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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
January 5, 1906
Died
February 13, 1962
Place of Birth
North Carolina, USA
Also Known As
- 'Snowflake'
- Snowflake
- Snow Flake
- Fred S. Toones
- Fred Toones
- 'Snowflake' Toones
- Snowflake Toones
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
0.2 Popularity
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
6.0
Racket Squad
1951
5.8
Department Store Mover (uncredited)
Where There's Life
1947
4.1
The Cook
Bells of San Angelo
1947
5.9
The Secret of the Whistler
1946
3.0
Speed
Fool's Gold
1946
0.0
Pullman Porter (uncredited)
G.I. War Brides
1946
6.0
Porter (uncredited)
Two Sisters from Boston
1946
7.6
Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
The Lost Weekend
1945
4.6
Train Porter
Barbary Coast Gent
1944
0.0
Snowflake
Hidden Valley Outlaws
1944
Credits
Racket Squad
1951
6.0
Where There's Life
as Department Store Mover (uncredited)
1947
5.8
Bells of San Angelo
as The Cook
1947
4.1
The Secret of the Whistler
1946
5.9
Fool's Gold
as Speed
1946
3.0
G.I. War Brides
as Pullman Porter (uncredited)
1946
0.0
Two Sisters from Boston
as Porter (uncredited)
1946
6.0
The Lost Weekend
as Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
1945
7.6
Barbary Coast Gent
as Train Porter
1944
4.6
Hidden Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake
1944
0.0
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
as Joe the Valet (uncredited)
1943
5.4
Here Comes Mr. Zerk
as Shooting Galley Man
1943
0.0
Spy Train
as Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)
1943
0.0
Land of Hunted Men
as Snowflake
1943
0.0
Haunted Ranch
as Sam
1943
6.0
Who's Superstitious?
as Dice Player
1943
5.0
Queen of Broadway
as Mose (as Snowflake)
1942
5.0
Silver Queen
as Butler (uncredited)
1942
5.7
The Palm Beach Story
as Colored Bartender
1942
7.0
Groom and Bored
as Train Porter
1942
0.0
Obliging Young Lady
as George - Train Porter (uncredited)
1942
5.0
A Missouri Outlaw
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
0.0
The Great Man's Lady
as Pogey
1941
6.3
Death Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
0.0
The Apache Kid
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
0.0
Two Gun Sheriff
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1941
6.0
Repent at Leisure
as Rufe
1941
5.7
Sleepers West
as Waiter (uncredited)
1941
6.3
Back in the Saddle
as Train Porter (uncredited)
1941
5.5
Golden Hoofs
as Snowflake
1941
7.0
Texas Terrors
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1940
4.3
Christmas in July
as Sam (uncredited)
1940
6.9
Frontier Vengeance
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1940
0.0
I Want a Divorce
as Porter
1940
0.0
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
as Train Porter
1940
4.0
The Tulsa Kid
as Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake)
1940
6.0
Carolina Moon
as Sam (uncredited)
1940
5.0
One Man's Law
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1940
0.0
The Biscuit Eater
as Sermon
1940
6.3
Gaucho Serenade
as New York City Pier Worker
1940
6.0
Pardon My Berth Marks
as Train Porter
1940
6.0
Seventeen
as Genesis
1940
0.0
Remember the Night
as Rufus
1940
7.3
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Porter (uncredited)
1939
7.8
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Train Porter
1939
5.3
Daredevils of the Red Circle
as Snowflake
1939
4.0
Dodge City
as Willie (uncredited)
1939
6.9
King of the Turf
as Groom
1939
7.0
Navy Secrets
as Steve's Shoe-Shiner
1939
5.2
Red River Range
as Bellhop (uncredited)
1938
5.0
Hawk of the Wilderness
as George
1938
7.0
The Nightshirt Bandit
as Sam
1938
0.0
Under the Big Top
as Juba
1938
5.5
Riders of the Black Hills
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
1938
0.0
She Loved a Fireman
as Joe
1937
6.0
Wild Horse Rodeo
as Snowflake
1937
0.0
The Duke Comes Back
as Snowflake
1937
5.0
Youth on Parole
as Redcap (uncredited)
1937
2.8
Range Defenders
as Cook
1937
2.5
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
as Sam
1937
5.5
A Day at Santa Anita
as Cloudy (uncredited)
1937
5.0
Gunsmoke Ranch
as Snowflake (unconfirmed)
