Barbara Pepper
Born
May 31, 1915
Died
July 18, 1969 (54 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbara Pepper (born Marion B. Pepper; May 31, 1915 – July 18, 1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress. She is best known as the first "Doris Ziffel" on the sitcom Green Acres. Pepper was born in New York City, the daughter of actor David Mitchell "Dave" Pepper, and his wife, Harrietta S. Pepper. At age 16 she started life in show business with Goldwyn Girls, a musical stock company where she met lifelong friend Lucille Ball.
Pepper began making movies. Among her later film parts were small roles in My Fair Lady and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. She also performed radio parts. In 1943, she married actor Craig Reynolds (né Harold Hugh Enfield), and the couple later had two sons. After Reynolds died in 1949 in a California motorcycle accident, Pepper was left to raise their children alone. She never remarried.
After gaining weight, her roles were mostly confined to small character parts on television, including several appearances on I Love Lucy, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Petticoat Junction, and The Jack Benny Program. She made four appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Martha Dale, mother of the title character, in the 1957 episode "The Case of the Vagabond Vixen".
A long-time friend of Lucille Ball, Barbara was considered for the role of Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy," but was passed over due to the fact that she was reportedly a drinker. William Frawley ("Fred Mertz") was, likewise, reportedly, a drinker and was already cast. It was felt that having two drinkers in the cast might eventually cause difficulties so they auditioned and found Vivian Vance to play Ethel instead.
She may be best remembered as the first Doris Ziffel on Petticoat Junction in 1964, although her character's name on the "Genghis Keane" episode of Petticoat Junction was Ruth Ziffel. Her role as Doris Ziffel continued on Green Acres from 1965 to 1968, until heart ailments finally forced her to leave that weekly series. Veteran actress Fran Ryan replaced her on Green Acres, which would continue to run for another three years. Her final performance was in the 1969 film Hook, Line & Sinker, in which she played Jerry Lewis's secretary.
Mayberry R.F.D.
Emma · (1 episode)
1968
Laredo
(1 episode)
1965
Green Acres
Doris Ziffel · (23 episodes)
1965
Kiss Me, Stupid
Big Bertha
1964
Daniel Boone
Mrs. Shanks · (1 episode)
1964
Who's Minding the Store?
Customer at Bargain Sale (uncredited)
1963
Petticoat Junction
Ruth Ziffel · (2 episodes)
1963
Petticoat Junction
Doris Ziffel · (1 episode)
1963
Burke's Law
Cleaning Woman · (1 episode)
1963
The Greatest Show on Earth
(1 episode)
1963
The Fugitive
Matty · (1 episode)
1963
A Child Is Waiting
Miss Brown (uncredited)
1963
It's Only Money
Fisherwoman
1962
The Music Man
Mrs. Hawkes
1962
Mister Ed
(1 episode)
1961
My Three Sons
(1 episode)
1960
Sex Kittens Go to College
Circe
1960
The Bramble Bush
Polly Welk
1960
Auntie Mame
Mrs. Krantz (uncredited)
1958
The Texan
(1 episode)
1958
Shirley Temple's Storybook
First Choir Lady · (1 episode)
1958
The Walter Winchell File
(1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Martha Dale · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Mrs. Diamond · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Mrs. Dwyer - Fat Woman · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Mrs. Williamson · (1 episode)
1957
M Squad
Landlady · (1 episode)
1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
(1 episode)
1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Mrs. Brody · (1 episode)
1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Clara Chase · (1 episode)
1957
The D.I.
