Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
January 5, 1906
Place of Birth:
North Carolina, USA
Social Media
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
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Bells of San Angelo | The Cook |
| 1947 | Where There's Life | Department Store Mover (uncredited) |
| 1946 | G.I. War Brides | Pullman Porter (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Fool's Gold | Speed |
| 1946 | Two Sisters from Boston | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Secret of the Whistler | |
| 1945 | The Lost Weekend | Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Hidden Valley Outlaws | Snowflake |
| 1944 | Barbary Coast Gent | Train Porter |
| 1943 | The Mystery of the 13th Guest | Joe the Valet (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Here Comes Mr. Zerk | Shooting Galley Man |
| 1943 | Who's Superstitious? | Dice Player |
| 1943 | Land of Hunted Men | Snowflake |
| 1943 | Haunted Ranch | Sam |
| 1943 | Spy Train | Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake) |
| 1942 | The Palm Beach Story | Colored Bartender |
| 1942 | Groom and Bored | Train Porter |
| 1942 | Queen of Broadway | Mose (as Snowflake) |
| 1942 | Silver Queen | Butler (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Obliging Young Lady | George - Train Porter (uncredited) |
| 1941 | The Great Man's Lady | Pogey |
| 1941 | Repent at Leisure | Rufe |
| 1941 | A Missouri Outlaw | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1941 | The Apache Kid | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1941 | Back in the Saddle | Train Porter (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Death Valley Outlaws | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1941 | Two Gun Sheriff | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1941 | Golden Hoofs | Snowflake |
| 1941 | Sleepers West | Waiter (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Christmas in July | Sam (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Remember the Night | Rufus |
| 1940 | Carolina Moon | Sam (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Seventeen | Genesis |
| 1940 | I Want a Divorce | Porter |
| 1940 | Pardon My Berth Marks | Train Porter |
| 1940 | Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride | Train Porter |
| 1940 | Gaucho Serenade | New York City Pier Worker |
| 1940 | The Biscuit Eater | Sermon |
| 1940 | Texas Terrors | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1940 | The Tulsa Kid | Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake) |
| 1940 | One Man's Law | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1940 | Frontier Vengeance | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1939 | King of the Turf | Groom |
| 1939 | Daredevils of the Red Circle | Snowflake |
| 1939 | Hollywood Cavalcade | Train Porter |
| 1939 | Dodge City | Willie (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Navy Secrets | Steve's Shoe-Shiner |
| 1938 | Red River Range | Bellhop (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Hawk of the Wilderness | George |
| 1938 | Under the Big Top | Juba |
| 1938 | Riders of the Black Hills | Snowflake (as Snowflake) |
| 1938 | The Nightshirt Bandit | Sam |
| 1937 | A Star Is Born | Witness (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Off to the Races | Ebbie |
| 1937 | Gunsmoke Ranch | Snowflake (unconfirmed) |
| 1937 | The Duke Comes Back | Snowflake |
| 1937 | Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge | Sam |
| 1937 | Youth on Parole | Redcap (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Wild Horse Rodeo | Snowflake |
| 1937 | Range Defenders | Cook |
| 1937 | A Day at Santa Anita | Cloudy (uncredited) |
| 1937 | She Loved a Fireman | Joe |
| 1937 | Smart Blonde | Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Fair Warning | Porter |
| 1937 | Way Out West | Janitor |
| 1936 | Desert Justice | Snowflake - Bank Janitor |
| 1936 | The Peppery Salt | Black Henchman |
| 1936 | The Lawless Nineties | Moses |
| 1936 | The Gorgeous Hussy | Horatius (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Frontier Justice | Snowflake |
| 1936 | The Lonely Trail | Snowflake |
| 1936 | Hair-Trigger Casey | Snowflake |
| 1936 | Black Gold | Snowflake |
| 1936 | Born to Fight | Snowflake |
| 1936 | Racing Blood | Sad Sam |
| 1936 | College Holiday | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Aces Wild | Snowflake |
| 1936 | Palm Springs | Porter |
| 1936 | The Green Pastures | Zubo (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Freshman Love | Mose (uncredited) |
| 1936 | The Girl on the Front Page | |
| 1936 | Wildcat Saunders | Snowflake - the Handyman (as Snowflake) |
| 1936 | Come and Get It | Snowflake (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Gold Diggers of 1937 | Snowflake (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Big Brown Eyes | Chalky (Uncredited) |
| 1936 | Florida Special | Waiter (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Romance in the Air | Janitor |
| 1935 | Honeymoon Bridge | |
| 1935 | Riddle Ranch | Snowflake |
| 1935 | Valley of Wanted Men | Snowflake |
| 1935 | Raised and Called | |
| 1935 | $10 Raise | Bootblack (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Speed Limited | Vegas Station Pullman Porter |
| 1935 | Stolen Harmony | Henry (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Cheers of the Crowd | |
| 1935 | Alibi Ike | Night Porter |
| 1935 | Social Error | Shadow |
| 1935 | Hands Across the Table | Snowflake (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!) | Phone operator (uncredited) |
| 1935 | A Night at the Ritz | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Go Into Your Dance | Snowflake |
| 1935 | Mississippi | Leadsman (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Woman Haters | Baggage Handler (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Murder in the Private Car | Titus |
| 1934 | Here Comes the Groom | Porter |
| 1934 | Palooka | Smokey (as Snowflake) |
| 1934 | Sleepers East | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Lady by Choice | Mose (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Death on the Diamond | Porter (uncredited) |
| 1934 | You Bring the Ducks | Snowflake |
| 1934 | The Gay Bride | 1st bootblack (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Twentieth Century | George Washington Jones (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Half a Sinner | Snowflake |
| 1934 | Imitation of Life | Man at Funeral (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Riptide | Slick |
| 1934 | Here Comes the Navy | Cookie (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Handy Andy | |
| 1934 | Something Simple | Taxi Driver |
| 1934 | Woman Haters | Baggage Man (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Mayor of Hell | Mr. Hemingway (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Goodbye Again | Train Porter (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Mind Reader | Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Before Midnight | 1st Taxi Driver |
| 1933 | King for a Night | Masseur |
| 1933 | Fast Workers | Mike (Uncredited) |
| 1933 | Meet the Baron | Stable Groom (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933 | Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Saturday's Millions | Porter |
| 1933 | Central Airport | Hotel Porter |
| 1933 | Only Yesterday | Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited) |
| 1933 | Deluge | Townsman |
| 1932 | Out of Singapore | Snowball, the Ship's Cook |
| 1932 | A Strange Adventure | Jeff |
| 1932 | I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang | Marine on Ship (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Hurricane Express | Sam (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Cabin in the Cotton | Ezzy Daniels (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Robbers' Roost | Snowflake |
| 1932 | The County Fair | Curfew |
| 1932 | Police Court | |
| 1932 | American Madness | Sam (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Single-Handed Sanders | Snowflake |
| 1932 | The Arm of the Law | Jackson |
| 1931 | The Galloping Ghost | Football Fan |
| 1931 | A Private Scandal | Snowflake |
| 1931 | Who's Who in the Zoo | Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited) |
| 1928 | Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath | Barbershop Attendant (uncredited) |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Racket Squad |