Fred 'Snowflake' Toones

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 serviceoriented or domestic worker roles such as stable grooms janitors elevator operators valets cooks bellhops doormen butlers and bartenders Like other actors of the time ie 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 middleaged colored man with a highpitched 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 1931s 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 tworeelers such as Columbias Woman Haters 1934 with the Three Stooges and had a bit role in Laurel and Hardys 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