1906-01-05 North Carolina, USA
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 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.
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Where There's Life | Department Store Mover (uncredited) | 1947-11-21 |
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Bells of San Angelo | The Cook | 1947-04-15 |
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Fool's Gold | Speed | 1946-10-09 |
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G.I. War Brides | Pullman Porter (uncredited) | 1946-08-12 |
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The Secret of the Whistler | 1946-11-07 | |
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Two Sisters from Boston | Porter (uncredited) | 1946-06-06 |
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The Lost Weekend | Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited) | 1945-11-29 |
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Hidden Valley Outlaws | Snowflake | 1944-04-01 |
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Barbary Coast Gent | Train Porter | 1944-09-01 |
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The Mystery of the 13th Guest | Joe the Valet (uncredited) | 1943-11-05 |
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Spy Train | Pullman Car Porter (as Snowflake) | 1943-07-09 |
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Haunted Ranch | Sam | 1943-02-19 |
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Who's Superstitious? | Dice Player | 1943-01-02 |
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Here Comes Mr. Zerk | Shooting Galley Man | 1943-07-23 |
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Land of Hunted Men | Snowflake | 1943-03-26 |
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Queen of Broadway | Mose (as Snowflake) | 1942-11-24 |
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Obliging Young Lady | George - Train Porter (uncredited) | 1942-04-01 |
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The Palm Beach Story | Colored Bartender | 1942-08-28 |
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Silver Queen | Butler (uncredited) | 1942-11-14 |
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Groom and Bored | Train Porter | 1942-04-09 |
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Back in the Saddle | Train Porter (uncredited) | 1941-03-14 |
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The Apache Kid | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-04-11 |
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A Missouri Outlaw | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-11-25 |
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The Great Man's Lady | Pogey | 1941-10-31 |
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Repent at Leisure | Rufe | 1941-04-04 |
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Death Valley Outlaws | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-09-26 |
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Sleepers West | Waiter (uncredited) | 1941-03-14 |
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Two Gun Sheriff | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1941-04-09 |
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Golden Hoofs | Snowflake | 1941-02-14 |
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Pardon My Berth Marks | Train Porter | 1940-03-22 |
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I Want a Divorce | Porter | 1940-09-20 |
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Texas Terrors | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1940-11-22 |
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The Tulsa Kid | Snowflake - the Cook (as Snowflake) | 1940-08-16 |
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Seventeen | Genesis | 1940-03-01 |
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The Biscuit Eater | Sermon | 1940-05-24 |
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One Man's Law | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1940-06-29 |
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Gaucho Serenade | New York City Pier Worker | 1940-05-09 |
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Frontier Vengeance | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1940-10-10 |
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Carolina Moon | Sam (uncredited) | 1940-07-14 |
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Remember the Night | Rufus | 1940-01-19 |
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Christmas in July | Sam (uncredited) | 1940-10-25 |
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Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride | Train Porter | 1940-09-05 |
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | Porter (uncredited) | 1939-10-19 |
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Hollywood Cavalcade | Train Porter | 1939-10-13 |
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Daredevils of the Red Circle | Snowflake | 1939-06-10 |
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King of the Turf | Groom | 1939-02-17 |
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Navy Secrets | Steve's Shoe-Shiner | 1939-02-08 |
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Dodge City | Willie (uncredited) | 1939-04-08 |
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Red River Range | Bellhop (uncredited) | 1938-12-22 |
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Hawk of the Wilderness | George | 1938-12-03 |
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Riders of the Black Hills | Snowflake (as Snowflake) | 1938-06-15 |
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The Nightshirt Bandit | Sam | 1938-10-27 |
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Under the Big Top | Juba | 1938-08-31 |
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Smart Blonde | Redcap Getting Tip (uncredited) | 1937-01-02 |
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She Loved a Fireman | Joe | 1937-12-18 |
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Fair Warning | Porter | 1937-03-05 |
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Wild Horse Rodeo | Snowflake | 1937-12-06 |
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Youth on Parole | Redcap (uncredited) | 1937-10-04 |
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Gunsmoke Ranch | Snowflake (unconfirmed) | 1937-05-05 |
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The Duke Comes Back | Snowflake | 1937-11-29 |
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Way Out West | Janitor | 1937-04-16 |
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Range Defenders | Cook | 1937-06-29 |
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Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge | Sam | 1937-06-14 |
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A Day at Santa Anita | Cloudy (uncredited) | 1937-05-22 |
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A Star Is Born | Witness (uncredited) | 1937-04-20 |
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Off to the Races | Ebbie | 1937-02-05 |
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The Green Pastures | Zubo (uncredited) | 1936-08-01 |
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The Lawless Nineties | Moses | 1936-02-15 |
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Romance in the Air | Janitor | 1936-05-16 |
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The Girl on the Front Page | 1936-09-26 | |
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The Gorgeous Hussy | Horatius (uncredited) | 1936-08-28 |
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Florida Special | Waiter (uncredited) | 1936-05-01 |
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Desert Justice | Snowflake - Bank Janitor | 1936-04-26 |
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The Peppery Salt | Black Henchman | 1936-05-15 |
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Freshman Love | Mose (uncredited) | 1936-01-18 |
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Big Brown Eyes | Chalky (Uncredited) | 1936-04-03 |
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College Holiday | Porter (uncredited) | 1936-12-19 |
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Gold Diggers of 1937 | Snowflake (uncredited) | 1936-12-28 |
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Come and Get It | Snowflake (uncredited) | 1936-11-06 |
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Aces Wild | Snowflake | 1936-12-21 |
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Palm Springs | Porter | 1936-06-05 |
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Racing Blood | Sad Sam | 1936-11-14 |
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Born to Fight | Snowflake | 1936-11-02 |
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The Lonely Trail | Snowflake | 1936-05-25 |
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Wildcat Saunders | Snowflake | 1936-03-04 |
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Hair-Trigger Casey | Snowflake | 1936-03-01 |
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Black Gold | Snowflake | 1936-01-19 |
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Frontier Justice | Snowflake | 1936-10-01 |
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Go Into Your Dance | Snowflake | 1935-04-20 |
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Mississippi | Leadsman (uncredited) | 1935-03-22 |
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Social Error | Shadow | 1935-04-30 |
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Valley of Wanted Men | Snowflake | 1935-10-19 |
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Cheers of the Crowd | 1935-08-05 | |
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Stolen Harmony | Henry (uncredited) | 1935-04-20 |
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$10 Raise | Bootblack (uncredited) | 1935-05-04 |
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Raised and Called | 1935-03-22 | |
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Alibi Ike | Night Porter | 1935-06-15 |
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Speed Limited | Vegas Station Pullman Porter | 1935-01-12 |
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Love, Honor and Obey (the Law!) | Phone operator (uncredited) | 1935-04-29 |
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A Night at the Ritz | Porter (uncredited) | 1935-03-23 |
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Hands Across the Table | Snowflake (uncredited) | 1935-10-18 |
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Honeymoon Bridge | 1935-10-02 | |
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Riddle Ranch | Snowflake | 1935-12-03 |
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You Bring the Ducks | Snowflake | 1934-11-24 |
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Murder in the Private Car | Titus | 1934-06-29 |
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Twentieth Century | George Washington Jones (uncredited) | 1934-05-11 |
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Half a Sinner | Snowflake | 1934-06-01 |
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Here Comes the Navy | Cookie (uncredited) | 1934-07-21 |
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Riptide | Slick | 1934-03-29 |
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The Gay Bride | 1st bootblack (uncredited) | 1934-12-14 |
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Palooka | Smokey (as Snowflake) | 1934-01-26 |
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Lady by Choice | Mose (uncredited) | 1934-10-15 |
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Sleepers East | Porter (uncredited) | 1934-01-01 |
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Woman Haters | Baggage Handler (uncredited) | 1934-05-05 |
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Woman Haters | Baggage Man (uncredited) | 1934-05-05 |
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Here Comes the Groom | Porter | 1934-06-21 |
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Imitation of Life | Man at Funeral (uncredited) | 1934-11-23 |
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Death on the Diamond | Porter (uncredited) | 1934-09-14 |
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Handy Andy | 1934-07-19 | |
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Something Simple | Taxi Driver | 1934-09-08 |
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Goodbye Again | Train Porter (uncredited) | 1933-09-09 |
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Deluge | Townsman | 1933-08-17 |
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The Mayor of Hell | Mr. Hemingway (uncredited) | 1933-06-24 |
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The Mind Reader | Black Man - Shill at Hair Tonic (uncredited) | 1933-04-01 |
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Before Midnight | 1st Taxi Driver | 1933-11-18 |
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Fast Workers | Mike (Uncredited) | 1933-03-10 |
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Only Yesterday | Wall Street Bootblack (Uncredited) | 1933-11-01 |
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Saturday's Millions | Porter | 1933-09-30 |
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Central Airport | Hotel Porter | 1933-04-15 |
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King for a Night | Masseur | 1933-12-09 |
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Meet the Baron | Stable Groom (uncredited) | 1933-10-20 |
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Gold Diggers of 1933 | Black Man in "Pettin' in the Park" Number (uncredited) | 1933-05-27 |
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American Madness | Sam (uncredited) | 1932-08-15 |
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The Hurricane Express | Sam (uncredited) | 1932-08-01 |
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Single-Handed Sanders | Snowflake | 1932-02-10 |
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The Arm of the Law | Jackson | 1932-04-19 |
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A Strange Adventure | Jeff | 1932-11-20 |
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Human Targets | 'Snowflake' | 1932-01-10 |
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Out of Singapore | Snowball, the Ship's Cook | 1932-09-23 |
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I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang | Marine on Ship (uncredited) | 1932-11-09 |
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Robbers' Roost | Snowflake | 1932-12-30 |
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Police Court | 1932-02-19 | |
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The County Fair | Curfew | 1932-03-31 |
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The Cabin in the Cotton | Ezzy Daniels (uncredited) | 1932-09-26 |
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The Galloping Ghost | Football Fan | 1931-09-01 |
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Who's Who in the Zoo | Park Worker with Harmonica (uncredited) | 1931-10-11 |
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A Private Scandal | Snowflake | 1931-12-30 |
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Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath | Barbershop Attendant (uncredited) | 1928-03-31 |
