Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Born
January 5, 1906
Died
February 13, 1962 (56 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
North Carolina, USA
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
Racket Squad
(1 episode)
1951
Where There's Life
Department Store Mover (uncredited)
1947
Bells of San Angelo
The Cook
1947
The Secret of the Whistler
1946
Fool's Gold
Speed
1946
G.I. War Brides
Pullman Porter (uncredited)
1946
Two Sisters from Boston
Porter (uncredited)
1946
The Lost Weekend
Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
1945
Barbary Coast Gent
Train Porter
1944
Hidden Valley Outlaws
Snowflake
1944
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
Joe the Valet (uncredited)
1943
Here Comes Mr. Zerk
Shooting Galley Man
1943
Spy Train
Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)
1943
Land of Hunted Men
Snowflake
1943
Haunted Ranch
Sam
1943
Who's Superstitious?
Dice Player
1943
Queen of Broadway
Mose (as Snowflake)
1942
Silver Queen
Butler (uncredited)
1942
The Palm Beach Story
Colored Bartender
1942
Groom and Bored
Train Porter
1942
Obliging Young Lady
George - Train Porter (uncredited)
1942
A Missouri Outlaw
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
The Great Man's Lady
Pogey
1941
Death Valley Outlaws
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
The Apache Kid
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
Two Gun Sheriff
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
Repent at Leisure
Rufe
1941
Back in the Saddle
Train Porter (uncredited)
1941
Sleepers West
Waiter (uncredited)
1941
Golden Hoofs
Snowflake
1941
Texas Terrors
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1940
Christmas in July
Sam (uncredited)
1940
Frontier Vengeance
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1940
I Want a Divorce
Porter
1940
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
Train Porter
1940
The Tulsa Kid
Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake)
1940
Carolina Moon
Sam (uncredited)
1940
One Man's Law
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1940
The Biscuit Eater
Sermon
1940
Gaucho Serenade
New York City Pier Worker
1940
Pardon My Berth Marks
Train Porter
1940
Seventeen
Genesis
1940
Remember the Night
Rufus
1940
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Porter (uncredited)
1939
Hollywood Cavalcade
Train Porter
1939
Daredevils of the Red Circle
Snowflake
1939
Dodge City
Willie (uncredited)
1939
King of the Turf
Groom
1939
Navy Secrets
Steve's Shoe-Shiner
1939
Red River Range
Bellhop (uncredited)
1938
Hawk of the Wilderness
George
1938
The Nightshirt Bandit
Sam
1938
Under the Big Top
Juba
1938
Riders of the Black Hills
Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1938
She Loved a Fireman
Joe
1937
Wild Horse Rodeo
Snowflake
1937
The Duke Comes Back
Snowflake
1937
Youth on Parole
Redcap (uncredited)
1937
Range Defenders
Cook
1937
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
Sam
1937
A Day at Santa Anita
Cloudy (uncredited)
1937
Gunsmoke Ranch
Snowflake (unconfirmed)
1937
A Star Is Born
Witness (uncredited)
1937
Way Out West
Janitor
1937
Fair Warning
Porter
1937
Off to the Races
Ebbie
1937
Smart Blonde
Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)
1937
Gold Diggers of 1937
Snowflake (uncredited)
1936
Aces Wild
Snowflake
1936
College Holiday
Porter (uncredited)
1936
Racing Blood
Sad Sam
1936
Come and Get It
Snowflake (uncredited)
1936
Born to Fight
Snowflake
1936
Frontier Justice
Snowflake
1936
The Girl on the Front Page
1936
The Gorgeous Hussy
Horatius (uncredited)
1936
The Green Pastures
Zubo (uncredited)
1936
Palm Springs
Porter
1936
The Lonely Trail
Snowflake
1936
Romance in the Air
Janitor
1936
The Peppery Salt
Black Henchman
1936
Florida Special
Waiter (uncredited)
1936
Desert Justice
Snowflake - Bank Janitor
1936
Big Brown Eyes
Chalky (Uncredited)
1936
Wildcat Saunders
Snowflake - the Handyman (as Snowflake)
1936
Hair-Trigger Casey
Snowflake
1936
The Lawless Nineties
Moses
1936
Black Gold
Snowflake
1936
Freshman Love
Mose (uncredited)
1936
Riddle Ranch
Snowflake
1935
Valley of Wanted Men
Snowflake
1935
Hands Across the Table
Snowflake (uncredited)
1935
Honeymoon Bridge
1935
Cheers of the Crowd
1935
Alibi Ike
Night Porter
1935
$10 Raise
Bootblack (uncredited)
1935
Social Error
Shadow
1935
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
Phone operator (uncredited)
1935
Stolen Harmony
Henry (uncredited)
1935
Go Into Your Dance
Snowflake
1935
A Night at the Ritz
Porter (uncredited)
1935
Raised and Called
1935
Mississippi
Leadsman (uncredited)
1935
Speed Limited
Vegas Station Pullman Porter
1935
The Gay Bride
1st bootblack (uncredited)
1934
You Bring the Ducks
Snowflake
1934
Imitation of Life
Man at Funeral (uncredited)
1934
Lady by Choice
Mose (uncredited)
1934
Death on the Diamond
Porter (uncredited)
1934
Something Simple
Taxi Driver
1934
Here Comes the Navy
Cookie (uncredited)
1934
Handy Andy
1934
Murder in the Private Car
Titus
1934
Here Comes the Groom
Porter
1934
Half a Sinner
Snowflake
1934
Twentieth Century
George Washington Jones (uncredited)
1934
Woman Haters
Baggage Handler (uncredited)
1934
Woman Haters
Baggage Man (uncredited)
1934
Riptide
Slick
1934
Palooka
Smokey (as Snowflake)
1934
Sleepers East
Porter (uncredited)
1934
King for a Night
Masseur
1933
Before Midnight
1st Taxi Driver
1933
Only Yesterday
Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited)
1933
Meet the Baron
Stable Groom (uncredited)
1933
Saturday's Millions
Porter
1933
Goodbye Again
Train Porter (uncredited)
1933
Deluge
Townsman
1933
The Mayor of Hell
Mr. Hemingway (uncredited)
1933
Gold Diggers of 1933
Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)
1933
Central Airport
Hotel Porter
1933
The Mind Reader
Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)
1933
Fast Workers
Mike (Uncredited)
1933
Robbers' Roost
Snowflake
1932
A Strange Adventure
Jeff
1932
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
Marine on Ship (uncredited)
1932
The Cabin in the Cotton
Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)
1932
Out of Singapore
Snowball, the Ship's Cook
1932
American Madness
Sam (uncredited)
1932
The Hurricane Express
Sam (uncredited)
1932
The Arm of the Law
Jackson
1932
The County Fair
Curfew
1932
Police Court
1932
Single-Handed Sanders
Snowflake
1932
A Private Scandal
Snowflake
1931
Who's Who in the Zoo
Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)
1931
The Galloping Ghost
Football Fan
1931
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)
1928