Woman Customer
1957
Tales of Wells Fargo
Boxcar Annie · (1 episode)
1957
Dark Meeting
Clara
1956
The Millionaire
Fat Woman · (1 episode)
1955
Father Knows Best
Shopper · (1 episode)
1954
A Star Is Born
Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)
1954
The Eddie Cantor Story
Beer Garden Patron
1953
Inferno
Waitress (uncredited)
1953
So This Is Love
Fat Girl with Sailor in Nightclub (uncredited)
1953
Four Star Playhouse
Clara · (1 episode)
1952
Ghost Buster
Mrs. Nolan
1952
I Love Lucy
Nurse · (1 episode)
1951
I Love Lucy
Woman On Bus · (1 episode)
1951
I Love Lucy
Neighbor · (1 episode)
1951
I Love Lucy
Woman Shopper · (2 episodes)
1951
I Love Lucy
Showgirl #2 · (1 episode)
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Miss Buell · (1 episode)
1951
The Fuller Brush Girl
Wife Watching TV (uncredited)
1950
My Blue Heaven
Susan (uncredited)
1950
No Way Out
Woman (uncredited)
1950
Unmasked
Mrs. Schmidt
1950
The Inspector General
Buxom Villager (uncredited)
1949
The Crooked Way
1949
Studio One
Ellie · (1 episode)
1948
The Snake Pit
Asylum Patient (uncredited)
1948
Terror Trail
Karen Kemp, the Louisville Lady
1946
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
Annie
1945
Murder, He Says
Bonnie Fleagle
1945
The Naughty Nineties
Gilded Cage Hostess (uncredited)
1945
Trouble Chasers
Goldie
1945
Once Upon a Time
Cabbie (uncredited)
1944
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid
Miss LaRue ("Wild Rose")
1944
Let's Face It
Daisy (uncredited)
1943
So This Is Washington
Betty - Taxi Driver (uncredited)
1943
Girls in Chains
Barbara Pepper
1943
Blonde and Groom
Rex's Fiancée
1943
Aerial Gunner
Blonde at Shooting Gallery (uncredited)
1943
A Maid Made Mad
Blonde
1943
Sappy Pappy
Female Customer
1942
Carry Harry
Edith, Harry's Girl Friend
1942
My Favorite Spy
Speedy
1942
One Thrilling Night
Lettie
1942
Birth of the Blues
Maizie
1941
South of Tahiti
Julie
1941
Manpower
Polly
1941
Three Sons o' Guns
Francie LaRue
1941
Out of the Fog
1941
The Lady Eve
Lady Wrestler Type on Ship (uncredited)
1941
Foreign Correspondent
Dorine
1940
The Return of Frank James
Nellie Blane
1940
Sailor's Lady
Maude
1940
Forgotten Girls
Eve Abbott
1940
Framed
Goldie Green
1940
Castle on the Hudson
Goldie
1940
Of Mice and Men
Second Girl (uncredited)
1939
The Amazing Mr. Williams
Muriel - Wedding Guest (uncredited)
1939
Three Sons
Viola
1939
The Women
Tough Girl (uncredited)
1939
Flight at Midnight
Mildred
1939
Colorado Sunset
Ginger Bixby
1939
Bachelor Mother
Dance-Hall Hostess (uncredited)
1939
They Made Me a Criminal
Budgie Massey
1939
Off the Record
Flossie - Telephone Operator (uncredited)
1939
The Girl Downstairs
Woman at bar (uncredited)
1938
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Mattie
1938
Army Girl
Riki
1938
The Chaser
Mabel, Drunken Girl
1938
The Lady in the Morgue
Kay Renshaw
1938
Wide Open Faces
Belle
1938
Hollywood Stadium Mystery
Althea Ames
1938
Portia on Trial
Evelyn
1937
The Westland Case
Agatha Hogan
1937
Many Unhappy Returns
Sophie - Cigar Store Counter Girl
1937
Music for Madame
Blonde on Bus (Uncredited)
1937
Forty Naughty Girls
Alice
1937
The Big Shot
Mamie
1937
You Can't Buy Luck
Store Clerk
1937
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Blonde Saloon Lady (uncredited)
1937
Too Many Wives
Angela Brown
1937
What Becomes of the Children?
Elsie Ford
1936
Wanted: Jane Turner
Marge Sanders
1936
Winterset
Girl
1936
The Big Game
Lois
1936
Mummy's Boys
Mary Browning
1936
M'Liss
Clytie Morpher
1936
The Rogues' Tavern
Marjorie Burns
1936
Show Boat
1936
Taming the Wild
Hazel White
1936
The Singing Vagabond
Honey
1935
Frisco Waterfront
The Blonde Stranger
1935
The Sagebrush Troubadour
Joan Martin
1935
Forced Landing
Nancy 'Dusty' Rhodes
1935
Waterfront Lady
Gloria Vance
1935
Let 'em Have It
Milly Adams
1935
Our Daily Bread
Sally
1934
Strictly Dynamite
Party Girl (uncredited)
1934
Roman Scandals
Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
1933