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)
G.I. War Brides
as Pullman Porter (uncredited)
(1946)
Fool's Gold
as Speed
(1945)
The Lost Weekend
as Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
(1944)
Barbary Coast Gent
as Train Porter
(1944)
Hidden Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake
(1943)
Haunted Ranch
as Sam
(1943)
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
as Joe the Valet (uncredited)
(1943)
Spy Train
as Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)
(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)
Obliging Young Lady
as George - Train Porter (uncredited)
(1942)
Silver Queen
as Butler (uncredited)
(1942)
Groom and Bored
as Train Porter
(1942)
Queen of Broadway
as Mose (as Snowflake)
(1941)
Golden Hoofs
as Snowflake
(1941)
Sleepers West
as Waiter (uncredited)
(1941)
The Great Man's Lady
as Pogey
(1941)
Back in the Saddle
as Train Porter (uncredited)
(1941)
Death Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
The Apache Kid
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
Repent at Leisure
as Rufe
(1941)
Two Gun Sheriff
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1941)
A Missouri Outlaw
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1940)
Remember the Night
as Rufus
(1940)
Christmas in July
as Sam (uncredited)
(1940)
Gaucho Serenade
as New York City Pier Worker
(1940)
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
as Train Porter
(1940)
Carolina Moon
as Sam (uncredited)
(1940)
One Man's Law
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1940)
The Biscuit Eater
as Sermon
(1940)
Seventeen
as Genesis
(1940)
Frontier Vengeance
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1940)
Texas Terrors
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(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)
(1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Porter (uncredited)
(1939)
Dodge City
as Willie (uncredited)
(1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Train Porter
(1939)
Daredevils of the Red Circle
as Snowflake
(1939)
Navy Secrets
as Steve's Shoe-Shiner
(1939)
King of the Turf
as Groom
(1938)
Red River Range
as Bellhop (uncredited)
(1938)
Hawk of the Wilderness
as George
(1938)
Under the Big Top
as Juba
(1938)
The Nightshirt Bandit
as Sam
(1938)
Riders of the Black Hills
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
(1937)
A Star Is Born
as Witness (uncredited)
(1937)
Way Out West
as Janitor
(1937)
She Loved a Fireman
as Joe
(1937)
Fair Warning
as Porter
(1937)
Smart Blonde
as Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)
(1937)
Gunsmoke Ranch
as Snowflake (unconfirmed)
(1937)
(1937)
Range Defenders
as Cook
(1937)
The Duke Comes Back
as Snowflake
(1937)
Off to the Races
as Ebbie
(1937)
Wild Horse Rodeo
as Snowflake
(1937)
A Day at Santa Anita
as Cloudy (uncredited)
(1937)
Youth on Parole
as Redcap (uncredited)
(1936)
Big Brown Eyes
as Chalky (Uncredited)
(1936)
Come and Get It
as Snowflake (uncredited)
(1936)
The Gorgeous Hussy
as Horatius (uncredited)
(1936)
Gold Diggers of 1937
as Snowflake (uncredited)
(1936)
The Lonely Trail
as Snowflake
(1936)
Palm Springs
as Porter
(1936)
The Lawless Nineties
as Moses
(1936)
Freshman Love
as Mose (uncredited)
(1936)
College Holiday
as Porter (uncredited)
(1936)
Born to Fight
as Snowflake
(1936)
(1936)
Hair-Trigger Casey
as Snowflake
(1936)
The Green Pastures
as Zubo (uncredited)
(1936)
Florida Special
as Waiter (uncredited)
(1936)
The Peppery Salt
as Black Henchman
(1936)
Racing Blood
as Sad Sam
(1936)
Aces Wild
as Snowflake
(1936)
Black Gold
as Snowflake
(1936)
Frontier Justice
as Snowflake
(1936)
Desert Justice
as Snowflake - Bank Janitor
(1936)
Romance in the Air
as Janitor
(1936)
Wildcat Saunders
as Snowflake - the Handyman (as Snowflake)
(1935)
Mississippi
as Leadsman (uncredited)
(1935)
Hands Across the Table
as Snowflake (uncredited)
(1935)
Alibi Ike
as Night Porter
(1935)
Go Into Your Dance
as Snowflake
(1935)
A Night at the Ritz
as Porter (uncredited)
(1935)
Stolen Harmony
as Henry (uncredited)
(1935)
Valley of Wanted Men
as Snowflake
(1935)
Social Error
as Shadow
(1935)
$10 Raise
as Bootblack (uncredited)
(1935)
(1935)
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
as Phone operator (uncredited)
(1935)
(1935)
Speed Limited
as Vegas Station Pullman Porter
(1935)
Riddle Ranch
as Snowflake
(1935)
(1934)
Twentieth Century
as George Washington Jones (uncredited)
(1934)
Imitation of Life
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)
(1934)
Murder in the Private Car
as Titus
(1934)
Lady by Choice
as Mose (uncredited)
(1934)
Here Comes the Navy
as Cookie (uncredited)
(1934)
Riptide
as Slick
(1934)
Palooka
as Smokey (as Snowflake)
(1934)
Sleepers East
as Porter (uncredited)
(1934)
Woman Haters
as Baggage Handler (uncredited)
(1934)
Woman Haters
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
(1934)
The Gay Bride
as 1st bootblack (uncredited)
(1934)
(1934)
Here Comes the Groom
as Porter
(1934)
Death on the Diamond
as Porter (uncredited)
(1934)
Half a Sinner
as Snowflake
(1934)
Something Simple
as Taxi Driver
(1934)
You Bring the Ducks
as Snowflake
(1933)
Gold Diggers of 1933
as Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)
(1933)
The Mayor of Hell
as Mr. Hemingway (uncredited)
(1933)
Deluge
as Townsman
(1933)
Only Yesterday
as Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited)
(1933)
Meet the Baron
as Stable Groom (uncredited)
(1933)
Central Airport
as Hotel Porter
(1933)
Fast Workers
as Mike (Uncredited)
(1933)
The Mind Reader
as Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)
(1933)
Before Midnight
as 1st Taxi Driver
(1933)
Goodbye Again
as Train Porter (uncredited)
(1933)
Saturday's Millions
as Porter
(1933)
King for a Night
as Masseur
(1932)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Marine on Ship (uncredited)
(1932)
The Hurricane Express
as Sam (uncredited)
(1932)
American Madness
as Sam (uncredited)
(1932)
The Cabin in the Cotton
as Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)
(1932)
Robbers' Roost
as Snowflake
(1932)
A Strange Adventure
as Jeff
(1932)
Out of Singapore
as Snowball, the Ship's Cook
(1932)
(1932)
Single-Handed Sanders
as Snowflake
(1932)
The County Fair
as Curfew
(1932)
The Arm of the Law
as Jackson
(1931)
The Galloping Ghost
as Football Fan
(1931)
Who's Who in the Zoo
as Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)
(1931)
A Private Scandal
as Snowflake
(1928)
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
as Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)