Biography
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.
Filmography
all 114
Movies 93
TV Shows 21
Mayberry R.F.D. (1968)
Laredo (1965)
Green Acres (1965)
Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)
Daniel Boone (1964)
Who's Minding the Store? (1963)
Petticoat Junction (1963)
Burke's Law (1963)
The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)
The Fugitive (1963)
A Child Is Waiting (1963)
It's Only Money (1962)
The Music Man (1962)
Mister Ed (1961)
My Three Sons (1960)
Sex Kittens Go to College (1960)
The Bramble Bush (1960)
The Texan (1958)
The Walter Winchell File (1957)
Perry Mason (1957)
M Squad (1957)
Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957)
The D.I. (1957)
Dark Meeting (1956)
The Millionaire (1955)
A Star Is Born (1954)
The Eddie Cantor Story (1953)
Inferno (1953)
So This Is Love (1953)
Four Star Playhouse (1952)
Ghost Buster (1952)
I Love Lucy (1951)
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
My Blue Heaven (1950)
The Fuller Brush Girl (1950)
No Way Out (1950)
The Inspector General (1949)
The Crooked Way (1949)
Studio One (1948)
The Snake Pit (1948)
Terror Trail (1946)
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945)
Murder, He Says (1945)
The Naughty Nineties (1945)
Trouble Chasers (1945)
Once Upon a Time (1944)
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid (1944)
He Was Only Feudin' (1943)
Let's Face It (1943)
So This Is Washington (1943)
Girls in Chains (1943)
Blonde and Groom (1943)
Aerial Gunner (1943)
A Maid Made Mad (1943)
Sappy Pappy (1942)
Carry Harry (1942)
My Favorite Spy (1942)
One Thrilling Night (1942)
Birth of the Blues (1941)
South of Tahiti (1941)
Manpower (1941)
Three Sons o' Guns (1941)
Out of the Fog (1941)
The Lady Eve (1941)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
The Return of Frank James (1940)
Sailor's Lady (1940)
Forgotten Girls (1940)
Framed (1940)
Castle on the Hudson (1940)
Of Mice and Men (1939)
The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)
Three Sons (1939)
The Women (1939)
Flight at Midnight (1939)
Colorado Sunset (1939)
Bachelor Mother (1939)
They Made Me a Criminal (1939)
Off the Record (1939)
The Girl Downstairs (1938)
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade (1938)
Army Girl (1938)
The Chaser (1938)
The Lady in the Morgue (1938)
Wide Open Faces (1938)
Hollywood Stadium Mystery (1938)
Portia on Trial (1937)
The Westland Case (1937)
Many Unhappy Returns (1937)
Music for Madame (1937)
Forty Naughty Girls (1937)
The Big Shot (1937)
You Can't Buy Luck (1937)
The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1937)
Too Many Wives (1937)
Wanted: Jane Turner (1936)
What Becomes of the Children? (1936)
Winterset (1936)
The Big Game (1936)
Mummy's Boys (1936)
M'Liss (1936)
The Rogues' Tavern (1936)
Show Boat (1936)
Taming the Wild (1936)
The Singing Vagabond (1935)
Frisco Waterfront (1935)
The Sagebrush Troubadour (1935)
Forced Landing (1935)
Waterfront Lady (1935)
Let 'em Have It (1935)
Our Daily Bread (1934)
Strictly Dynamite (1934)
Roman Scandals (1933)
Ratings
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Information
Known ForActing
GenderFemale
Birthday1915-05-31
Deathday1969-07-18 (54 years old)
Birth PlaceNew York City, United States of America
RelationshipsCraig Reynolds (1943-01-01 - 1949-01-01)
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
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