1937
3.6
A Star Is Born
as Witness (uncredited)
1937
7.2
Way Out West
as Janitor
1937
7.1
Fair Warning
as Porter
1937
6.0
Off to the Races
as Ebbie
1937
0.0
Smart Blonde
as Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)
1937
6.1
Gold Diggers of 1937
as Snowflake (uncredited)
1936
5.8
Aces Wild
as Snowflake
1936
0.0
College Holiday
as Porter (uncredited)
1936
5.2
Racing Blood
as Sad Sam
1936
4.0
Come and Get It
as Snowflake (uncredited)
1936
6.8
Born to Fight
as Snowflake
1936
0.0
Frontier Justice
as Snowflake
1936
5.0
The Girl on the Front Page
1936
0.0
The Gorgeous Hussy
as Horatius (uncredited)
1936
5.3
The Green Pastures
as Zubo (uncredited)
1936
6.3
Palm Springs
as Porter
1936
0.0
The Lonely Trail
as Snowflake
1936
4.6
Romance in the Air
as Janitor
1936
0.0
🎬
The Peppery Salt
as Black Henchman
1936
0.0
Florida Special
as Waiter (uncredited)
1936
6.0
Desert Justice
as Snowflake - Bank Janitor
1936
0.0
Big Brown Eyes
as Chalky (Uncredited)
1936
6.3
Wildcat Saunders
as Snowflake
1936
0.0
Hair-Trigger Casey
as Snowflake
1936
5.0
The Lawless Nineties
as Moses
1936
5.2
Black Gold
as Snowflake
1936
5.0
Freshman Love
as Mose (uncredited)
1936
6.0
Riddle Ranch
as Snowflake
1935
4.0
Valley of Wanted Men
as Snowflake
1935
4.5
Hands Across the Table
as Snowflake (uncredited)
1935
6.9
🎬
Honeymoon Bridge
1935
0.0
Cheers of the Crowd
1935
5.5
Alibi Ike
as Night Porter
1935
5.8
$10 Raise
as Bootblack (uncredited)
1935
8.0
Social Error
as Shadow
1935
5.0
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
as Phone operator (uncredited)
1935
0.0
Go Into Your Dance
as Snowflake
1935
6.8
Stolen Harmony
as Henry (uncredited)
1935
6.0
A Night at the Ritz
as Porter (uncredited)
1935
3.0
Mississippi
as Leadsman (uncredited)
1935
6.7
🎬
Raised and Called
1935
0.0
Speed Limited
as Vegas Station Pullman Porter
1935
0.0
The Gay Bride
as 1st bootblack (uncredited)
1934
5.8
🎬
You Bring the Ducks
as Snowflake
1934
0.0
Imitation of Life
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)
1934
7.0
Lady by Choice
as Mose (uncredited)
1934
6.3
Death on the Diamond
as Porter (uncredited)
1934
7.0
Something Simple
as Taxi Driver
1934
4.0
Here Comes the Navy
as Cookie (uncredited)
1934
5.9
Handy Andy
1934
1.0
Murder in the Private Car
as Titus
1934
5.3
Here Comes the Groom
as Porter
1934
4.0
Half a Sinner
as Snowflake
1934
0.0
Twentieth Century
as George Washington Jones (uncredited)
1934
6.8
Woman Haters
as Baggage Handler (uncredited)
1934
6.0
Woman Haters
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
1934
6.0
Riptide
as Slick
1934
6.2
Palooka
as Smokey (as Snowflake)
1934
3.0
Sleepers East
as Porter (uncredited)
1934
0.0
King for a Night
as Masseur
1933
6.2
Before Midnight
as 1st Taxi Driver
1933
4.2
Only Yesterday
as Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited)
1933
6.8
Meet the Baron
as Stable Groom (uncredited)
1933
4.2
Saturday's Millions
as Porter
1933
5.0
Goodbye Again
as Train Porter (uncredited)
1933
4.6
Deluge
as Townsman
1933
5.7
The Mayor of Hell
as Mr. Hemingway (uncredited)
1933
7.1
Gold Diggers of 1933
as Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)
1933
7.2
Central Airport
as Hotel Porter
1933
6.1
The Mind Reader
as Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)
1933
6.0
Fast Workers
as Mike (Uncredited)
1933
4.7
Robbers' Roost
as Snowflake
1932
5.5
A Strange Adventure
as Jeff
1932
5.0
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Marine on Ship (uncredited)
1932
7.8
The Cabin in the Cotton
as Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)
1932
6.3
Out of Singapore
as Snowball, the Ship's Cook
1932
4.0
American Madness
as Sam (uncredited)
1932
6.8
The Hurricane Express
as Sam (uncredited)
1932
5.2
The Arm of the Law
as Jackson
1932
4.0
The County Fair
as Curfew
1932
0.0
Police Court
1932
5.0
Single-Handed Sanders
as Snowflake
1932
0.0
A Private Scandal
as Snowflake
1931
4.3
Who's Who in the Zoo
as Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)
1931
0.0
The Galloping Ghost
as Football Fan
1931
2.0
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
as Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)
1928
0.0