Ned Sparks

Ned Sparks
Trailer for Gold Diggers of 1933
Born	Edward Arthur Sparkman (1883-11-19)November 19, 1883 Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Died	April 3, 1957(1957-04-03) (aged 73) Victorville, California, US
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1912[1]-1956
Spouse(s)	Mercedes Cabalerro (1931-1936)

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.

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 began performing. Billed as a "Singer of Sweet Southern Songs" and costumed in a straw hat, short pants and bare feet, 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] In another publicity stunt, the studio offered a reward of $10,000 to anyone who could capture Sparks smiling in a photograph.

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. He is a relative of Canadian comedian Ron Sparks.

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[]

References[]

Notes

Bibliography

• Foster, Charles (2003). Once Upon a Time in Paradise: Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1550024647.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ned Sparks.

• Ned Sparks at IMDb
• Ned Sparks at the Internet Broadway Database
• Ned Sparks at Find a Grave

• Ned Sparks and Family collection (R16226) at Library and Archives Canada