Toones is one of the most "colorful" character faces in B-Westerns and cliffhangers. He appeared in over 200 films between 1928 and 1951; and during 1936 and 1947 Toones 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. 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. 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.
Series | Racket Squad | Unknown | 1951-06-07 |
Movie | Bells of San Angelo | The Cook | 1947-04-15 |
Movie | Where There's Life | Department Store Mover (uncredited) | 1947-11-21 |
Movie | Two Sisters from Boston | Porter (uncredited) | 1946-06-06 |
Movie | The Secret of the Whistler | 1946-11-07 | |
Movie | Fool's Gold | Speed | 1946-10-09 |
Movie | The Lost Weekend | Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited) | 1945-11-29 |
Movie | Hidden Valley Outlaws | Snowflake | 1944-04-01 |
Movie | Barbary Coast Gent | Train Porter | 1944-09-01 |
Movie | Who's Superstitious? | Dice Player | 1943-01-02 |
Movie | Haunted Ranch | Sam | 1943-02-19 |
Movie | Land of Hunted Men | Snowflake | 1943-03-26 |
Movie | The Mystery of the 13th Guest | Joe the Valet (uncredited) | 1943-11-05 |
Movie | Here Comes Mr. Zerk | Shooting Galley Man | 1943-07-23 |
Movie | Spy Train | Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake) | 1943-07-09 |
Movie | Groom and Bored | Train Porter | 1942-04-09 |
Movie | Obliging Young Lady | George - Train Porter (uncredited) | 1942-04-01 |
Movie | The Great Man's Lady | Pogey | 1942-04-15 |
Movie | The Palm Beach Story | Colored Bartender | 1942-08-28 |
Movie | Silver Queen | Butler (uncredited) | 1942-11-14 |
Movie | Queen of Broadway | Mose (as Snowflake) | 1942-11-24 |
Movie | Sleepers West | Waiter (uncredited) | 1941-03-14 |
Movie | Golden Hoofs | Snowflake | 1941-02-14 |
Movie | Repent at Leisure | Rufe | 1941-04-04 |
Movie | Back in the Saddle | Train Porter (uncredited) | 1941-03-14 |
Movie | Two Gun Sheriff | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-04-09 |
Movie | Death Valley Outlaws | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-09-26 |
Movie | A Missouri Outlaw | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-11-25 |
Movie | The Apache Kid | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-04-11 |
Movie | Gaucho Serenade | New York City Pier Worker | 1940-05-09 |
Movie | One Man's Law | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1940-06-29 |
Movie | Pardon My Berth Marks | Train Porter | 1940-03-22 |
Movie | Seventeen | Genesis | 1940-03-01 |
Movie | Carolina Moon | Sam (uncredited) | 1940-07-14 |
Movie | Remember the Night | Rufus | 1940-01-19 |
Movie | The Biscuit Eater | Sermon | 1940-05-24 |
Movie | Christmas in July | Sam (uncredited) | 1940-10-25 |
Movie | The Tulsa Kid | Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake) | 1940-08-16 |
Movie | Frontier Vengeance | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1940-10-10 |
Movie | I Want a Divorce | Porter | 1940-09-20 |
Movie | Texas Terrors | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1940-11-22 |
Movie | Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride | Train Porter | 1940-09-05 |
Movie | King of the Turf | Groom | 1939-02-17 |
Movie | Dodge City | Willie (uncredited) | 1939-04-08 |
Movie | Navy Secrets | Steve's Shoe-Shiner | 1939-02-08 |
Movie | Daredevils of the Red Circle | Snowflake | 1939-06-10 |
Movie | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | Porter (uncredited) | 1939-10-19 |
Movie | Hollywood Cavalcade | Train Porter | 1939-10-13 |
Movie | Riders of the Black Hills | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1938-06-15 |
Movie | The Nightshirt Bandit | Sam | 1938-10-27 |
Movie | Under the Big Top | Juba | 1938-08-31 |
Movie | Hawk of the Wilderness | George | 1938-12-03 |
Movie | Red River Range | Bellhop (uncredited) | 1938-12-22 |
Movie | Way Out West | Janitor | 1937-04-16 |
Movie | A Star Is Born | Witness (uncredited) | 1937-04-27 |
Movie | Fair Warning | Porter | 1937-03-05 |
Movie | Off to the Races | Ebbie | 1937-02-05 |
Movie | Smart Blonde | Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited) | 1937-01-02 |
Movie | Gunsmoke Ranch | Snowflake (unconfirmed) | 1937-05-05 |
Movie | The Duke Comes Back | Snowflake | 1937-11-29 |
Movie | Wild Horse Rodeo | Snowflake | 1937-12-06 |
Movie | A Day at Santa Anita | 1937-05-22 | |
Movie | Youth on Parole | Redcap (uncredited) | 1937-10-04 |
Movie | She Loved a Fireman | Joe | 1937-12-18 |
Movie | Range Defenders | Cook | 1937-06-29 |
Movie | Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge | Sam | 1937-06-14 |
