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Ned Sparks

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
81

Gender
Male

Birthday
November 18, 1883 (142 years old)

Place of Birth
Guelph, Ontario, Canada

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

Known For

Acting

2006Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Boundas Self (archive footage)
1960Courageous Cat and Minute Mouseas
1950King Tut's Tombas Heckle / Jeckle (voice)
1947Magic Townas Ike
1943Stage Door Canteenas Ned Sparks
1941For Beauty's Sakeas Jonathan B. Sweet
1939The Star Makeras 'Speed' King
1938Hawaii Callsas Strings
1937This Way Pleaseas Inky Wells
1937Wake Up and Liveas Steve Cluskey
1937One in a Millionas Danny Simpson
1936Two's Companyas Al
1936The Bride Walks Outas Paul Dodson
1936Collegiateas 'Scoop' Oakland
1935George White's 1935 Scandalsas Elmer
1935Sweet Musicas 'Ten Percent' Nelson
1934Sweet Adelineas Dan Herzig
1934Imitation of Lifeas Elmer Smith
1934Marie Galanteas Plosser
1934Servants' Entranceas Hjalmar Gnu
1934Down to Their Last Yachtas Captain 'Sunny Jim' Roberts
1934Private Scandalas Inspector Riordan
1934Sing and Like Itas Toots McGuire
1934Hi, Nellie!as Shammy
1933Going Hollywoodas Conroy
1933Alice in Wonderlandas Caterpillar
1933Too Much Harmonyas Lem Spawn
1933Lady for a Dayas Happy McGuire
1933Gold Diggers of 1933as Barney
1933Secretsas Sunshine
193342nd Streetas Barry
1932The Crusaderas Eddie Crane
1932Big City Bluesas Mr. 'Stacky' Stackhouse
1932Blessed Eventas George Moxley
1932The Miracle Manas Harry Evans
1932Big Dame Huntingas Ned
1931The Wide Open Spacesas Sheriff Jack Rancid
1931Corsairas Slim
1931The Secret Callas Bert Benedict
1931Iron Manas Riley
1931Kept Husbandsas Hughie Hanready
1930Leatherneckingas Sparks
1930Conspiracyas Winthrop 'Little Nemo' Clavering
1930The Fall Guyas Danny Walsh
1930The Devil's Holidayas Charlie Thorne
1930Double Cross Roadsas Happy Max
1930Love Comes Alongas Happy
1929Street Girlas Happy Winter
1929Nothing but the Truthas Clarence van Dyke
1929Strange Cargoas Yacht First Mate
1929The Canary Murder Caseas Tony Skeel
1928The Magnificent Flirtas Tim
1928The Big Noiseas William Howard
1927The Small Bacheloras J. Hamilton Beamish
1927Alias the Lone Wolfas Phinuit
1927Alias The Deaconas Slim Sullivan
1927The Secret Studioas The Plumber
1926Love's Blindnessas Valet
1926Twinkletoesas
1926When the Wife's Awayas
1926The Hidden Wayas Mulligan
1926The Auction Blockas Nat Saluson
1926Mikeas Slinky
1926Money Talksas Lucius Fenton
1925The Only Thingas Gibson
1925Bright Lightsas Barney Gallagher
1925Seven Keys to Baldpateas
1925Faint Perfumeas Orrin Crumb
1925Soul Matesas Tancred's chauffeur
1925His Supreme Momentas Adrian
1925The Boomerangas Bert Hanks
1924The Law Forbidsas Clyde Vernon
1923The Bond Boyas Cyrus Morgan
1922A Wide Open Townas Si Ryan
1920Good Referencesas Peter Stearns
1920The Perfect Womanas Grimes, the Anarchist
1920In Search of a Sinneras Waiter
1920Nothing But the Truthas The Monocle Man
1919A Virtuous Vampas Mr. Bell
1919A Temperamental Wifeas The Hotel Clerk
1915The Little Miss Brownas Night Clerk

Production