![Image of Ned Sparks](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w342/czdqJPpCzYLvZgFZ886cQgCR0Mq.jpg)
Ned Sparks proved himself a top character support whose style would be imitated for decades to come. Although less remembered now, he was an inimitable cinematic player back in 1930s Hollywood. The nasal-toned, deadpan comedian Sparks was born Edward A. Sparkman in Guelph, Canada, and was raised for a time in St. Thomas, Ontario. He attended the University of Toronto and, after a period of soul-searching, decided upon acting. He began, believe it or not, as a honky-tonk balladeer in Dawson Creek, Alaska. In 1907, he went to New York and developed his stone-faced reputation in comic outings. His first film in 1915 did not lead to other offers, particularly during a black-balling incident as a one of the founding members of Actors Equity. In 1922, his movie career headed full steam, but it was the advent of sound with Ned's cynical tones, raspy whines and sour disposition that sparked a comfortable film niche, making close to 100 films in all. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Going Hollywood (1933), the Caterpillar in the all-star Alice in Wonderland (1933), the Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers version of Imitation of Life (1934) were just a few of his more noticeable roles. His cigar-chomping puss became so well-known at Warner Bros., in fact, that Walt Disney's short animated film Broken Toys (1935) had a Jack-in-the-Box character based exclusively on Ned's image. A few years later, when Disney made Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (1938), Ned's caricature played The Jester. In 1939, Tex Avery portrayed him as a hermit crab in Fresh Fish (1939). A radio favorite over the years, he performed alongside Bing Crosby quite frequently. His last disagreeable Hollywood role would be alongside James Stewart in Magic Town (1947). In 1957, he died of an intestinal blockage.
Movie | Magic Town | Ike | 1947-10-07 |
Movie | Stage Door Canteen | Ned Sparks | 1943-06-24 |
Movie | The Star Maker | 'Speed' King | 1939-08-25 |
Movie | Hawaii Calls | Strings | 1938-03-12 |
Movie | Wake Up and Live | Steve Cluskey | 1937-08-23 |
Movie | One in a Million | Danny Simpson | 1937-01-01 |
Movie | This Way Please | Inky Wells | 1937-10-15 |
Movie | The Bride Walks Out | Paul Dodson | 1936-07-10 |
Movie | Sweet Music | 'Ten Percent' Nelson | 1935-02-23 |
Movie | George White's 1935 Scandals | Elmer | 1935-03-29 |
Movie | Sing and Like it | Toots McGuire | 1934-04-20 |
Movie | Hi, Nellie! | Shammy | 1934-01-20 |
Movie | Down to Their Last Yacht | Captain 'Sunny Jim' Roberts | 1934-08-31 |
Movie | Imitation of Life | Elmer Smith | 1934-11-23 |
Movie | Servants' Entrance | Hjalmar Gnu | 1934-09-25 |
Movie | Sweet Adeline | Dan Herzig | 1934-12-29 |
Movie | Marie Galante | Plosser | 1934-10-25 |
Movie | Secrets | Sunshine | 1933-03-16 |
Movie | Gold Diggers of 1933 | Barney Hopkins | 1933-05-27 |
Movie | Too Much Harmony | Lem Spawn | 1933-09-23 |
Movie | Lady for a Day | Happy McGuire | 1933-09-13 |
Movie | Going Hollywood | Conroy | 1933-12-22 |
Movie | The Miracle Man | Harry Evans | 1932-04-01 |
Movie | Big Dame Hunting | 1932-01-15 | |
Movie | Big City Blues | Mr. 'Stacky' Stackhouse | 1932-09-18 |
Movie | Blessed Event | George Moxley | 1932-09-10 |
Movie | The Crusader | Eddie Crane | 1932-10-04 |
Movie | Kept Husbands | Hughie Hanready | 1931-02-22 |
Movie | Iron Man | Riley | 1931-04-29 |
Movie | The Secret Call | Bert Benedict | 1931-07-24 |
Movie | Corsair | Slim | 1931-11-28 |
Movie | Double Cross Roads | Happy Max | 1930-04-20 |
Movie | The Devil's Holiday | Charlie Thorne | 1930-05-09 |
Movie | Love Comes Along | Happy | 1930-01-05 |
Movie | The Fall Guy | Danny Walsh | 1930-06-15 |
Movie | Leathernecking | Sparks | 1930-09-12 |
Movie | Conspiracy | Winthrop 'Little Nemo' Clavering | 1930-08-10 |
Movie | The Canary Murder Case | Tony Skeel | 1929-02-16 |
Movie | Street Girl | Happy Winter | 1929-08-21 |
Movie | Nothing But the Truth | Clarence van Dyke | 1929-04-20 |
Movie | Alias the Lone Wolf | Phinuit | 1927-08-22 |
Movie | The Small Bachelor | J. Hamilton Beamish | 1927-11-06 |
Movie | Twinkletoes | 1926-11-28 | |
Movie | The Hidden Way | Mulligan | 1926-07-26 |
Movie | His Supreme Moment | Adrian | 1925-04-12 |
Movie | The Only Thing | Gibson | 1925-11-22 |
Movie | Faint Perfume | Orrin Crumb | 1925-06-08 |
Movie | Good References | Peter Stearns | 1920-08-01 |
Are you sure you want to hide this?