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Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Acting
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…
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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.
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BODY OF WORK
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones's Filmography
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Where There's Life
as Department Store Mover (uncredited)
Bells of San Angelo
as The Cook
The Secret of the Whistler
Fool's Gold
as Speed
G.I. War Brides
as Pullman Porter (uncredited)
Two Sisters from Boston
as Porter (uncredited)
The Lost Weekend
as Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
Barbary Coast Gent
as Train Porter
Hidden Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
as Joe (uncredited)
Here Comes Mr. Zerk
as Shooting Galley Man
Spy Train
as Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake)
Land of Hunted Men
as Snowflake
Haunted Ranch
as Sam
Who's Superstitious?
as Dice Player
Queen of Broadway
as Mose (as Snowflake)
Silver Queen
as Butler (uncredited)
Give Out, Sisters
as Nightclub Valet
The Palm Beach Story
as Colored Bartender
Groom and Bored
as Train Porter
Obliging Young Lady
as George - Train Porter (uncredited)
A Missouri Outlaw
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
The Great Man's Lady
as Pogey
Death Valley Outlaws
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
The Apache Kid
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
Two Gun Sheriff
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
Repent at Leisure
as Rufe
Sleepers West
as Waiter (uncredited)
Back in the Saddle
as Train Porter (uncredited)
Golden Hoofs
as Snowflake
Texas Terrors
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
Christmas in July
as Sam (uncredited)
Frontier Vengeance
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
I Want a Divorce
as Porter
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride
as Train Porter
The Tulsa Kid
as Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake)
Carolina Moon
as Sam (uncredited)
One Man's Law
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
The Biscuit Eater
as Sermon
Gaucho Serenade
as New York City Pier Worker
Pardon My Berth Marks
as Train Porter
Seventeen
as Genesis
Remember the Night
as Rufus
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Porter (uncredited)
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Train Porter
Daredevils of the Red Circle
as Snowflake
Dodge City
as Willie (uncredited)
King of the Turf
as Groom
Navy Secrets
as Steve's Shoe-Shiner
Red River Range
as Bellhop (uncredited)
Hawk of the Wilderness
as George
The Nightshirt Bandit
as Sam
Under the Big Top
as Juba
Riders of the Black Hills
as Snowflake (as Snowflake)
She Loved a Fireman
as Joe
Wild Horse Rodeo
as Snowflake
The Duke Comes Back
as Snowflake
Youth on Parole
as Redcap (uncredited)
Range Defenders
as Cook
Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
as Sam
A Day at Santa Anita
as Cloudy (uncredited)
Gunsmoke Ranch
as Snowflake (unconfirmed)
A Star Is Born
as Witness (uncredited)
Way Out West
as Janitor
Fair Warning
as Porter
Off to the Races
as Ebbie
Smart Blonde
as Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited)
Gold Diggers of 1937
as Snowflake (uncredited)
Aces Wild
as Snowflake
College Holiday
as Porter (uncredited)
Racing Blood
as Sad Sam
Come and Get It
as Snowflake (uncredited)
Born to Fight
as Snowflake
Frontier Justice
as Snowflake
The Girl on the Front Page
The Gorgeous Hussy
as Horatius (uncredited)
The Green Pastures
as Zubo (uncredited)
Palm Springs
as Porter
The Lonely Trail
as Snowflake
Romance in the Air
as Janitor
No Poster
The Peppery Salt
as Black Henchman
Florida Special
as Waiter (uncredited)
Desert Justice
as Snowflake - Bank Janitor
Big Brown Eyes
as Chalky (Uncredited)
Wildcat Saunders
as Snowflake
Hair-Trigger Casey
as Snowflake
The Lawless Nineties
as Moses
Black Gold
as Snowflake
Freshman Love
as Mose (uncredited)
Riddle Ranch
as Snowflake
Valley of Wanted Men
as Snowflake
Hands Across the Table
as Snowflake (uncredited)
No Poster
Honeymoon Bridge
Cheers of the Crowd
Alibi Ike
as Night Porter
$10 Raise
as Bootblack (uncredited)
Social Error
as Shadow
Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!)
as Phone operator (uncredited)
Go Into Your Dance
as Snowflake
Stolen Harmony
as Henry (uncredited)
A Night at the Ritz
as Porter (uncredited)
Mississippi
as Leadsman (uncredited)
No Poster
Raised and Called
Speed Limited
as Vegas Station Pullman Porter
The Gay Bride
as 1st bootblack (uncredited)
No Poster
You Bring the Ducks
as Snowflake
Imitation of Life
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)
Lady by Choice
as Mose (uncredited)
Death on the Diamond
as Porter (uncredited)
Something Simple
as Taxi Driver
Here Comes the Navy
as Cookie (uncredited)
Handy Andy
Murder in the Private Car
as Titus
Here Comes the Groom
as Porter
Half a Sinner
as Snowflake
Twentieth Century
as George Washington Jones (uncredited)
Woman Haters
as Baggage Handler (uncredited)
Woman Haters
as Baggage Man (uncredited)
Riptide
as Slick
Palooka
as Smokey (as Snowflake)
Sleepers East
as Porter (uncredited)
King for a Night
as Masseur
Before Midnight
as 1st Taxi Driver
Only Yesterday
as Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited)
Meet the Baron
as Stable Groom (uncredited)
Saturday's Millions
as Porter
Goodbye Again
as Train Porter (uncredited)
Deluge
as Townsman
The Mayor of Hell
as Mr. Hemingway (uncredited)
Gold Diggers of 1933
as Black Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited)
Central Airport
as Hotel Porter
The Mind Reader
as Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited)
Gabriel Over the White House
as Sylvester (uncredited)
Fast Workers
as Mike (Uncredited)
Robbers' Roost
as Snowflake
A Strange Adventure
as Jeff
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Marine on Ship (uncredited)
The Cabin in the Cotton
as Ezzy Daniels (uncredited)
Out of Singapore
as Snowball, the Ship's Cook
American Madness
as Sam (uncredited)
The Hurricane Express
as Sam (uncredited)
The Arm of the Law
as Jackson
The County Fair
as Curfew
Police Court
Single-Handed Sanders
as Snowflake
Human Targets
as 'Snowflake'
A Private Scandal
as Snowflake
Who's Who in the Zoo
as Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited)
The Galloping Ghost
as Football Fan
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
as Barbershop Attendant (uncredited)