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The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.



(From Old Corral collection)
Fred "Snowflake" Toones

Real name may be:
Fred 'Buster' Hayes

1906 or 1908 - 1962


Looking back on B westerns and serials - and Hollywood films in general - it was common to typecast performers based on their race, ethnicity, etc. This was a time of Hollywood stereotypes - for example, "all Indians were vicious, rampaging savages" and the "U. S. Cavalry were good guys and always saved the day".

One of the more familiar performers of this period was black actor Fred Toones. For most of his 30+ year film career, Toones used the screen name of "Snowflake", and his roles were generally that of a servant, porter, cook, etc. He appeared in various A and B grade films, including some westerns and cliffhangers, and most of his roles were unbilled/uncredited.

Les Adams has Fred identified in about 180 sound films, and of that total, 54 are westerns and 7 are serials.

If you pay close attention, you may spot Toones in a couple Nat Levine produced cliffhangers, THE GALLOPING GHOST (Mascot, 1931) and THE HURRICANE EXPRESS (Mascot, 1932). In the mid 1930s, youngster Frankie Darro did a series for producer Maurice Conn (Conn Productions and Ambassador Pictures) and Frankie's adult helpers were Leroy Mason (billed as Roy Mason) followed by Kane Richmond. Ten films were released during 1935-1937 and Fred appeared in about half the entries. You can also spot him in some Charlie Chase shorts for producer Hal Roach. And Fred portrayed a janitor in the Laurel and Hardy WAY OUT WEST (Hal Roach/MGM, 1937).

During the period 1936-1947, Toones worked in about 40 films at Republic Pictures, most of which were uncredited walk-on or bit parts. Examples: Fred was a train porter in Gene Autry's OH, SUSANNA! (Republic, 1936) and a cook in the Roy Rogers Trucolor adventure BELLS OF SAN ANGELO (Republic, 1947).

Fred's Republic film appearances in more detail: he did five with the Three Mesquiteers, two with Roy Rogers, two with John Wayne, one with Sunset Carson, nine with Don Barry, and eleven with Gene Autry. And he had credited roles in a couple of great Republic cliffhangers, HAWK OF THE WILDERNESS (Republic, 1938) and DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE (Republic, 1939).

Fred did a few westerns for other production companies - for example, in the Hopalong Cassidy adventure FOOL'S GOLD (United Artists, 1946), he plays a handy man / gardener - and got billing credit and had a fair amount of dialog.

He also shows up in A grade films, including a few that were written / directed by Preston Sturges. Couple examples of his films with Sturges: he was "Rufus", the butler and cook to District Attorney Fred MacMurray in REMEMBER THE NIGHT (Paramount, 1940) which co-starred Barbara Stanwyck; and he plays a bartender in THE PALM BEACH STORY (Paramount, 1942), which starred Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea.

Renowned action director William Witney helmed about two dozen great serials and many westerns at Republic Pictures, and in his later years, he did lots of TV programs. Witney had some wonderful memories of Toones in his biography, In a Door, into a Fight, Out a Door, into a Chase (McFarland and Company, 1996). On page 222:

"We finished the picture on schedule and at the party we always had to celebrate 'another one in the bag', Fred Toones came up to thank me for the job. He billed himself as 'Snowflake.' Fred was black. He also ran the shoe shine stand at the studio and everyone loved him. Blacks were typecast in those days, and there wasn't much work for them. We tried to write Snowflake into as many serials as we could. The word discrimination in those days was a word that you seldom heard, and as far as I'm concerned, It's still a word that should be seldom heard."

Though his roles were often demeaning, Fred Toones was one of the prolific supporting players in B westerns and cliffhangers. As such, he deserves a biography on the Old Corral.

He died from a heart ailment on February 13, 1962 at the Los Angeles County General Hospital.



Crop / closeup of Toones from a production still shown below
from the Range Busters' HAUNTED RANCH (Monogram, 1943).



Fred 'Snowflake' Toones is Fred 'Buster' Hayes???

There is a February 12, 1942 article on Snowflake in The Robesonian newspaper, Lumberton, North Carolina. The article is lengthy and author Ray Pittman interviewed Snowflake. Pittman was also City Editor for the paper.

