Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
148 movies · 1 TV show
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jan 5, 1906
- Died
- Feb 13, 1962 (age 56)
- Place of birth
- North Carolina, USA
- Also known as
- 'Snowflake' · Snowflake · Snow Flake · Fred S. 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.
Read the full biography
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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
-
★ 7.8 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939 · Film
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★ 7.6 The Lost Weekend
1945 · Film
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★ 7.2 A Star Is Born
1937 · Film
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★ 7.8 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
1932 · Film
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★ 7.1 Way Out West
1937 · Film
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★ 7.0 The Palm Beach Story
1942 · Film
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★ 7.2 Gold Diggers of 1933
1933 · Film
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★ 7.3 Remember the Night
1940 · Film
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones: movies and TV shows
Acting (149)
- 1951
- 1947 Where There's Life
as Department Store Mover (uncredited)
- 1947 Bells of San Angelo
as The Cook
- 1946
- 1946 Fool's Gold
as Speed
- 1946 G.I. War Brides
as Pullman Porter (uncredited)
- 1946 Two Sisters from Boston
as Porter (uncredited)
- 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 The Mystery of the 13th Guest
as Joe (uncredited)
- 1943 Here Comes Mr. Zerk
as Shooting Galley Man
- 1943 Spy Train
as Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)
- 1943 Land of Hunted Men
as Snowflake
- 1943 Haunted Ranch
as Sam
- 1943 Who's Superstitious?
as Dice Player
- 1942 Queen of Broadway
as Mose (as Snowflake)
- 1942 Silver Queen
as Butler (uncredited)
- 1942 Give Out, Sisters
as Nightclub Valet
- 1942 The Palm Beach Story
as Colored Bartender
- 1942 Groom and Bored
as Train Porter
- 1942 Obliging Young Lady
as George - Train Porter (uncredited)
- 1941 A Missouri Outlaw
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1941 The Great Man's Lady
as Pogey
- 1941 Death Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1941 The Apache Kid
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1941 Two Gun Sheriff
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1941 Repent at Leisure
as Rufe
- 1941 Back in the Saddle
as Train Porter (uncredited)
- 1941 Sleepers West
as Waiter (uncredited)
- 1941 Golden Hoofs
as Snowflake
- 1940 Texas Terrors
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1940 Christmas in July
as Sam (uncredited)
- 1940 Frontier Vengeance
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1940 I Want a Divorce
as Porter
- 1940 Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
as Train Porter
- 1940 The Tulsa Kid
as Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake)
- 1940 Carolina Moon
as Sam (uncredited)
- 1940 One Man's Law
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1940 The Biscuit Eater
as Sermon
- 1940 Gaucho Serenade
as New York City Pier Worker
- 1940 Pardon My Berth Marks
as Train Porter
- 1940 Seventeen
as Genesis
- 1940 Remember the Night
as Rufus
- 1939 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Porter (uncredited)
- 1939 Hollywood Cavalcade
as Train Porter
- 1939 Daredevils of the Red Circle
as Snowflake
- 1939 Dodge City
as Willie (uncredited)
- 1939 King of the Turf
as Groom
- 1939 Navy Secrets
as Steve's Shoe-Shiner
- 1938 Red River Range
as Bellhop (uncredited)
- 1938 Hawk of the Wilderness
as George
- 1938 The Nightshirt Bandit
as Sam
- 1938 Under the Big Top
as Juba
- 1938 Riders of the Black Hills
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
- 1937 She Loved a Fireman
as Joe
- 1937 Wild Horse Rodeo
as Snowflake
- 1937 The Duke Comes Back
as Snowflake
- 1937 Youth on Parole
as Redcap (uncredited)
