Ned Sparks

Known for ActingBorn 1883-11-18Died 1957-04-03Guelph, 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 65Read more

Movies & web series

For Beauty's Sake

Big Dame Hunting

Leathernecking

Alias the Lone Wolf

Mike

His Supreme Moment

The Boomerang

Nothing But the Truth

The Perfect Woman

Two's Company

Double Cross Roads

Alias The Deacon

The Hidden Way

When the Wife's Away

Bright Lights

The Bond Boy

King Tut's Tomb

Servants' Entrance

Strange Cargo

The Small Bachelor

The Secret Studio

Love's Blindness

A Wide Open Town

The Secret Call

The Crusader

Gold Diggers of 1933

Lady for a Day

The Star Maker

This Way Please

One in a Million

Imitation of Life

Collegiate

George White's 1935 Scandals

Private Scandal

Too Much Harmony

The Wide Open Spaces

Love Comes Along

The Big Noise

The Magnificent Flirt

42nd Street

Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse

The Auction Block

Seven Keys to Baldpate

Faint Perfume

Soul Mates

The Law Forbids

Blessed Event

In Search of a Sinner