Ned Sparks

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
Most Rating	0.002
Birthday	1883-11-18
Place of Birth	Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Also Known As	Edward Arthur Sparkman, Ned A. Sparks,

42nd Street

Gold Diggers of 1933

Alice in Wonderland

Lady for a Day

Blessed Event

Sweet Adeline

In Search of a Sinner

Imitation of Life

The Canary Murder Case

Corsair

Nothing But the Truth

Love's Blindness

This Way Please

Street Girl

The Bride Walks Out

One in a Million

Big City Blues

Marie Galante

Seven Keys to Baldpate

Conspiracy

Sweet Music

George White's 1935 Scandals

Sing and Like It

The Wide Open Spaces

Big Dame Hunting

The Bond Boy

Hi, Nellie!

The Crusader

Wake Up and Live

Love Comes Along

The Fall Guy

The Star Maker

Down to Their Last Yacht

The Devil's Holiday

Magic Town

Too Much Harmony

Secrets

Hawaii Calls

The Miracle Man

The Small Bachelor

The Hidden Way

When the Wife's Away

Going Hollywood

The Only Thing

Mike

Servants' Entrance

Private Scandal

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

Kept Husbands

Stage Door Canteen

Double Cross Roads

Alias the Lone Wolf

Nothing But the Truth

Iron Man

Alias The Deacon

Twinkletoes

Good References

The Secret Call

Faint Perfume

His Supreme Moment

Leathernecking

Money Talks

Collegiate

The Big Noise

Bright Lights

Strange Cargo

The Magnificent Flirt

For Beauty's Sake

The Perfect Woman

A Temperamental Wife

Two's Company

The Little Miss Brown

The Boomerang