Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
- Birthday
- Jan 5, 1906
Bio: During Hollywood's pre-"politically correct" era, it was not uncommon for African-American performers to be saddled with such demeaning professional monikers as "G. Howe Black," "Stepin Fetchit," and "Sleep 'n' Eat." One of the more egregious racially oriented nicknames was bestowed upon a talented black character actor named Fred Toones. From 1931 until his… More Bio: During Hollywood's pre-"politically correct" era, it was not uncommon for African-American performers to be saddled with such demeaning professional monikers as "G. Howe Black," "Stepin Fetchit," and "Sleep 'n' Eat." One of the more egregious racially oriented nicknames was bestowed upon a talented black character actor named Fred Toones. From 1931 until his retirement in 1948, Toones was usually billed as "Snowflake," often playing a character of the same name. His standard characterization, that of a middle-aged "colored" man with high-pitched voice and childlike demeanor, was nearly as offensive as his character name. True to the Hollywood typecasting system of the 1930s and 1940s, "Snowflake" was generally cast as redcaps, bootblacks, and janitors. He appeared in dozens of two-reelers (including the Three Stooges' first Columbia effort, 1934's Woman Haters) and scores of B-Westerns. During the early '40s, Fred Toones was a semi-regular in the zany comedies of producer/director/writer Preston Sturges. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones Videos
Penny Serenade
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Meet The People
The Palm Beach Story
The Gorgeous Hussy
Filmography
-
Bells of San Angelo (1947)
- The Cook
-
The Lost Weekend (1945)
- Washroom Attendant
- 100%
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The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944)
- Actor
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Meet The People (1944)
- Pullman Porter
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Spy Train (1943)
- Porter
- See all 71 films
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