Fred 'Snowflake' Toones

Acting · 0.4 popularity

Age

120

Movies

148

Born: January 5, 1906 – February 13, 1962
From: North Carolina, USA

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.

Works

148 films

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

19397.8

A Star Is Born

19377.2

The Lost Weekend

19457.6

Dodge City

19396.9

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

19327.8

Remember the Night

19407.3

Gold Diggers of 1933

19337.2

The Gay Bride

19346.0

Imitation of Life

19347.0

The Gorgeous Hussy

19365.5

Come and Get It

19366.8

Half a Sinner

19348.0

Way Out West

19377.1

Obliging Young Lady

19426.0

Only Yesterday

19337.1

The Palm Beach Story

19427.0

I Want a Divorce

194010.0

Twentieth Century

19346.8

Riptide

19346.7

Christmas in July

19407.0

King for a Night

19337.2

Central Airport

19336.0

American Madness

19326.9

Fool's Gold

19466.5

Mississippi

19356.8

Death Valley Outlaws

19419.0

Hands Across the Table

19357.0

Two Sisters from Boston

19466.3

The Mayor of Hell

19337.0

Smart Blonde

19376.4

Range Defenders

19374.8

The Nightshirt Bandit

193810.0

The Lawless Nineties

19365.5

Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge

19376.7

Here Comes the Navy

19346.0

The Great Man's Lady

19416.3

The Lonely Trail

19364.8

The Secret of the Whistler

19466.1

Youth on Parole

19373.9

Red River Range

19385.2

Meet the Baron

19335.3

Gaucho Serenade

19406.5

G.I. War Brides

19469.0

Wild Horse Rodeo

19378.0

Riders of the Black Hills

19387.0

King of the Turf

19397.0

College Holiday

19365.7

Give Out, Sisters

19426.0

Stolen Harmony

19358.0

Daredevils of the Red Circle

19394.8

The Green Pastures

19366.3

Hollywood Cavalcade

19396.2

Big Brown Eyes

19366.2

Silver Queen

19426.0

Palm Springs

19368.0

Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath

192810.0

Murder in the Private Car

19345.6

Go Into Your Dance

19357.2

Who's Superstitious?

19436.7

Freshman Love

19367.0

Where There's Life

19476.4

Born to Fight

193610.0

Bells of San Angelo

19474.7

Deluge

19336.0

Barbary Coast Gent

19445.5

Gold Diggers of 1937

19366.1

Valley of Wanted Men

19356.3

The Girl on the Front Page

19367.0

Groom and Bored

19429.0

Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride

19405.5

Fast Workers

19335.0

Handy Andy

19345.5

The Hurricane Express

19325.4

Texas Terrors

19405.5

Sleepers West

19416.4

Death on the Diamond

19347.3

A Day at Santa Anita

19376.0

A Night at the Ritz

19356.5

Florida Special

19367.0

Off to the Races

193710.0

The Mystery of the 13th Guest

19435.7

Golden Hoofs

19418.0

Carolina Moon

19407.5

The Cabin in the Cotton

19326.3

Before Midnight

19334.6

Hidden Valley Outlaws

19448.0

She Loved a Fireman

19377.5

Police Court

19325.8

The Galloping Ghost

19314.7

Lady by Choice

19346.9

Haunted Ranch

19438.0

Racing Blood

19367.0

Speed Limited

19358.0

The Mind Reader

19336.3

One Man's Law

194010.0

$10 Raise

19359.0

Woman Haters

19346.3

Two Gun Sheriff

19417.5

Alibi Ike

19356.2

Saturday's Millions

19337.0

Back in the Saddle

19416.0

Here Comes the Groom

19346.5

The Duke Comes Back

19376.0

Pardon My Berth Marks

19406.5

Gunsmoke Ranch

19374.3

Cheers of the Crowd

19355.8

Goodbye Again

19334.9

The County Fair

19327.0

Sleepers East

19347.0

Hawk of the Wilderness

19387.0

Black Gold

19365.3

Fair Warning

19377.3

The Arm of the Law

19325.3

Out of Singapore

19325.0

Robbers' Roost

19326.0

Queen of Broadway

19426.3

Seventeen

19409.0

Single-Handed Sanders

19328.0

Romance in the Air

193610.0

Wildcat Saunders

193610.0

Navy Secrets

19396.2

Palooka

19343.6

Desert Justice

193610.0

The Biscuit Eater

19406.5

Social Error

19357.5

The Apache Kid

19419.0

Something Simple

19346.0

Under the Big Top

19386.7

The Tulsa Kid

19406.5

Human Targets

19326.0

Riddle Ranch

19355.5

A Strange Adventure

19326.5

A Missouri Outlaw

19417.0

Honeymoon Bridge

19359.0

You Bring the Ducks

193410.0

Aces Wild

19368.0

Land of Hunted Men

19439.0

Repent at Leisure

19416.3

A Private Scandal

19315.8

Who's Who in the Zoo

1931

Frontier Justice

19367.5

The Peppery Salt

19368.0

Here Comes Mr. Zerk

194310.0

Frontier Vengeance

19407.0

Hair-Trigger Casey

19367.0

Spy Train

19439.0

Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)

1935

Raised and Called

1935