- 1937 Range Defenders
as Cook
- 1937 Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
as Sam
- 1937 A Day at Santa Anita
as Cloudy (uncredited)
- 1937 Gunsmoke Ranch
as Snowflake (unconfirmed)
- 1937 A Star Is Born
as Witness (uncredited)
- 1937 Way Out West
as Janitor
- 1937 Fair Warning
as Porter
- 1937 Off to the Races
as Ebbie
- 1937 Smart Blonde
as Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)
- 1936 Gold Diggers of 1937
as Snowflake (uncredited)
- 1936 Aces Wild
as Snowflake
- 1936 College Holiday
as Porter (uncredited)
- 1936 Racing Blood
as Sad Sam
- 1936 Come and Get It
as Snowflake (uncredited)
- 1936 Born to Fight
as Snowflake
- 1936 Frontier Justice
as Snowflake
- 1936
- 1936 The Gorgeous Hussy
as Horatius (uncredited)
- 1936 The Green Pastures
as Zubo (uncredited)
- 1936 Palm Springs
as Porter
- 1936 The Lonely Trail
as Snowflake
- 1936 Romance in the Air
as Janitor
- 1936 The Peppery Salt
as Black Henchman
- 1936 Florida Special
as Waiter (uncredited)
- 1936 Desert Justice
as Snowflake - Bank Janitor
- 1936 Big Brown Eyes
as Chalky (Uncredited)
- 1936 Wildcat Saunders
as Snowflake
- 1936 Hair-Trigger Casey
as Snowflake
- 1936 The Lawless Nineties
as Moses
- 1936 Black Gold
as Snowflake
- 1936 Freshman Love
as Mose (uncredited)
- 1935 Riddle Ranch
as Snowflake
- 1935 Valley of Wanted Men
as Snowflake
- 1935 Hands Across the Table
as Snowflake (uncredited)
- 1935
- 1935
- 1935 Alibi Ike
as Night Porter
- 1935 $10 Raise
as Bootblack (uncredited)
- 1935 Social Error
as Shadow
- 1935 Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
as Phone operator (uncredited)
- 1935 Stolen Harmony
as Henry (uncredited)
- 1935 Go Into Your Dance
as Snowflake
- 1935 A Night at the Ritz
as Porter (uncredited)
- 1935
- 1935 Mississippi
as Leadsman (uncredited)
- 1935 Speed Limited
as Vegas Station Pullman Porter
- 1934 The Gay Bride
as 1st bootblack (uncredited)
- 1934 You Bring the Ducks
as Snowflake
- 1934 Imitation of Life
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)
- 1934 Lady by Choice
as Mose (uncredited)
- 1934 Death on the Diamond
as Porter (uncredited)
- 1934 Something Simple
as Taxi Driver
- 1934 Here Comes the Navy
as Cookie (uncredited)
- 1934
- 1934 Murder in the Private Car
as Titus
- 1934 Here Comes the Groom
as Porter
- 1934 Half a Sinner
as Snowflake
- 1934 Twentieth Century
as George Washington Jones (uncredited)
- 1934 Woman Haters
as Baggage Handler (uncredited) / Baggage Man (uncredited)
- 1934 Riptide
as Slick
- 1934 Palooka
as Smokey (as Snowflake)
- 1934 Sleepers East
as Porter (uncredited)
- 1933 King for a Night
as Masseur
- 1933 Before Midnight
as 1st Taxi Driver
- 1933 Only Yesterday
as Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited)
- 1933 Meet the Baron
as Stable Groom (uncredited)
- 1933 Saturday's Millions
as Porter
- 1933 Goodbye Again
as Train Porter (uncredited)
- 1933 Deluge
as Townsman
- 1933 The Mayor of Hell
as Mr. Hemingway (uncredited)
- 1933 Gold Diggers of 1933
as Black Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)
- 1933 Central Airport
as Hotel Porter
- 1933 The Mind Reader
as Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)
- 1933 Fast Workers
as Mike (Uncredited)
- 1932 Robbers' Roost
as Snowflake
- 1932 A Strange Adventure
as Jeff
- 1932 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Marine on Ship (uncredited)
- 1932 The Cabin in the Cotton
as Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)
- 1932 Out of Singapore
as Snowball, the Ship's Cook
- 1932 American Madness
as Sam (uncredited)
- 1932 The Hurricane Express
as Sam (uncredited)
- 1932 The Arm of the Law
as Jackson
- 1932 The County Fair
as Curfew
- 1932
- 1932 Single-Handed Sanders
as Snowflake
- 1932 Human Targets
as 'Snowflake'
- 1931 A Private Scandal
as Snowflake
- 1931 Who's Who in the Zoo
as Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)
- 1931 The Galloping Ghost
as Football Fan
- 1928 Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
as Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)