Movie | Big Brown Eyes | Chalky (Uncredited) | 1936-04-03 |
Movie | Desert Justice | Snowflake - Bank Janitor | 1936-04-26 |
Movie | The Peppery Salt | Black Henchman | 1936-05-15 |
Movie | Wildcat Saunders | Snowflake - the Handyman (as Snowflake) | 1936-03-04 |
Movie | The Lonely Trail | Snowflake | 1936-05-25 |
Movie | Black Gold | Snowflake | 1936-01-19 |
Movie | Freshman Love | Mose (uncredited) | 1936-01-18 |
Movie | The Lawless Nineties | Moses | 1936-02-15 |
Movie | Hair-Trigger Casey | Snowflake | 1936-03-01 |
Movie | Palm Springs | Porter | 1936-06-05 |
Movie | Come and Get It | Snowflake (uncredited) | 1936-11-06 |
Movie | College Holiday | Porter (uncredited) | 1936-12-19 |
Movie | Gold Diggers of 1937 | Snowflake (uncredited) | 1936-12-28 |
Movie | The Green Pastures | Zubo (uncredited) | 1936-08-01 |
Movie | Racing Blood | Sad Sam | 1936-11-14 |
Movie | Aces Wild | Snowflake | 1936-12-21 |
Movie | Born to Fight | Snowflake | 1936-11-02 |
Movie | The Girl on the Front Page | 1936-09-26 | |
Movie | The Gorgeous Hussy | Horatius (uncredited) | 1936-08-28 |
Movie | Frontier Justice | Snowflake | 1936-10-01 |
Movie | Stolen Harmony | Henry (uncredited) | 1935-04-20 |
Movie | Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!) | Phone operator (uncredited) | 1935-04-29 |
Movie | Go Into Your Dance | Snowflake | 1935-04-20 |
Movie | A Night at the Ritz | Porter (uncredited) | 1935-03-23 |
Movie | Speed Limited | Vegas Station Pullman Porter | 1935-01-12 |
Movie | Social Error | Shadow | 1935-04-30 |
Movie | Alibi Ike | Night Porter | 1935-06-15 |
Movie | Riddle Ranch | Snowflake | 1935-12-03 |
Movie | Valley of Wanted Men | Snowflake | 1935-10-19 |
Movie | Hands Across the Table | Snowflake (uncredited) | 1935-10-18 |
Movie | Cheers of the Crowd | 1935-08-05 | |
Movie | Honeymoon Bridge | 1935-10-02 | |
Movie | Here Comes the Groom | Porter | 1934-06-21 |
Movie | Murder in the Private Car | Titus | 1934-06-29 |
Movie | Twentieth Century | George Washington Jones (uncredited) | 1934-05-11 |
Movie | Palooka | Smokey (as Snowflake) | 1934-01-26 |
Movie | Sleepers East | Porter (uncredited) | 1934-01-01 |
Movie | Handy Andy | 1934-07-19 | |
Movie | Riptide | Slick | 1934-03-29 |
Movie | Woman Haters | Baggage Handler (uncredited) | 1934-05-05 |
Movie | Half a Sinner | Snowflake | 1934-06-01 |
Movie | Imitation of Life | Man at Funeral (uncredited) | 1934-11-23 |
Movie | The Gay Bride | 1st bootblack (uncredited) | 1934-12-14 |
Movie | Here Comes the Navy | Cookie (uncredited) | 1934-07-21 |
Movie | Lady by Choice | Mose (uncredited) | 1934-10-15 |
Movie | You Bring the Ducks | Snowflake | 1934-11-24 |
Movie | Death on the Diamond | Porter (uncredited) | 1934-09-14 |
Movie | Dames | Train Porter | 1934-09-01 |
Movie | Something Simple | Taxi Driver | 1934-09-08 |
Movie | Deluge | Townsman | 1933-08-17 |
Movie | The Mayor of Hell | Mr. Hemingway (uncredited) | 1933-06-24 |
Movie | The Mind Reader | Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited) | 1933-04-01 |
Movie | Goodbye Again | Train Porter (uncredited) | 1933-09-09 |
Movie | Fast Workers | Mike (Uncredited) | 1933-03-10 |
Movie | Central Airport | Hotel Porter | 1933-04-15 |
Movie | Gold Diggers of 1933 | Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited) | 1933-05-27 |
Movie | Before Midnight | 1st Taxi Driver | 1933-11-18 |
Movie | Stage Mother | Porter | 1933-09-29 |
Movie | Only Yesterday | Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited) | 1933-11-01 |
Movie | King for a Night | Masseur | 1933-12-09 |
Movie | Meet the Baron | Stable Groom (uncredited) | 1933-10-20 |
Movie | Saturday's Millions | Porter | 1933-09-30 |
Movie | The Arm of the Law | Jackson | 1932-04-19 |
Movie | The County Fair | Curfew | 1932-03-31 |
Movie | Police Court | 1932-02-19 | |
Movie | The Hurricane Express | Sam (uncredited) | 1932-08-01 |
Movie | Single-Handed Sanders | Snowflake | 1932-02-10 |
Movie | The Cabin in the Cotton | Ezzy Daniels (uncredited) | 1932-09-26 |
Movie | Robbers' Roost | Snowflake | 1932-12-30 |
Movie | American Madness | Sam (uncredited) | 1932-08-15 |
Movie | A Strange Adventure | Jeff | 1932-11-20 |
Movie | I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang | Marine on Ship (uncredited) | 1932-11-09 |
Movie | Out of Singapore | Snowball, the Ship's Cook | 1932-09-23 |
Movie | The Galloping Ghost | Football Fan | 1931-09-01 |
Movie | A Private Scandal | Snowflake | 1931-12-30 |
Movie | Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath | Barbershop Attendant (uncredited) | 1928-03-31 |