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Ned Sparks‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1883-11-18

Popularity

star2.1

Ned Sparks

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Ned Sparks

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1883-11-18

Popularity

star2.1

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

Movie Credits

42nd Street

42nd Street‌
star6.9
calendar 1933

Gold Diggers of 1933

Gold Diggers of 1933‌
star7.2
calendar 1933

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland‌
star6.1
calendar 1933

Lady for a Day

Lady for a Day‌
star7.1
calendar 1933

Blessed Event

Blessed Event‌
star6.5
calendar 1932

Sweet Adeline

Sweet Adeline‌
star5.7
calendar 1934

In Search of a Sinner

In Search of a Sinner‌
star0.0
calendar 1920

Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life‌
star7.0
calendar 1934

The Canary Murder Case

The Canary Murder Case‌
star5.5
calendar 1929

Corsair

Corsair‌
star4.2
calendar 1931

Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth‌
star0.0
calendar 1920

Love's Blindness

Love's Blindness‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

This Way Please

This Way Please‌
star5.5
calendar 1937

Street Girl

Street Girl‌
star5.8
calendar 1929

The Bride Walks Out

The Bride Walks Out‌
star5.3
calendar 1936

One in a Million

One in a Million‌
star7.0
calendar 1937

Big City Blues

Big City Blues‌
star5.3
calendar 1932

Marie Galante

Marie Galante‌
star4.8
calendar 1934

Seven Keys to Baldpate

Seven Keys to Baldpate‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

Conspiracy

Conspiracy‌
star4.5
calendar 1930

Sweet Music

Sweet Music‌
star5.7
calendar 1935

George White's 1935 Scandals

George White's 1935 Scandals‌
star4.0
calendar 1935

Sing and Like it

Sing and Like it‌
star4.3
calendar 1934

The Wide Open Spaces

The Wide Open Spaces‌
star0.0
calendar 1931

Big Dame Hunting

Big Dame Hunting‌
star0.0
calendar 1932

The Bond Boy

The Bond Boy‌
star0.0
calendar 1923

Hi, Nellie!

Hi, Nellie!‌
star6.5
calendar 1934

The Crusader

The Crusader‌
star5.0
calendar 1932

Wake Up and Live

Wake Up and Live‌
star5.3
calendar 1937

Love Comes Along

Love Comes Along‌
star5.0
calendar 1930

The Star Maker

The Star Maker‌
star0.0
calendar 1939

The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy‌
star5.5
calendar 1930

Down to Their Last Yacht

Down to Their Last Yacht‌
star6.0
calendar 1934

The Devil's Holiday

The Devil's Holiday‌
star6.3
calendar 1930

Magic Town

Magic Town‌
star6.7
calendar 1947

Too Much Harmony

Too Much Harmony‌
star5.0
calendar 1933

Secrets

Secrets‌
star5.1
calendar 1933

Hawaii Calls

Hawaii Calls‌
star5.4
calendar 1938

The Miracle Man

The Miracle Man‌
star5.6
calendar 1932

The Small Bachelor

The Small Bachelor‌
star0.0
calendar 1927

The Hidden Way

The Hidden Way‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

When the Wife's Away

When the Wife's Away‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

Going Hollywood

Going Hollywood‌
star5.5
calendar 1933

The Only Thing

The Only Thing‌
star2.0
calendar 1925

Mike

Mike‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

Servants' Entrance

Servants' Entrance‌
star0.0
calendar 1934

Private Scandal

Private Scandal‌
star0.0
calendar 1934

Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound

Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound‌
star5.5
calendar 2006

Kept Husbands

Kept Husbands‌
star5.5
calendar 1931

Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen‌
star6.1
calendar 1943

Double Cross Roads

Double Cross Roads‌
star0.0
calendar 1930

Alias the Lone Wolf

Alias the Lone Wolf‌
star0.0
calendar 1927

Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth‌
star5.0
calendar 1929

Iron Man

Iron Man‌
star4.8
calendar 1931

Alias The Deacon

Alias The Deacon‌
star0.0
calendar 1927

Twinkletoes

Twinkletoes‌
star7.0
calendar 1926

Good References

Good References‌
star5.5
calendar 1920

The Secret Call

The Secret Call‌
star0.0
calendar 1931

Faint Perfume

Faint Perfume‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

His Supreme Moment

His Supreme Moment‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

Leathernecking

Leathernecking‌
star0.0
calendar 1930

Money Talks

Money Talks‌
star0.0
calendar 1926

Collegiate

Collegiate‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

The Big Noise

The Big Noise‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

Bright Lights

Bright Lights‌
star0.0
calendar 1925

Strange Cargo

Strange Cargo‌
star6.0
calendar 1929

The Magnificent Flirt

The Magnificent Flirt‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

For Beauty's Sake

For Beauty's Sake‌
star0.0
calendar 1941

A Temperamental Wife

A Temperamental Wife‌
star5.0
calendar 1919

The Perfect Woman

The Perfect Woman‌
star0.0
calendar 1920

Two's Company

Two's Company‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

Tv Credits

Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse

Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse‌
star6.0
calendar 1960