Fonds - Ned Sparks Family fonds

Ned Sparks was born as Edward Arthur Sparkman on November 19, 1883 in Guelph, Ontario and was raised for short time in St. Thomas, Ontario. He was a Canadian character actor of stage and screen, who specialized in a form of grouchy, deadpan comedy.

Upon leaving school in St. Thomas, Sparks served under Captain Dunn on a government cruiser named the Petrel out of Port Stanley, Ontario, as well as on at least one other vessel. Later, he travelled to the Yukon to prospect for gold; when his efforts proved unsuccessful, he turned to singing in the Yukon saloons.

After briefly attending seminary school at the University of Toronto, he left to pursue a career as an actor. He appeared in his first Broadway show in New York City in 1912. Ned Sparks’ stage success soon translated to the silver screen when he signed a movie contract with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. He began appearing in numerous silent features before making his debut in the early sound film The Big Noise in 1928.

Ned Sparks was instrumental in the actors’ strike of 1918, which led to the foundation of the Actors’ Equity Association; in fact, Sparks served as one of the organization’s main founders. These acts caused Broadway to blackball him from appearing again on any of their stages.

After a long and successful career, Sparks retired from show business in 1948, living with his daughter, Laura, in a rented apartment in Victorville, California. He died on April 3, 1957, at the age of 73, of an intestinal blockage, and was buried there in Victorville. His wife, Mercedes, had passed away 30 years previously, ca. 1927.

The immediate family consisted of William Joseph Sparkman (father), Mary Sparkman née Lawton (mother), Reuben Sparkman (brother), and Gladys Sparkman (sister). Sparks was married three times, the last to Mercedes Sparkman, with whom he had one daughter, Laura.

Ned Sparks was good friends with local St. Thomas politician and later Premier of Ontario Mitchell Hepburn, who had been a classmate of his in school. He also had a beloved bulldog named Betsy.