Ned Sparks
Known for Acting · 81 credits
- Born
- 1883-11-18
- Died
- 1957-04-03
- Place of birth
- Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Also known as
- Edward Arthur Sparkman · Ned A. Sparks
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (1)
Movies (80)
Kept Husbands
1931
as Hughie Hanready
Magic Town
1947
as Ike
Hi, Nellie!
1934
as Shammy
Private Scandal
1934
as Inspector Riordan
Gold Diggers of 1933
1933
as Barney
Alice in Wonderland
1933
as Caterpillar
Wake Up and Live
1937
as Steve Cluskey
Lady for a Day
1933
as Happy McGuire
42nd Street
1933
as Barry
Collegiate
1935
as 'Scoop' Oakland
The Bride Walks Out
1936
as Paul Dodson
The Fall Guy
1930
as Danny Walsh
Stage Door Canteen
1943
as Ned Sparks
Imitation of Life
1934
as Elmer Smith
The Devil's Holiday
1930
as Charlie Thorne
Street Girl
1929
as Happy Winter
The Star Maker
1939
as 'Speed' King
Secrets
1933
as Sunshine
Going Hollywood
1933
as Conroy
The Canary Murder Case
1929
as Tony Skeel
Love's Blindness
1926
as Valet
King Tut's Tomb
1950
as Heckle / Jeckle (voice)
Corsair
1931
as Slim
One in a Million
1937
as Danny Simpson
Alias the Lone Wolf
1927
as Phinuit
The Secret Studio
1927
as The Plumber
Big Dame Hunting
1932
as Ned
This Way Please
1937
as Inky Wells
Too Much Harmony
1933
as Lem Spawn
The Little Miss Brown
1915
as Night Clerk
A Wide Open Town
1922
as Si Ryan
The Magnificent Flirt
1928
as Tim
Down to Their Last Yacht
1934
as Captain 'Sunny Jim' Roberts
Blessed Event
1932
as George Moxley
Hawaii Calls
1938
as Strings
The Hidden Way
1926
as Mulligan
Sing and Like It
1934
as Toots McGuire
A Temperamental Wife
1919
as The Hotel Clerk
The Secret Call
1931
as Bert Benedict
Conspiracy
1930
as Winthrop 'Little Nemo' Clavering
Big City Blues
1932
as Mr. 'Stacky' Stackhouse
Nothing But the Truth
1920
as The Monocle Man
Iron Man
1931
as Riley
For Beauty's Sake
1941
as Jonathan B. Sweet
The Auction Block
1926
as Nat Saluson
Sweet Adeline
1934
as Dan Herzig
Marie Galante
1934
as Plosser
Servants' Entrance
1934
as Hjalmar Gnu
The Bond Boy
1923
as Cyrus Morgan
George White's 1935 Scandals
1935
as Elmer
Strange Cargo
1929
as Yacht First Mate
The Miracle Man
1932
as Harry Evans
Double Cross Roads
1930
as Happy Max
Alias The Deacon
1927
as Slim Sullivan
The Crusader
1932
as Eddie Crane
Mike
1926
as Slinky
Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound
2006
as Self (archive footage)
His Supreme Moment
1925
as Adrian
Sweet Music
1935
as 'Ten Percent' Nelson
Leathernecking
1930
as Sparks
Two's Company
1936
as Al
Money Talks
1926
as Lucius Fenton
Faint Perfume
1925
as Orrin Crumb
The Only Thing
1925
as Gibson
Seven Keys to Baldpate
1925
In Search of a Sinner
1920
as Waiter
When the Wife's Away
1926
The Wide Open Spaces
1931
as Sheriff Jack Rancid
Love Comes Along
1930
as Happy
Twinkletoes
1926
A Virtuous Vamp
1919
as Mr. Bell
The Big Noise
1928
as William Howard
Bright Lights
1925
as Barney Gallagher
Nothing but the Truth
1929
as Clarence van Dyke
The Perfect Woman
1920
as Grimes, the Anarchist
Good References
1920
as Peter Stearns
The Boomerang
1925
as Bert Hanks
Soul Mates
1925
as Tancred's chauffeur
The Small Bachelor
1927
as J. Hamilton Beamish
The Law Forbids
1924
as Clyde Vernon
About 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… With 81 credits spanning from 1915 to 2006, Ned Sparks has appeared in 80 films and 1 TV show.
Fans searching for Ned Sparks movies, Ned Sparks filmography, or the latest projects starring Ned Sparks can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Ned Sparks Movies
- Kept Husbands (1931) — as Hughie Hanready
- Magic Town (1947) — as Ike
- Hi, Nellie! (1934) — as Shammy
- Private Scandal (1934) — as Inspector Riordan
- Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) — as Barney
Where to Watch Ned Sparks Films
Most Ned Sparks movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Ned Sparks, check our movies catalogue and browse page.