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.
Filmography
all 150
Movies 149
TV Shows 1
Where There's Life (1947)
Bells of San Angelo (1947)
G.I. War Brides (1946)
Two Sisters from Boston (1946)
The Lost Weekend (1945)
Barbary Coast Gent (1944)
Hidden Valley Outlaws (1944)
The Mystery of the 13th Guest (1943)
A Rookie's Cookie (1943)
Here Comes Mr. Zerk (1943)
Spy Train (1943)
Land of Hunted Men (1943)
Who's Superstitious? (1943)
Queen of Broadway (1942)
Silver Queen (1942)
The Palm Beach Story (1942)
Groom and Bored (1942)
Obliging Young Lady (1942)
A Missouri Outlaw (1941)
Death Valley Outlaws (1941)
The Apache Kid (1941)
Two Gun Sheriff (1941)
Sleepers West (1941)
Back in the Saddle (1941)
Golden Hoofs (1941)
Texas Terrors (1940)
Christmas in July (1940)
Frontier Vengeance (1940)
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940)
The Tulsa Kid (1940)
Carolina Moon (1940)
One Man's Law (1940)
Gaucho Serenade (1940)
Pardon My Berth Marks (1940)
Seventeen (1940)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade (1939)
Dodge City (1939)
Navy Secrets (1939)
Red River Range (1938)
Riders of the Black Hills (1938)
Wild Horse Rodeo (1937)
The Duke Comes Back (1937)
Youth on Parole (1937)
Gunsmoke Ranch (1937)
A Star Is Born (1937)
Way Out West (1937)
Fair Warning (1937)
Smart Blonde (1937)
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)
Aces Wild (1936)
College Holiday (1936)
Racing Blood (1936)
Come and Get It (1936)
Born to Fight (1936)
Frontier Justice (1936)
The Gorgeous Hussy (1936)
The Green Pastures (1936)
Palm Springs (1936)
The Lonely Trail (1936)
The Peppery Salt (1936)
Desert Justice (1936)
Big Brown Eyes (1936)
Wildcat Saunders (1936)
Hair-Trigger Casey (1936)
The Lawless Nineties (1936)
Hell-Ship Morgan (1936)
Black Gold (1936)
Freshman Love (1936)
Riddle Ranch (1935)
Valley of Wanted Men (1935)
Hands Across the Table (1935)
Alibi Ike (1935)
$10 Raise (1935)
Social Error (1935)
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!) (1935)
Stolen Harmony (1935)
Go Into Your Dance (1935)
A Night at the Ritz (1935)
Speed Limited (1935)
The Gay Bride (1934)
You Bring the Ducks (1934)
Imitation of Life (1934)
Lady by Choice (1934)
Death on the Diamond (1934)
Something Simple (1934)
Here Comes the Navy (1934)
Half a Sinner (1934)
Twentieth Century (1934)
Woman Haters (1934)
Riptide (1934)
Palooka (1934)
Sleepers East (1934)
King for a Night (1933)
Before Midnight (1933)
Only Yesterday (1933)
Meet the Baron (1933)
Goodbye Again (1933)
Deluge (1933)
The Mayor of Hell (1933)
At Twelve Midnight (1933)
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
Central Airport (1933)
The Mind Reader (1933)
Fast Workers (1933)
Robbers' Roost (1932)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)
Out of Singapore (1932)
American Madness (1932)
The Hurricane Express (1932)
Flames (1932)
Single-Handed Sanders (1932)
Human Targets (1932)
A Private Scandal (1931)
Who's Who in the Zoo (1931)
Shanghaied Love (1931)
The Galloping Ghost (1931)
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath (1928)
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1906-01-05
Deathday1962-02-13 (56 years old)
Birth PlaceNorth Carolina, USA
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known As'Snowflake', Snowflake, Snow Flake, Fred S. Toones, Fred Toones, 'Snowflake' Toones, Snowflake Toones
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