Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Acting
- Born:
- 1906-01-05
- Died:
- 1962-02-13
- Place of birth:
- 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.
Known For
Filmography
Racket Squad
Where There's Life
Bells of San Angelo
The Secret of the Whistler
Fool's Gold
G.I. War Brides
Two Sisters from Boston
The Lost Weekend
Barbary Coast Gent
Hidden Valley Outlaws
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
Here Comes Mr. Zerk
Spy Train
Land of Hunted Men
Haunted Ranch
Who's Superstitious?
Queen of Broadway
Silver Queen
Give Out, Sisters
The Palm Beach Story
Groom and Bored
Obliging Young Lady
A Missouri Outlaw
The Great Man's Lady
Death Valley Outlaws
The Apache Kid
Two Gun Sheriff
Repent at Leisure
Back in the Saddle
Sleepers West
Golden Hoofs
Texas Terrors
Christmas in July
Frontier Vengeance
I Want a Divorce
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
The Tulsa Kid
Carolina Moon
One Man's Law
The Biscuit Eater
Gaucho Serenade
Pardon My Berth Marks
Seventeen
Remember the Night
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Hollywood Cavalcade
Daredevils of the Red Circle
Dodge City
King of the Turf
Navy Secrets
Red River Range
Hawk of the Wilderness
The Nightshirt Bandit
Under the Big Top
Riders of the Black Hills
She Loved a Fireman
Wild Horse Rodeo
The Duke Comes Back
Youth on Parole
Range Defenders
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
A Day at Santa Anita
Gunsmoke Ranch
A Star Is Born
Way Out West
Fair Warning
Off to the Races
Smart Blonde
Gold Diggers of 1937
Aces Wild
College Holiday
Racing Blood
Come and Get It
Born to Fight
Frontier Justice
The Girl on the Front Page
The Gorgeous Hussy
The Green Pastures
Palm Springs
The Lonely Trail
Romance in the Air
The Peppery Salt
Florida Special
Desert Justice
Big Brown Eyes
Wildcat Saunders
Hair-Trigger Casey
The Lawless Nineties
Black Gold
Freshman Love
Riddle Ranch
Valley of Wanted Men
Hands Across the Table
Honeymoon Bridge
Cheers of the Crowd
Alibi Ike
$10 Raise
Social Error
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
Stolen Harmony
Go Into Your Dance
A Night at the Ritz
Raised and Called
Mississippi
Speed Limited
The Gay Bride
You Bring the Ducks
Imitation of Life
Lady by Choice
Death on the Diamond
Something Simple
Here Comes the Navy
Handy Andy
Murder in the Private Car
Here Comes the Groom
Half a Sinner
Twentieth Century
Woman Haters
Riptide
Palooka
Sleepers East
King for a Night
Before Midnight
Only Yesterday
Meet the Baron
Saturday's Millions
Goodbye Again
Deluge
The Mayor of Hell
Gold Diggers of 1933
Central Airport
The Mind Reader
Gabriel Over the White House
Fast Workers
Robbers' Roost
A Strange Adventure
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
The Cabin in the Cotton
Out of Singapore
American Madness
The Hurricane Express
The Arm of the Law
The County Fair
Police Court
Single-Handed Sanders
Human Targets
A Private Scandal
Who's Who in the Zoo
The Galloping Ghost
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath