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Ned Sparks
Actor, Writer
Born November 18, 1883Died April 3, 1957 (73 years)
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
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
Filmography
| 1960 | Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse (TV Series) |
| 1956 | Heckle and Jeckle (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | King Tut's Tomb · as Heckle |
| 1947 | Magic Town · as Ike |
| 1939 | The Star Maker · as 'speed' King |
| 1938 | Hawaii Calls · as Strings |
| 1937 | This Way Please · as Inky Wells |
| 1937 | Wake Up and Live · as Steve Cluskey |
| 1936 | One in a Million · as Danny Simpson |
| 1936 | Two's Company · as Al |
| 1936 | The Bride Walks Out · as Paul Dodson |
| 1935 | George White's 1935 Scandals · as Elmer |
| 1935 | Sweet Music · as 'ten Percent' Nelson |
| 1934 | Sweet Adeline · as Dan Herzig |
| 1934 | Imitation of Life · as Elmer Smith |
| 1934 | Marie Galante · as Plosser |
| 1934 | Servants' Entrance · as Hjalmar Gnu |
| 1934 | Down to Their Last Yacht · as Captain 'sunny Jim' Roberts |
| 1934 | Sing and Like It · as Toots Mcguire |
| 1934 | Hi, Nellie · as Shammy |
| 1933 | Going Hollywood · as Conroy |
| 1933 | Alice in Wonderland · as Caterpillar |
| 1933 | Too Much Harmony · as Lem Spawn |
| 1933 | Lady for a Day · as Happy Mcguire |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933 · as Barney Hopkins |
| 1933 | Secrets · as Sunshine |
| 1933 | 42nd Street · as Thomas Barry |
| 1932 | The Crusader · as Eddie Crane |
| 1932 | Big City Blues · as Mr. 'stacky' Stackhouse |
| 1932 | Blessed Event · as George Moxley |
| 1932 | The Miracle Man · as Harry Evans |
| 1931 | Corsair · as Slim |
| 1931 | Strife of the Party · as Cast |
| 1931 | The Secret Call · as Bert Benedict |
| 1931 | The Iron Man · as Riley |
| 1931 | Kept Husbands · as Hughie Hanready |
| 1930 | Leathernecking · as Sparks |
| 1930 | Conspiracy · as Winthrop 'little Nemo' Clavering |
| 1930 | The Fall Guy · as Danny Walsh |
| 1930 | The Devil's Holiday · as Charlie Thorne |
| 1930 | Love Comes Along · as Happy |
| 1929 | Street Girl · as Happy Winter |
| 1929 | Nothing But the Truth · as Clarence Van Dyke |
| 1929 | Strange Cargo · as Yacht First Mate |
| 1929 | The Canary Murder Case · as Tony Skeel |
| 1927 | The Small Bachelor · as J. Hamilton Beamish |
| 1926 | |
| 1926 | Mike · as Slinky |
| 1926 | Money Talks · as Lucius Fenton |
| 1925 | The Only Thing · as Gibson |
| 1925 | |
| 1920 | The Love Expert · as Reverend David Vale |