Ned Sparks
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- November 18, 1883
- Died
- April 3, 1957 (aged 73)
- Birthplace
- Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse
TV · 130 eps
King Tut's Tomb
Movie · as Heckle / Jeckle (voice)
Magic Town
Movie · as Ike
Stage Door Canteen
Movie · as Ned Sparks
For Beauty's Sake
Movie · as Jonathan B. Sweet
The Star Maker
Movie · as 'Speed' King
Hawaii Calls
Movie · as Strings
This Way Please
Movie · as Inky Wells
One in a Million
Movie · as Danny Simpson
Wake Up and Live
Movie · as Steve Cluskey
The Bride Walks Out
Movie · as Paul Dodson
Two's Company
Movie · as Al
Sweet Music
Movie · as 'Ten Percent' Nelson
George White's 1935 Scandals
Movie · as Elmer
Collegiate
Movie · as 'Scoop' Oakland
Sweet Adeline
Movie · as Dan Herzig
Imitation of Life
Movie · as Elmer Smith
Marie Galante
Movie · as Plosser
Sing and Like It
Movie · as Toots McGuire
Hi, Nellie!
Movie · as Shammy
Down to Their Last Yacht
Movie · as Captain 'Sunny Jim' Roberts
Servants' Entrance
Movie · as Hjalmar Gnu
Private Scandal
Movie · as Inspector Riordan
42nd Street
Movie · as Barry
Gold Diggers of 1933
Movie · as Barney
Alice in Wonderland
Movie · as Caterpillar
Lady for a Day
Movie · as Happy McGuire
Too Much Harmony
Movie · as Lem Spawn
Secrets
Movie · as Sunshine
Going Hollywood
Movie · as Conroy
Blessed Event
Movie · as George Moxley
Big City Blues
Movie · as Mr. 'Stacky' Stackhouse
Big Dame Hunting
Movie · as Ned
The Crusader
Movie · as Eddie Crane
The Miracle Man
Movie · as Harry Evans
Corsair
Movie · as Slim
The Wide Open Spaces
Movie · as Sheriff Jack Rancid
Kept Husbands
Movie · as Hughie Hanready
Iron Man
Movie · as Riley
The Secret Call
Movie · as Bert Benedict
The Way of All Fish
Movie · as Ned
Conspiracy
Movie · as Winthrop 'Little Nemo' Clavering
Love Comes Along
Movie · as Happy
The Fall Guy
Movie · as Danny Walsh
The Devil's Holiday
Movie · as Charlie Thorne
Double Cross Roads
Movie · as Happy Max
Leathernecking
Movie · as Sparks
The Canary Murder Case
Movie · as Tony Skeel
Street Girl
Movie · as Happy Winter
Nothing but the Truth
Movie · as Clarence van Dyke
Strange Cargo
Movie · as Yacht First Mate
The Big Noise
Movie · as William Howard
The Magnificent Flirt
Movie · as Tim
The Small Bachelor
Movie · as J. Hamilton Beamish
Alias the Lone Wolf
Movie · as Phinuit
Alias The Deacon
Movie · as Slim Sullivan
The Secret Studio
Movie · as The Plumber
Love's Blindness
Movie · as Valet
The Hidden Way
Movie · as Mulligan
When the Wife's Away
Movie
Mike
Movie · as Slinky
Twinkletoes
Movie
Money Talks
Movie · as Lucius Fenton
The Auction Block
Movie · as Nat Saluson
Seven Keys to Baldpate
Movie
The Only Thing
Movie · as Gibson
Faint Perfume
Movie · as Orrin Crumb
His Supreme Moment
Movie · as Adrian
Bright Lights
Movie · as Barney Gallagher
The Boomerang
Movie · as Bert Hanks
Soul Mates
Movie · as Tancred's chauffeur
The Law Forbids
Movie · as Clyde Vernon
The Bond Boy
Movie · as Cyrus Morgan
A Wide Open Town
Movie · as Si Ryan
In Search of a Sinner
Movie · as Waiter
Nothing But the Truth
Movie · as The Monocle Man
Good References
Movie · as Peter Stearns
The Perfect Woman
Movie · as Grimes, the Anarchist
A Temperamental Wife
Movie · as The Hotel Clerk
A Virtuous Vamp
Movie · as Mr. Bell
The Little Miss Brown
Movie · as Night Clerk