The headline reads:

"Lumberton's Only Actor, Snowflake, Tells How He Crashed The Movieland On Recent Visit To His Old Boss Here"

There is no mention of his birth year or the name Toones (or any variation) anywhere in the article. Snowflake's real name was Fred 'Buster' Hayes and he was the adopted son of Moriah Munn of Raynham, NC (which is in Robeson County; The Robesonian newspaper is located in Lumberton, NC which is the County Seat of Robeson County). Prior to his movie career, Fred was a general handyman and chauffeur for Doctor E. L. Bowman. A few quotes from the article:

"There's one thing that bothers Buster ... wants to know what became of his folks, and especially his mother, Bernice Hayes, who hasn't been seen in these parts since after the birth of young Snowflake." (This is totally different than what Fred reported on his two marriage licenses - his father was Mark Toones and his mother's first name was Francis.)

"And if you want to see Lumberton's only movie actor on the screen, just watch for the new production 'Palm Beach Story' starring Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea. Snowflake will be the big, scared bartender on the fast train. But we'll bet he gets in one good solid grin so you can recognize him."

Here's the February 12, 1942 article on Snowflake in The Robesonian newspaper, Lumberton, North Carolina: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-robesonian-article-and-interview-wit/131832252/



  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Fred Toones: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0867560/

The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscrription), California Death Index, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and death certificate have more on Fred 'Snowflake' Toones ... including two marriages ... and his birth year appears to be either 1906 or 1908:

  • November 2, 1935 Los Angeles County marriage license of 25 year old Fred S. Toones (born North Carolina) to 19 year old Theodosia Ophelia Butler (born Missouri) in Los Angeles. Fred lists his father as Mark Toones and his mother's first and last name as unknown and unknown:
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-29947-9975-35?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-77X
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-29947-11373-3?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-77X:n1063551153
  • Fred and Theodosia Ophelia Butler Toones had a son named Jerry Fred Toones who was born in 1938. The youngster passed away about six months after his birth. Family Search does have a California birth record for Jerry Fred Toones, born March 20, 1938 in the Los Angeles area, and his mother's maiden name was Butler: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VL68-K2T
  • California Death Index on six month old Jerry F. Toones who passed away on September 27, 1938 in the Los Angeles area: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKS9-J1JJ
  • September 4, 1940 Los Angeles County marriage license of 34 year old Fred Toones (born North Carolina) to 29 year old Etta Mae Evans (born Texas) in Hollywood, California. Fred lists his father's name as Mark Toones and his mother's first name is Francis and last name is unknown:
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-29941-13827-41?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-7H9:1297682578
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-29941-15257-92?cc=1804002&wc=M9MJ-7H9:1297682578
  • 1940 census: 27 year old Fred Tornes [sic] (born North Carolina), 30 year old wife Etta Mae (born Louisiana) were renting at 2171 29th Place, Los Angeles, and they lived in the Los Angeles area in 1935. There are several lodgers residing with them. Fred completed school through the third grade. If 27 years of age is correct, his birth date would be about 1913. His occupation was "Actor - Studio", and in 1939, he worked 20 weeks and earned $900.00: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9ZQ-SY9
    (Thinking there might be an error at Family Search when the census data was converted to their digital format, I checked Ancestry.com (subscription). The 1940 census record at Ancestry.com shows his name with the correct spelling of Fred Toones.)
  • Ancestry.com had his draft registration dated October 16, 1940 in Los Angeles - 32 year old Fred Snowflake Toones was born January 5, 1908 in McDonald, North Carolina. He and wife Etta Mae Toones lived at 2171 West 29th Place, Los Angeles, California. Employer was himself. He's 5 feet, 9 1/2 inches tall and weighed 202 pounds.
  • There's an original and corrected death certificate on Fred. This adds to the confusion because his last name is spelled Toomes (with an M):
    Fred AKA Snowflake Toomes was born January 5, 1906 in North Carolina. He died February 13, 1962 at the Los Angeles County General Hospital, 1200 North State Street, and an sutoposy was performed. Cause of death was "Purulent meningitis, left cerebral. Diffuse ancephalomalicin, left cerebral. Thrombosis internal carotid, Left, old.". His home address was 315 North Mountain View, Los Angeles; mother and father were unknown; he was divorced; not a military veteran; and occupation was "Actor - Screen Actors Guild". Listed under the info box labeled "Name of Informant (If Other Than Spouse)" was Francine Williams, 2110 East 97th Street, Los Angeles. J. S. Williams Funeral Home was the funeral director followed by burial at Lincoln Memorial Park, Los Angeles.
    In August, 1962, there was a corrected death certificate for Fred AKA Snowflake Toomes (spelled with an M), and the filing/recording date was September 5, 1962. Cause of death was re-stated to be "Massive encephalomalicia, recent, left cerebral hemisphere. Due to: Thrombosis, left, internal carotid artery, recent.", and the source of the corrections was the autopsy surgeon.
  • Biographical info on Snowflake notes that he was born in North Carolina in 1905 or 1906, and passed away in California in 1962. The California Death Index has dual records for Fred Toomes and Snowflak[sic] Toomes. The Social Security number was the same for both, and he was born 1/5/1906 in North Carolina, and passed away on 2/13/1962. There was no obituary or funeral notice for a person with the last name of Toones or Toomes at ProQuest obituaries or Newspaper Archives.
    California Death Index records for both name variations:
    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP47-T42
    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGRF-JH9
  • On his marriage licenses, Fred listed his father as "Mark Toones" and a mother with a first name of "Francis". The 1942 newspaper article had Bernice Hayes as his mother. While there were a few name matches at Family Search and Ancestry.com, there was nothing that could be tied to our actor Fred 'Snowflake' Toones.

