Ned Sparks

Ned Sparks (born Edward Arthur Sparkman,[2] 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.

Ned Sparks
Born
Edward Arthur Sparkman

(1883-11-19)November 19, 1883
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
DiedApril 3, 1957(1957-04-03) (aged 73)
OccupationActor
Years active1912[1]-1956
Spouse(s)Mercedes Cabalerro (1931-1936)

Life and career

Sparks was born in Guelph, Ontario, but moved to St. Thomas, Ontario, where he grew up. 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,[3] where he appeared in his first show in 1912.[1]

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 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head 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.[4]

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).[5] 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),[6] 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 (1941). Sparks also voiced the cartoon characters Heckle and Jeckle from 1947 to 1951.

Sparks appeared in ten stage productions on Broadway[1] and over 80 films. He retired from films in 1947, saying that everyone should retire at 65.

Death

On April 3, 1957, Sparks died of an intestinal blockage in Victorville, California.[7]

Complete filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1915 The Little Miss Brown Night clerk Short
1919 The Social Pirate Harry Barnes
1919 A Temperamental Wife The Hotel Clerk
1919 A Virtuous Vamp Mr. Bell
1920 Nothing But the Truth The Monocle Man
1920 In Search of a Sinner Waiter
1920 The Perfect Woman Grimes, the Anarchist
1920 Good References Peter Stearns
1922 A Wide Open Town Si Ryan
1922 The Bond Boy Cyrus Morgan
1923 Easter Bonnets Short
1924 One Night It Rained Short
1924 The Law Forbids Clyde Vernon
1925 Asleep in the Deep Short
1925 The Boomerang Bert Hanks
1925 His Supreme Moment Adrian
1925 Faint Perfume Orrin Crumb
1925 Seven Keys to Baldpate Bland
1925 Bright Lights Barney Gallagher
1925 The Only Thing Gibson Alternative title: Four Flaming Days
1925 Soul Mates Tancred's chauffeur
1926 Mike Slinky
1926 The Auction Block Nat Saluson
1926 Money Talks Lucius Fenton
1926 The Hidden Way Mulligan
1926 When the Wife's Away
1926 Love's Blindness Valet
1926 Oh, What a Night! "Slickry" Benton
1926 Twinkletoes
1927 The Secret Studio The Plumber
1927 Alias the Deacon "Slim" Sullivan
1927 Alias the Lone Wolf Phinuit
1927 The Small Bachelor J. Hamilton Beamish
1928 On to Reno Herbert Holmes
1928 The Big Noise William Howard
1928 Alias the Deacon Slim Sullivan
1928 The Magnificent Flirt Tim
1929 The Canary Murder Case Tony Sheel
1929 Strange Cargo Yacht First Mate
1929 Nothing But the Truth Clarence van Dyke
1929 Street Girl Happy Winter
1929 Love Comes Along Happy
1930 Double Cross Roads Happy Max
1930 The Devil's Holiday Charlie Thorne
1930 The Fall Guy Dan Walsh
1930 Conspiracy Winthrop Clavering
1930 Leathernecking Sparks
1931 Kept Husbands Hughie Hanready
1931 Iron Man Riley
1931 The Secret Call Bert Benedict
1931 The Way of All Fish Ned Short
1931 Strife of the Party Short
1931 Corsair Slim
1931 The Wide Open Spaces Sheriff Jack Rancid Short
1932 Big Dame Hunting Ned Short
1932 The Miracle Man Harry Evans
1932 Blessed Event George Moxley
1932 Big City Blues "Stacky" Stackhouse
1932 The Crusader Eddie Crane
1933 42nd Street Barry
1933 Secrets Sunshine
1933 Gold Diggers of 1933 Barney Hopkins
1933 Lady for a Day Happy McGuire
1933 Too Much Harmony Lem Spawn
1933 Alice in Wonderland The Caterpillar
1933 Going Hollywood Bert Conroy Alternative title: Cinderella's Fella
1934 Hi, Nellie! Shammy
1934 Sing and Like It Toots McGuire
1934 Private Scandal Inspector Riordan
1934 Down to Their Last Yacht Captain "Sunny Jim" Roberts
1934 Servants' Entrance Hjalmar Gnu
1934 Marie Galante Plosser
1934 Imitation of Life Elmer Smith
1934 Sweet Adeline Dan Herzig
1935 Sweet Music "Ten Percent" Nelson
1935 George White's 1935 Scandals Elmer White
1936 Collegiate "Scoop" Oakland
1936 Two's Company Al
1936 The Bride Walks Out Paul Dodson
1937 One in a Million Daniel "Danny" Simpson
1937 Wake Up and Live Steve Cluskey
1937 This Way Please Inky Wells
1938 Hawaii Calls Strings
1939 The Star Maker Speed King
1941 For Beauty's Sake Jonathan B. Sweet
1943 Stage Door Canteen Cameo as himself
1947 Magic Town Ike

References

Notes
  1. Ned Sparks at the Internet Broadway Database
  2. Kear, Lynn; King, James (2012). Evelyn Brent: The Life and Films of Hollywood's Lady Crook. McFarland. p. 207. ISBN 978-0786454686. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  3. Foster (2003), pp.971-972
  4. Foster (2003). pp.973, 977
  5. Foster (2003), p.980
  6. Lucas, Ralph. "Ned Sparks". northernstars.ca. Archived from the original on June 6, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  7. "Milestones". Time. April 15, 1957. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
Bibliography
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