Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1906-01-05
Day of Death
1962-02-13 (56 years old)
Place of Birth
North Carolina, USA
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Biography
Fred "Snowflake" Toones was a character actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1928 and 1951. He often worked under contract for Republic Pictures, appearing in about 40 of its films.
He played a bootblack or shoeshine man in at least six of his movies, and Toones actually ran the shoeshine stand at Republic Studios.
He first appeared as a porter in 1932 in The Hurricane Express and was usually typecast as a porter - appearing in over 50 films in such a role. He also played a variety of other service-oriented or domestic worker roles such as stable grooms, janitors, elevator operators, valets, cooks, bellhops, doormen, butlers, and bartenders. Like other actors of the time, i.e. Anna May Wong and Franklin Pangborn, Toones is a prime example of racial and social stereotyping in the Hollywood film industry.
His standard characterization was that of a middle-aged "colored" man with a high-pitched voice and childlike mannerisms.
"Snowflake" was the stage name Toones was best known by, and he used this name as his credit as early as his third film, 1931's Shanghaied Love. Likewise, in Shanghaied Love and over 35 other films, "Snowflake" was also Toones' character name.
He acted in films such as Mississippi (1935), Hawk of the Wilderness (1938), and Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939) with Bruce Bennett and in many "B" westerns such as The Lawless Nineties (1936) with John Wayne. He also appeared in dozens of two-reelers such as Columbia's Woman Haters (1934) with the Three Stooges, and had a bit role in Laurel and Hardy's classic feature Way Out West (1937). Toones is also a familiar face in four Preston Sturges comedies: Twentieth Century (1934), Remember the Night (1940), Christmas in July (1940), and The Palm Beach Story (1942).
He died on 13 February 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Known For
Acting
(1947)
Bells of San Angelo
as The Cook
(1947)
Where There's Life
as Department Store Mover (uncredited)
(1946)
Two Sisters from Boston
as Porter (uncredited)
(1946)
(1946)
Fool's Gold
as Speed
(1946)
G.I. War Brides
as Pullman Porter (uncredited)
(1945)
The Lost Weekend
as Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
(1944)
Hidden Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake
(1944)
Barbary Coast Gent
as Train Porter
(1943)
Haunted Ranch
as Sam
(1943)
Spy Train
as Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)
(1943)
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
as Joe the Valet (uncredited)
(1943)
Here Comes Mr. Zerk
as Shooting Galley Man
(1943)
Who's Superstitious?
as Dice Player
(1943)
Land of Hunted Men
as Snowflake
(1942)
The Palm Beach Story
as Colored Bartender
(1942)
Silver Queen
as Butler (uncredited)
(1942)
Queen of Broadway
as Mose (as Snowflake)
(1942)
Groom and Bored
as Train Porter
(1942)
Obliging Young Lady
as George - Train Porter (uncredited)
(1941)
Sleepers West
as Waiter (uncredited)
(1941)
Back in the Saddle
as Train Porter (uncredited)
(1941)
Two Gun Sheriff
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
Golden Hoofs
as Snowflake
(1941)
A Missouri Outlaw
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
The Apache Kid
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
The Great Man's Lady
as Pogey
(1941)
Death Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
Repent at Leisure
as Rufe
(1940)
Texas Terrors
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1940)
Christmas in July
as Sam (uncredited)
(1940)
Carolina Moon
as Sam (uncredited)
(1940)
Seventeen
as Genesis
(1940)
Remember the Night
as Rufus
(1940)
The Biscuit Eater
as Sermon
(1940)
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
as Train Porter
(1940)
I Want a Divorce
as Porter
(1940)
Pardon My Berth Marks
as Train Porter
(1940)
The Tulsa Kid
as Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake)
(1940)
One Man's Law
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1940)
Gaucho Serenade
as New York City Pier Worker
(1940)
Frontier Vengeance
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Train Porter
(1939)
Dodge City
as Willie (uncredited)
(1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Porter (uncredited)
(1939)
Daredevils of the Red Circle
as Snowflake
(1939)
