Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Age: 56 | From: North Carolina, USA
Person Details
Birthday: 1906-01-05 22:26:28
Death: 1962-02-13 22:26:28
Aliases: 'Snowflake' , Snowflake , Snow Flake , Fred S. Toones , Fred Toones , 'Snowflake' Toones , Snowflake Toones
Gender: Male
Place of birth: North Carolina, USA
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 84
TV Involvements: 0
Most Famous Work
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.
Most Famous Work
The Lost Weekend
(1945) Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
A Star Is Born
(1937) Witness (uncredited)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
(1932) Marine on Ship (uncredited)
Dodge City
(1939) Willie (uncredited)
Imitation of Life
(1934) Man at Funeral (uncredited)
American Madness
(1932) Sam (uncredited)
Come and Get It
(1936) Snowflake
The Cabin in the Cotton
(1932) Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)Acting
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | N/A | |
| 1947 | Department Store Mover (uncredited) | |
| The Cook | ||
| 1946 | Speed | |
| Pullman Porter (uncredited) | ||
| Porter (uncredited) | ||
| 1945 | Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited) | |
| 1944 | Train Porter | |
| Snowflake | ||
| 1943 | Joe the Valet (uncredited) | |
| Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake) | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Sam | ||
| Dice Player | ||
| 1942 | Mose (as Snowflake) | |
| Butler (uncredited) | ||
| Colored Bartender | ||
| Pogey | ||
| George - Train Porter (uncredited) | ||
| 1941 | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | |
| Snowflake (as Snowflake) | ||
| Snowflake (as Snowflake) | ||
| Snowflake (as Snowflake) | ||
| Rufe | ||
| Waiter (uncredited) | ||
| Train Porter (uncredited) | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| 1940 | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | |
| Sam (uncredited) | ||
| Snowflake (as Snowflake) | ||
| Porter | ||
| Train Porter | ||
| Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake) | ||
| Sam (uncredited) | ||
| Snowflake (as Snowflake) | ||
| Sermon | ||
| New York City Pier Worker | ||
| Train Porter | ||
| Genesis | ||
| Rufus (as Snowflake) | ||
| 1939 | Porter (uncredited) | |
| Train Porter | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Willie (uncredited) | ||
| Groom | ||
| Steve's Shoe-Shiner | ||
| 1938 | Bellhop (uncredited) | |
| George | ||
| Sam | ||
| Juba | ||
| Snowflake (as Snowflake) | ||
| 1937 | Joe | |
| Snowflake | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Redcap (uncredited) | ||
| Cook | ||
| Sam | ||
| N/A | ||
| Snowflake (unconfirmed) | ||
| Witness (uncredited) | ||
| Janitor | ||
| Porter | ||
| Ebbie | ||
| Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited) | ||
| 1936 | Snowflake (uncredited) | |
| Snowflake | ||
| Porter (uncredited) | ||
| Sad Sam | ||
| Snowflake (uncredited) | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| N/A | ||
| Horatius (uncredited) | ||
| Porter | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Black Henchman | ||
| Snowflake - Bank Janitor | ||
| Chalky (Uncredited) | ||
| Snowflake - the Handyman (as Snowflake) | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Moses | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Mose (uncredited) | ||
| 1935 | Snowflake | |
| Snowflake | ||
| Snowflake (uncredited) | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| Bootblack (uncredited) | ||
| Shadow | ||
| Phone operator (uncredited) | ||
| Henry (uncredited) | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| Porter (uncredited) | ||
| N/A | ||
| Vegas Station Pullman Porter | ||
| 1934 | 1st bootblack (uncredited) | |
| Snowflake | ||
| Man at Funeral (uncredited) | ||
| Mose (uncredited) | ||
| Porter (uncredited) | ||
| Taxi Driver | ||
| Cookie (uncredited) | ||
| N/A | ||
| Titus | ||
| Porter | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| George Washington Jones (uncredited) | ||
| Baggage Handler (uncredited) | ||
| Slick | ||
| Smokey (as Snowflake) | ||
| Porter (uncredited) | ||
| 1933 | Masseur | |
| 1st Taxi Driver | ||
| Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited) | ||
| Stable Groom (uncredited) | ||
| Porter | ||
| Train Porter (uncredited) | ||
| Townsman | ||
| Mr. Hemingway (uncredited) | ||
| Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited) | ||
| Hotel Porter | ||
| Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited) | ||
| Mike (Uncredited) | ||
| 1932 | Snowflake | |
| Jeff | ||
| Marine on Ship (uncredited) | ||
| Ezzy Daniels (uncredited) | ||
| Snowball, the Ship's Cook | ||
| Sam (uncredited) | ||
| Sam (uncredited) | ||
| Curfew | ||
| N/A | ||
| Snowflake | ||
| 1931 | Snowflake | |
| Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited) | ||
| Football Fan | ||
| 1928 | Barbershop Attendant (uncredited) | |
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
