Fred Toones
Fred Toones | |
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Born | North Carolina, U.S. | January 5, 1906
Died | February 13, 1962 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 56)
Occupation | Actor & Comedian |
Years active | 1928–1951 |
Fred "Snowflake" Toones (January 5, 1906 – February 13, 1962) was an American actor and comedian. He appeared in over 200 films in his career spanning 23 years.
Career[]
He appeared in over 200 films between 1928 and 1951. His standard characterization was that of a middle-aged "colored" man with a high-pitched voice and childlike demeanor. Like ‘Curly’ Howard and Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, who followed the tradition of using an antonymous nickname as both their professional name and character name,[1] "Snowflake" was the distinct stage name by which Toones was best known, 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.[2]
Toones 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) and Sock-a-Bye Baby (1942) 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: 20th Century (1934), Remember the Night (1940), Christmas in July (1940) and The Palm Beach Story (1942).
Toones 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.[3] Like Robert Dudley, Anna May Wong, Franklin Pangborn, Ramón Novarro, Nat Pendleton, and others, Toones is a prime example of racial and social stereotyping in the Hollywood film industry.
Toones played a bootblack or shoeshine man in at least six of his movies, and in film director William Witney's autobiography, Witney reveals that in addition to playing supporting roles and bit parts, Toones actually ran the shoeshine stand at Republic Studios.[4]
His being cast in only comedic bit parts and small nonsupporting roles meant his efforts were more often than not uncredited (of 210 films where he made an appearance, he was credited in 73 of them). [5]
Toones died on February 13, 1962, in Los Angeles, California.
Partial filmography[]
- Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath (1928) (uncredited)
- Shanghaied Love (1931)
- Mark of the Spur (1932)
- Police Court (1932)
- Single-Handed Sanders (1932)
- The County Fair (1932)
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) (uncredited)
- Out of Singapore (1932)
- Human Targets (1932)
- Central Airport (1933) (uncredited)
- Golddiggers of 1933 (1933) (uncredited)
- Palooka (1934)
- Woman Haters (1934; first Three Stooges short) (uncredited)
- Twentieth Century (1934) (uncredited)
- Murder in the Private Car (1934)
- Valley of Wanted Men (1935)
- Speed Limited (1935)
- Frontier Justice (1935)
- Come and Get It (1936)
- Hell-Ship Morgan (1936)
- The Lawless Nineties (1936)
- Hair-Trigger Casey (1936)
- The Lonely Trail (1936)
- Oh, Susanna! (1936)
- Racing Blood (1936)
- Born to Fight (1936)
- A Star Is Born (1937) (uncredited)
- Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge (1937)
- Range Defenders (1937)
- Under the Big Top (1938)
- Hawk of the Wilderness (1938 serial)
- Dodge City (1939) (uncredited)
- Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939 serial)
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (uncredited)
- Remember the Night (1940)
- Christmas in July (1940)
- The Biscuit Eater (1940)
- The Great American Broadcast (1941) (uncredited)
- The Great Man's Lady (1942)
- Give Out, Sisters (1942)
- The Palm Beach Story (1942)
- Haunted Ranch (1943)
- Land of Hunted Men (1943)
- The Lost Weekend (1945) (uncredited)
- Fool's Gold (1947)
- Bells of San Angelo (1947)
See also[]
- Willie Best (billed in five films as "Sleep 'n' Eat")
- Stepin Fetchit
- Mantan Moreland
References[]
- ^ The Internet Movie Database [1] [2]
- ^ Turner Classic Movies: Biography for Fred Toones
- ^ The Internet Movie Database
- ^ In a Door, Into a Fight, Out a Door, Into a Chase: Moviemaking Remembered by the Guy at the Door by William Witney. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-7864-2258-0.
- ^ Lamparski, Richard (1982). "Whatever Became Of ...?" Eighth Series. New York: Crown Publishers. pp. 106–7. ISBN 0-517-54855-0.
External links[]
- 1906 births
- 1962 deaths
- American male film actors
- African-American male actors
- Male actors from North Carolina
- 20th-century American male actors