Fred 'Snowflake' Toones

Acting • Born 1906-01-05 – Died 1962-02-13

Acting0North Carolina, USA

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.

Filmography

148 credits

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Movie • 1939

Porter (uncredited)

A Star Is Born

Movie • 1937

Witness (uncredited)

Off to the Races

Movie • 1937

Ebbie

The Palm Beach Story

Movie • 1942

Colored Bartender

Christmas in July

Movie • 1940

Sam (uncredited)

Remember the Night

Movie • 1940

Rufus

Desert Justice

Movie • 1936

Snowflake - Bank Janitor

Honeymoon Bridge

Movie • 1935

Riddle Ranch

Movie • 1935

Snowflake

Gunsmoke Ranch

Movie • 1937

Snowflake (unconfirmed)

G.I. War Brides

Movie • 1946

Pullman Porter (uncredited)

Bells of San Angelo

Movie • 1947

The Cook

Carolina Moon

Sad Sam

King of the Turf

Movie • 1939

Groom

Raised and Called

Movie • 1935

A Private Scandal

Movie • 1931

Snowflake

I Want a Divorce

Movie • 1940

Porter

Hawk of the Wilderness

Movie • 1938

George

Daredevils of the Red Circle

Movie • 1939

Snowflake

$10 Raise

Movie • 1935

Bootblack (uncredited)

Goodbye Again

Movie • 1933

Train Porter (uncredited)

Out of Singapore

Movie • 1932

Snowball, the Ship's Cook

Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge

Movie • 1937

Sam

College Holiday

Movie • 1936

Porter (uncredited)

Youth on Parole

Movie • 1937

Redcap (uncredited)

Wild Horse Rodeo

Movie • 1937

Snowflake

Who's Who in the Zoo

Movie • 1931

Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)

Under the Big Top

Movie • 1938

Juba

Range Defenders

Movie • 1937

Cook

The Mind Reader

Movie • 1933

Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)

Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath

Movie • 1928

Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)

Murder in the Private Car

Movie • 1934

Titus

Where There's Life

Movie • 1947

Department Store Mover (uncredited)

Here Comes the Groom

Movie • 1934

Porter

Aces Wild

Movie • 1936

Snowflake

Fool's Gold

Movie • 1946

Speed

A Day at Santa Anita

Movie • 1937

Cloudy (uncredited)

Before Midnight

Movie • 1933

1st Taxi Driver

Palooka

Movie • 1934

Smokey (as Snowflake)

Speed Limited

Movie • 1935

Vegas Station Pullman Porter

Palm Springs

Movie • 1936

Porter

Hollywood Cavalcade

Movie • 1939

Train Porter

Stolen Harmony

Movie • 1935

Henry (uncredited)

King for a Night

Movie • 1933

Masseur

Repent at Leisure

Movie • 1941

Rufe

Dodge City

Movie • 1939

Willie (uncredited)

Cheers of the Crowd

Movie • 1935

She Loved a Fireman

Movie • 1937

Joe

Pardon My Berth Marks

Movie • 1940

Train Porter

Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride

Movie • 1940

Train Porter

Alibi Ike

Movie • 1935

Night Porter

The Lost Weekend

Movie • 1945

Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)

A Missouri Outlaw

Movie • 1941

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

The Apache Kid

Movie • 1941

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

Back in the Saddle

Movie • 1941

Train Porter (uncredited)

Social Error

Movie • 1935

Shadow

Fast Workers

Movie • 1933

Mike (Uncredited)

A Strange Adventure

Movie • 1932

Jeff

Here Comes Mr. Zerk

Movie • 1943

Shooting Galley Man

Smart Blonde

Movie • 1937

Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)

The Green Pastures

Movie • 1936

Zubo (uncredited)

Groom and Bored

Movie • 1942

Train Porter

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

Movie • 1932

Marine on Ship (uncredited)

Hands Across the Table

Movie • 1935

Snowflake (uncredited)

Freshman Love

Movie • 1936

Mose (uncredited)

Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)

Movie • 1935

Phone operator (uncredited)

Gaucho Serenade

Movie • 1940

New York City Pier Worker

A Night at the Ritz

Movie • 1935

Porter (uncredited)

The Biscuit Eater

Movie • 1940

Sermon

Who's Superstitious?

Movie • 1943

Dice Player

Meet the Baron

Movie • 1933

Stable Groom (uncredited)

The Girl on the Front Page

Movie • 1936

Texas Terrors

Movie • 1940

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

The Tulsa Kid

Movie • 1940

Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake)

Death Valley Outlaws

Movie • 1941

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

One Man's Law

Movie • 1940

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

Land of Hunted Men

Movie • 1943

Snowflake

Frontier Vengeance

Movie • 1940

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

Queen of Broadway

Movie • 1942

Mose (as Snowflake)

Two Gun Sheriff

Movie • 1941

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

Hidden Valley Outlaws

Movie • 1944

Snowflake

Haunted Ranch

Movie • 1943

Sam

Fair Warning

Movie • 1937

Porter

Silver Queen

Movie • 1942

Butler (uncredited)

Gold Diggers of 1933

Movie • 1933

Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)

Lady by Choice

Movie • 1934

Mose (uncredited)

Wildcat Saunders

Movie • 1936

Snowflake

Spy Train

Movie • 1943

Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)

Sleepers East

Movie • 1934

Porter (uncredited)

The Hurricane Express

Movie • 1932

Sam (uncredited)

Riders of the Black Hills

Movie • 1938

Snowflake (as Snowflake)

Death on the Diamond

Movie • 1934

Porter (uncredited)

Barbary Coast Gent

Movie • 1944

Train Porter

Saturday's Millions

Movie • 1933

Porter

Golden Hoofs

Movie • 1941

Snowflake

The Cabin in the Cotton

Movie • 1932

Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)

Obliging Young Lady

The Nightshirt Bandit

Movie • 1938

Sam

Big Brown Eyes

Movie • 1936

Chalky (Uncredited)

Way Out West

Movie • 1937

Janitor

Here Comes the Navy

Movie • 1934

Cookie (uncredited)

American Madness

Movie • 1932

Sam (uncredited)

Handy Andy

Movie • 1934

Single-Handed Sanders

Movie • 1932

Snowflake

Something Simple

Movie • 1934

Taxi Driver

The Arm of the Law

Movie • 1932

Jackson

The Secret of the Whistler

Movie • 1946

Mississippi

Movie • 1935

Leadsman (uncredited)

Woman Haters

Movie • 1934

Baggage Man (uncredited)

Florida Special

Movie • 1936

Waiter (uncredited)

Romance in the Air

Movie • 1936

Janitor

Racket Squad

TV • 1951