King of the Turf
as Groom
(1939)
Navy Secrets
as Steve's Shoe-Shiner
(1938)
Riders of the Black Hills
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1938)
Hawk of the Wilderness
as George
(1938)
Under the Big Top
as Juba
(1938)
Red River Range
as Bellhop (uncredited)
(1938)
The Nightshirt Bandit
as Sam
(1937)
Youth on Parole
as Redcap (uncredited)
(1937)
Range Defenders
as Cook
(1937)
The Duke Comes Back
as Snowflake
(1937)
A Day at Santa Anita
as Cloudy (uncredited)
(1937)
A Star Is Born
as Witness (uncredited)
(1937)
Way Out West
as Janitor
(1937)
(1937)
Fair Warning
as Porter
(1937)
Gunsmoke Ranch
as Snowflake (unconfirmed)
(1937)
She Loved a Fireman
as Joe
(1937)
Wild Horse Rodeo
as Snowflake
(1937)
Smart Blonde
as Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)
(1937)
Off to the Races
as Ebbie
(1936)
The Lonely Trail
as Snowflake
(1936)
Gold Diggers of 1937
as Snowflake (uncredited)
(1936)
The Green Pastures
as Zubo (uncredited)
(1936)
Aces Wild
as Snowflake
(1936)
Palm Springs
as Porter
(1936)
College Holiday
as Porter (uncredited)
(1936)
Freshman Love
as Mose (uncredited)
(1936)
Florida Special
as Waiter (uncredited)
(1936)
Big Brown Eyes
as Chalky (Uncredited)
(1936)
The Peppery Salt
as Black Henchman
(1936)
Frontier Justice
as Snowflake
(1936)
Hair-Trigger Casey
as Snowflake
(1936)
(1936)
Black Gold
as Snowflake
(1936)
Come and Get It
as Snowflake (uncredited)
(1936)
The Lawless Nineties
as Moses
(1936)
Romance in the Air
as Janitor
(1936)
The Gorgeous Hussy
as Horatius (uncredited)
(1936)
Racing Blood
as Sad Sam
(1936)
Born to Fight
as Snowflake
(1936)
Wildcat Saunders
as Snowflake
(1936)
Desert Justice
as Snowflake - Bank Janitor
(1935)
A Night at the Ritz
as Porter (uncredited)
(1935)
Go Into Your Dance
as Snowflake
(1935)
Alibi Ike
as Night Porter
(1935)
Stolen Harmony
as Henry (uncredited)
(1935)
(1935)
(1935)
Riddle Ranch
as Snowflake
(1935)
Hands Across the Table
as Snowflake (uncredited)
(1935)
$10 Raise
as Bootblack (uncredited)
(1935)
Mississippi
as Leadsman (uncredited)
(1935)
Speed Limited
as Vegas Station Pullman Porter
(1935)
Valley of Wanted Men
as Snowflake
(1935)
(1935)
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
as Phone operator (uncredited)
(1935)
Social Error
as Shadow
(1934)
Twentieth Century
as George Washington Jones (uncredited)
(1934)
Here Comes the Navy
as Cookie (uncredited)
(1934)
Here Comes the Groom
as Porter
(1934)
Sleepers East
as Porter (uncredited)
(1934)
Palooka
as Smokey (as Snowflake)
(1934)
(1934)
Lady by Choice
as Mose (uncredited)
(1934)
Imitation of Life
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)
(1934)
Riptide
as Slick
(1934)
Half a Sinner
as Snowflake
(1934)
Murder in the Private Car
as Titus
(1934)
Woman Haters
as Baggage Handler (uncredited)
(1934)
Woman Haters
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
(1934)
Death on the Diamond
as Porter (uncredited)
(1934)
The Gay Bride
as 1st bootblack (uncredited)
(1934)
Something Simple
as Taxi Driver
(1934)
You Bring the Ducks
as Snowflake
(1933)
Deluge
as Townsman
(1933)
Fast Workers
as Mike (Uncredited)
(1933)
Goodbye Again
as Train Porter (uncredited)
(1933)
The Mayor of Hell
as Mr. Hemingway (uncredited)
(1933)
Meet the Baron
as Stable Groom (uncredited)
(1933)
King for a Night
as Masseur
(1933)
The Mind Reader
as Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)
(1933)
Only Yesterday
as Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited)
(1933)
Saturday's Millions
as Porter
(1933)
Before Midnight
as 1st Taxi Driver
(1933)
Central Airport
as Hotel Porter
(1933)
Gold Diggers of 1933
as Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)
(1932)
The Hurricane Express
as Sam (uncredited)
(1932)
(1932)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Marine on Ship (uncredited)
(1932)
The Arm of the Law
as Jackson
(1932)
Single-Handed Sanders
as Snowflake
(1932)
American Madness
as Sam (uncredited)
(1932)
The Cabin in the Cotton
as Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)
(1932)
Out of Singapore
as Snowball, the Ship's Cook
(1932)
Robbers' Roost
as Snowflake
(1932)
A Strange Adventure
as Jeff
(1932)
The County Fair
as Curfew
(1931)
A Private Scandal
as Snowflake
(1931)
The Galloping Ghost
as Football Fan
(1931)
Who's Who in the Zoo
as Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)
(1928)
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
as Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)