Ned Sparks

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Ned Sparks (actually Edward Arthur Sparkman ; born November 19, 1883 in Guelph , Ontario , Canada ; † April 3, 1957 in Victorville , California , USA) was an American actor who was characterized by his sarcastic supporting roles in films of the 1930s and 1940s Years became known.

Life

Before Ned Sparks got in touch with show business, he tried his hand at the Klondike gold rush as a gold digger . When that didn't bring him the wealth he had hoped for, he joined a group of musicians, with whom he traveled around the area as a singer. Back in Canada, he attended the theological seminary in Toronto . Then he worked at the theater in Toronto. In 1907 Sparks left Canada and tried his luck in New York on Broadway. After the actors' strike of 1918, he became a member of the AEA, the Actor's Equity Association .

Broadway was his trademark, his dry sense of humor. Louis B. Mayer , co-founder of the MGM film company , became aware of Sparks. Sparks appeared in a few silent films before making his sound film debut in 1928 with The Big Noise . In the 1930s, he became known for his sarcasm, grumpy face, and cigar chewing in numerous films. The New York Times announced in 1936 that Sparks had insured his facial expression for $ 100,000. Any photographer who photographs Sparks smiling would get that amount paid out. Sparks later admitted that it was a publicity gag that the sum insured was only $ 10,000. Sparks Mine has been caricatured in various Disney cartoons.

After the mid-1930s, Sparks was less often in front of the camera. His last appearance in a feature film was 1947 Sparks in the comedy Stranger city alongside James Stewart . In total he was seen in over 80 productions. His shooting partners included James Stewart, Jean Harlow , Boris Karloff , Ginger Rogers , Mary Pickford , Bing Crosby , Janet Gaynor , Spencer Tracy , Claudette Colbert , Barbara Stanwyck and Betty Grable .

On April 3, 1957, Ned Sparks died of the consequences of an intestinal obstruction . He had one child from his divorced marriage to Mercedes Cabalerro between 1931 and 1936.

Filmography (a selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ fandango.com
  2. ↑ northernstars.ca ( Memento of the original from June 6, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.northernstars.ca
personal data
SURNAME Sparks, Ned
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sparkman, Edward Arthur (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian actor
DATE OF BIRTH November 19, 1883
PLACE OF BIRTH Guelph , Canada
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 1957
Place of death Victorville , California , United States