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