Known For
Acting
Known Credits
81
Gender
Male
Birthday
November 18, 1883 (142 years old)
Place of Birth
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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
| 2006 | Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Boundas Self (archive footage) | |
| 1960 | Courageous Cat and Minute Mouseas | |
| 1950 | King Tut's Tombas Heckle / Jeckle (voice) | |
| 1947 | Magic Townas Ike | |
| 1943 | Stage Door Canteenas Ned Sparks | |
| 1941 | For Beauty's Sakeas Jonathan B. Sweet | |
| 1939 | The Star Makeras 'Speed' King | |
| 1938 | Hawaii Callsas Strings | |
| 1937 | This Way Pleaseas Inky Wells | |
| 1937 | Wake Up and Liveas Steve Cluskey | |
| 1937 | One in a Millionas Danny Simpson | |
| 1936 | Two's Companyas Al | |
| 1936 | The Bride Walks Outas Paul Dodson | |
| 1936 | Collegiateas 'Scoop' Oakland | |
| 1935 | George White's 1935 Scandalsas Elmer | |
| 1935 | Sweet Musicas 'Ten Percent' Nelson | |
| 1934 | Sweet Adelineas Dan Herzig | |
| 1934 | Imitation of Lifeas Elmer Smith | |
| 1934 | Marie Galanteas Plosser | |
| 1934 | Servants' Entranceas Hjalmar Gnu | |
| 1934 | Down to Their Last Yachtas Captain 'Sunny Jim' Roberts | |
| 1934 | Private Scandalas Inspector Riordan | |
| 1934 | Sing and Like Itas Toots McGuire | |
| 1934 | Hi, Nellie!as Shammy | |
| 1933 | Going Hollywoodas Conroy | |
| 1933 | Alice in Wonderlandas Caterpillar | |
| 1933 | Too Much Harmonyas Lem Spawn | |
| 1933 | Lady for a Dayas Happy McGuire | |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933as Barney | |
| 1933 | Secretsas Sunshine | |
| 1933 | 42nd Streetas Barry | |
| 1932 | The Crusaderas Eddie Crane | |
| 1932 | Big City Bluesas Mr. 'Stacky' Stackhouse | |
| 1932 | Blessed Eventas George Moxley | |
| 1932 | The Miracle Manas Harry Evans | |
| 1932 | Big Dame Huntingas Ned | |
| 1931 | The Wide Open Spacesas Sheriff Jack Rancid | |
| 1931 | Corsairas Slim | |
| 1931 | The Secret Callas Bert Benedict | |
| 1931 | Iron Manas Riley | |
| 1931 | Kept Husbandsas Hughie Hanready | |
| 1930 | Leatherneckingas Sparks | |
| 1930 | Conspiracyas Winthrop 'Little Nemo' Clavering | |
| 1930 | The Fall Guyas Danny Walsh | |
| 1930 | The Devil's Holidayas Charlie Thorne | |
| 1930 | Double Cross Roadsas Happy Max | |
| 1930 | Love Comes Alongas Happy | |
| 1929 | Street Girlas Happy Winter | |
| 1929 | Nothing but the Truthas Clarence van Dyke | |
| 1929 | Strange Cargoas Yacht First Mate | |
| 1929 | The Canary Murder Caseas Tony Skeel | |
| 1928 | The Magnificent Flirtas Tim | |
| 1928 | The Big Noiseas William Howard | |
| 1927 | The Small Bacheloras J. Hamilton Beamish | |
| 1927 | Alias the Lone Wolfas Phinuit | |
| 1927 | Alias The Deaconas Slim Sullivan | |
| 1927 | The Secret Studioas The Plumber | |
| 1926 | Love's Blindnessas Valet | |
| 1926 | Twinkletoesas | |
| 1926 | When the Wife's Awayas | |
| 1926 | The Hidden Wayas Mulligan | |
| 1926 | The Auction Blockas Nat Saluson | |
| 1926 | Mikeas Slinky | |
| 1926 | Money Talksas Lucius Fenton | |
| 1925 | The Only Thingas Gibson | |
| 1925 | Bright Lightsas Barney Gallagher | |
| 1925 | Seven Keys to Baldpateas | |
| 1925 | Faint Perfumeas Orrin Crumb | |
| 1925 | Soul Matesas Tancred's chauffeur | |
| 1925 | His Supreme Momentas Adrian | |
| 1925 | The Boomerangas Bert Hanks | |
| 1924 | The Law Forbidsas Clyde Vernon | |
| 1923 | The Bond Boyas Cyrus Morgan | |
| 1922 | A Wide Open Townas Si Ryan | |
| 1920 | Good Referencesas Peter Stearns | |
| 1920 | The Perfect Womanas Grimes, the Anarchist | |
| 1920 | In Search of a Sinneras Waiter | |
| 1920 | Nothing But the Truthas The Monocle Man | |
| 1919 | A Virtuous Vampas Mr. Bell | |
| 1919 | A Temperamental Wifeas The Hotel Clerk | |
| 1915 | The Little Miss Brownas Night Clerk |