Find A Grave notes that Fred 'Snowflake' Toones passed away on February 13, 1962 and is interred at Lincoln Memorial Park, Carson, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83372676/toones





(Above pressbook ad courtesy of Les Adams)
SOCIAL ERROR was released in 1935, and was one of several films that young Dave Sharpe did for producer William Berke.

Note Sharpe's billing as the more formal David Sharpe.

Fred Toones is credited as "Snowflake" (in quote marks), and no mention of Fred or Toones as his first and last names.

Checking production encyclopedias and casting directories, Fred used the singular name of "Snowflake" for much of his career. Below is the telephone listing for "Snowflake" from a 1937 trade publication.



At the tail end of his film career - circa mid to late 1940s - he dropped the single name of "Snowflake" and began using Fred Toones, Fred S. Toones, et al.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is the pressbook cover for Jack Perrin's HAIR-TRIGGER CASEY (Berke-Perrin Prod./Atlantic, 1936). The faces on the right side, from top to bottom, are Ed Cassidy, Betty Mack and Fred 'Snowflake' Toones. While Fred gets his photo on that pressbook cover, his name is not listed.

This film was one of a quartet churned out by Perrin and William Berke under their Berke-Perrin 'Blue Ribbon' logo. This series was Perrin's last hurrah as a leading man. Six were planned but only four were completed and released. Fred appeared in three of the four - the above mentioned HAIR-TRIGGER CASEY along with WILDCAT SAUNDERS (Berke-Perrin Prod./Atlantic, 1936) and DESERT JUSTICE (Berke-Perrin Prod./Atlantic, 1936).



(Courtesy of Belinda Kirkhuff)

Above is a still from the Don Barry THE TULSA KID (Republic, 1940). From left to right are Matty Roubert, Fred 'Snowflake' Toones, Luana Walters, Ethan Laidlaw, George Douglas, Noah Beery Sr., John Beach and Jack Kirk.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Milton Kibbee, Don Barry, and Fred Toones in Barry's TWO-GUN SHERIFF (Republic, 1941). Milt Kibbee's brother was Hollywood actor Guy Kibbee.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from L-to-R are Rex Lease, Fred Toones, Julie Duncan, John 'Dusty' King, and Max Terhune in a scene from HAUNTED RANCH (Monogram, 1943).



(From Old Corral collection)

Above from L-to-R are John 'Dusty' King, Fred Toones, Charlie King, Rex Lease, Bud Osborne, Glenn Strange and Max Terhune in a lobby card from HAUNTED RANCH (Monogram, 1943), one of the Range Busters' adventures. The scene in this lobby card is just prior to the closing brawl ... then Fred Toones discovers the "Little Brown Jug" tune that must be played on the organ ... and playing the song opens a secret wall passage with the missing gold from the Denver Mint.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)
Left is a blurb from the pressbook for the Range Busters' LAND OF HUNTED MEN (Monogram, 1943), and mentions that John King and Dave Sharpe had departed for World War II duty ... and Dennis Moore had joined the series and Ray Corrigan was returning.

Note the ending sentence: "and the colored comedian, Snowflake."

Fred appeared in two with the Range Busters - HAUNTED RANCH (Monogram, 1943) and LAND OF HUNTED MEN (Monogram, 1943).



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