1883-11-18 ( 141 years old ) in Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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
Movies
Magic Town
1947-10-07
Stage Door Canteen
1943-06-24
For Beauty's Sake
1941-06-06
The Star Maker
1939-08-25
Hawaii Calls
1938-03-12
This Way Please
1937-10-15
Wake Up and Live
1937-08-23
One in a Million
1937-01-01
Two's Company
1936-12-12
The Bride Walks Out
1936-07-10
Collegiate
1936-01-22
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935-03-29
Sweet Music
1935-02-23
Sweet Adeline
1934-12-29
Imitation of Life
1934-11-23
Marie Galante
1934-10-25
Servants' Entrance
1934-09-25
Down to Their Last Yacht
1934-08-31
Private Scandal
1934-05-11
Sing and Like It
1934-04-20
Hi, Nellie!
1934-01-20
Going Hollywood
1933-12-22
Alice in Wonderland
1933-12-18
Too Much Harmony
1933-09-23
Lady for a Day
1933-09-13
Gold Diggers of 1933
1933-05-27
Secrets
1933-03-16
42nd Street
1933-03-11
The Crusader
1932-10-04
Big City Blues
1932-09-18
Blessed Event
1932-09-10
The Miracle Man
1932-04-01
Big Dame Hunting
1932-01-15
The Wide Open Spaces
1931-12-28
Corsair
1931-11-28
The Secret Call
1931-07-24
Iron Man
1931-04-29
Kept Husbands
1931-02-22
Leathernecking
1930-09-12
Conspiracy
1930-08-10
The Fall Guy
1930-06-15
The Devil's Holiday
1930-05-09
Double Cross Roads
1930-04-20
Love Comes Along
1930-01-05
Street Girl
1929-08-21
Nothing But the Truth
1929-04-20
Strange Cargo
1929-03-31
The Canary Murder Case
1929-02-16
The Magnificent Flirt
1928-06-02
The Big Noise
1928-03-25
The Small Bachelor
1927-11-06
Alias the Lone Wolf
1927-08-22
Alias The Deacon
1927-06-20
Love's Blindness
1926-12-04
Twinkletoes
1926-11-28
When the Wife's Away
1926-10-20
The Hidden Way
1926-07-26
Mike
1926-05-10
Money Talks
1926-05-10
The Only Thing
1925-11-22
Bright Lights
1925-11-15
Seven Keys to Baldpate
1925-10-19
Faint Perfume
1925-06-08
His Supreme Moment
1925-04-12
The Boomerang
1925-02-28
The Bond Boy
1923-05-23
Good References
1920-08-01
The Perfect Woman
1920-07-01
In Search of a Sinner
1920-03-07
Nothing But the Truth
1920-01-01
A Temperamental Wife
1919-09-08
The Little Miss Brown
1915-06-07
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