

Going Hollywood
Going Hollywood

1933-12-22

The Only Thing
The Only Thing

1925-11-22

Mike
Mike

1926-05-10

Servants' Entrance
Servants' Entrance

1934-09-25

Private Scandal
Private Scandal

1934-05-11

Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound
Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound

2006-03-21

Kept Husbands
Kept Husbands

1931-02-22

Stage Door Canteen
Stage Door Canteen

1943-06-24

Double Cross Roads
Double Cross Roads

1930-04-20

Alias the Lone Wolf
Alias the Lone Wolf

1927-08-22

Nothing But the Truth
Nothing But the Truth

1929-04-20

Iron Man
Iron Man

1931-04-29

Alias The Deacon
Alias The Deacon

1927-06-20

Twinkletoes
Twinkletoes

1926-11-28

Good References
Good References

1920-08-01

The Secret Call
The Secret Call

1931-07-24

Faint Perfume
Faint Perfume

1925-06-08

His Supreme Moment
His Supreme Moment

1925-04-12

Leathernecking
Leathernecking

1930-09-12

Money Talks
Money Talks

1926-05-10

Collegiate
Collegiate

1936-01-22

The Big Noise
The Big Noise

1928-03-25

Bright Lights
Bright Lights

1925-11-15

Strange Cargo
Strange Cargo

1929-03-31

The Magnificent Flirt
The Magnificent Flirt

1928-06-02

For Beauty's Sake
For Beauty's Sake

1941-06-06

The Perfect Woman
The Perfect Woman

1920-07-01

A Temperamental Wife
A Temperamental Wife

1919-09-08

Two's Company
Two's Company

1936-12-12

The Little Miss Brown
The Little Miss Brown

1915-06-07

The Boomerang
The Boomerang

1925-02-28