Ned Sparks
| Ned Sparks | |
|---|---|
 in the Gold Diggers of 1933 trailer | |
| Born |
Edward Arthur Sparkman November 19, 1883 Guelph, Ontario, Canada |
| Died |
April 3, 1957 (aged 73) Victorville, California, United States |
| Other names | Ned A. Sparks |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse(s) | Mercedes Cabalerro (1931 - April 17, 1936) |
Ned Sparks (November 19, 1883 – April 3, 1957) was a Canadian-born character actor. Sparks was well known for his deadpan expression and deep, gravelly voice.
Life and career
Born Edward Arthur Sparkman 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 to try his hand in the Broadway theatre in New York City.[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 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.[2]
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).[3] 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),[4] a hermit crab in both Tex Avery's Fresh Fish (1939) Bob Clampett's Goofy Groceries (1941), a chicken in Bob Clampett's Slap Happy Pappy (1940) and brief appearances in Friz Freleng's Warner Brothers cartoon Malibu Beach Party (1940), and Tex Avery's Hollywood Steps Out (1940).
Sparks appeared in ten stage productions and over 80 films. He retired from films in 1947.
Death
On April 3, 1957, Sparks died of an intestinal blockage in Victorville, California.[5]
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | The Little Miss Brown | Night clerk | |
| 1919 | A Virtuous Vamp | Mr. Bell | |
| 1920 | Good References | Peter Stearns | |
| 1922 | The Bond Boy | Cyrus Morgan | |
| 1923 | Easter Bonnets | ||
| 1924 | The Law Forbids | Clyde Vernon | |
| 1925 | The Only Thing | Gibson | Alternative title: Four Flaming Days |
| 1926 | The Hidden Way | Mulligan | |
| 1927 | The Small Bachelor | J. Hamilton Beamish | |
| 1928 | The Magnificent Flirt | Tim | |
| 1929 | The Canary Murder Case | Tony Sheel | |
| 1929 | Nothing But the Truth (1929 film) | Clarence van Dyke | |
| 1930 | The Devil's Holiday | Charlie Thorne | |
| 1931 | Iron Man | Riley | |
| 1932 | The Miracle Man | Harry Evans | Credited as Ned A. Sparks |
| 1932 | The Crusader | ||
| 1933 | 42nd Street | Barry | |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933 | Barney Hopkins | |
| 1933 | Going Hollywood | Mr. Bert Conroy, Director | Alternative title: Cinderella's Fella |
| 1933 | Alice in Wonderland | The Caterpillar | |
| 1933 | Lady for a Day | Happy McGuire | |
| 1934 | Servants' Entrance | Hjalmar Gnu | |
| 1934 | Imitation of Life | Elmer Smith | |
| 1935 | George White's 1935 Scandals | Elmer White | |
| 1937 | One in a Million | Daniel "Danny" Simpson | |
| 1937 | Wake Up and Live | Steve Cluskey | |
| 1937 | This Way Please | ||
| 1938 | Hawaii Calls | Strings | |
| 1939 | The Star Maker | Speed King | |
| 1941 | For Beauty's Sake | Jonathan B. Sweet | |
| 1947 | Magic Town | Ike |
References
Notes
- ↑ Foster (2003), pp.971-972
- ↑ Foster (2003). pp.973, 977
- ↑ Foster (2003), p.980
- ↑ Lucas, Ralph. "Ned Sparks". northernstars.ca. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ "Milestones". Time. 1957-04-15. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
Bibliography
- Foster, Charles (2003). Once Upon a Time in Paradise: Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN 1-55002-464-7.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ned Sparks. |
- Ned Sparks at the Internet Movie Database
- Ned Sparks at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ned Sparks at Find a Grave
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