Barbara Pepper
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 31, 1915
- Died
- Jul 18, 1969 (aged 54)
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Credits
- 123
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.
Known for
Foreign Correspondent
1940Movie
Dorine
The Lady Eve
1941Movie
Lady Wrestler Type on Ship (uncredited)
A Star Is Born
1954Movie
Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)
I Love Lucy
1951TV
Nurse, Woman On Bus, Neighbor, Woman Shopper, Showgirl #2
Kiss Me, Stupid
1964Movie
Big Bertha
After the Thin Man
1936Movie
Party Guest (uncredited)
Filmography
Mayberry R.F.D.
1968TV
Emma
Laredo
1965TV
Green Acres
1965TV
Doris Ziffel
Kiss Me, Stupid
1964Movie
Big Bertha
Daniel Boone
1964TV
Mrs. Shanks
The Best Man
1964Movie
Delegate (uncredited)
Who's Minding the Store?
1963Movie
Customer at Bargain Sale (uncredited)
Petticoat Junction
1963TV
Ruth Ziffel, Doris Ziffel
Burke's Law
1963TV
Cleaning Woman
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963TV
The Fugitive
1963TV
Matty
A Child Is Waiting
1963Movie
Miss Brown (uncredited)
It's Only Money
1962Movie
Fisherwoman
The Music Man
1962Movie
Mrs. Hawkes
Mister Ed
1961TV
My Three Sons
1960TV
Sex Kittens Go to College
1960Movie
Circe
The Bramble Bush
1960Movie
Polly Welk
The Untouchables
1959TV
Mrs. Littlesmith, Landlady
Auntie Mame
1958Movie
Mrs. Krantz (uncredited)
The Texan
1958TV
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958TV
First Choir Lady
The Walter Winchell File
1957TV
Perry Mason
1957TV
Martha Dale, Mrs. Diamond, Mrs. Dwyer - Fat Woman, Mrs. Williamson
M Squad
1957TV
Landlady
Wagon Train
1957TV
Mrs. Maybelle Gifford
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957TV
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957TV
Mrs. Brody, Clara Chase
The D.I.
1957Movie
Woman Customer
Tales of Wells Fargo
1957TV
Boxcar Annie
Dark Meeting
1956Movie
Clara
The Millionaire
1955TV
Fat Woman
Father Knows Best
1954TV
Shopper
A Star Is Born
1954Movie
Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)
The Eddie Cantor Story
1953Movie
Beer Garden Patron
Inferno
1953Movie
Waitress (uncredited)
So This Is Love
1953Movie
Fat Girl with Sailor in Nightclub (uncredited)
I Love Lucy: The Movie
1953Movie
Party Guest (archive footage)
Four Star Playhouse
1952TV
Clara
Ghost Buster
1952Movie
Mrs. Nolan
I Love Lucy
1951TV
Nurse, Woman On Bus, Neighbor, Woman Shopper, Showgirl #2
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Miss Buell
The Fuller Brush Girl
1950Movie
Wife Watching TV (uncredited)
My Blue Heaven
1950Movie
Susan (uncredited)
No Way Out
1950Movie
Woman (uncredited)
Unmasked
1950Movie
Mrs. Schmidt
The Inspector General
1949Movie
Buxom Villager (uncredited)
The Crooked Way
1949Movie
Studio One
1948TV
Ellie
The Snake Pit
1948Movie
Asylum Patient (uncredited)
Terror Trail
1946Movie
Karen Kemp, the Louisville Lady
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
1945Movie
Annie
Murder, He Says
1945Movie
Bonnie Fleagle
The Naughty Nineties
1945Movie
Gilded Cage Hostess (uncredited)
Trouble Chasers
1945Movie
Goldie
Once Upon a Time
1944Movie
Cabbie (uncredited)
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid
1944Movie
Miss LaRue ("Wild Rose")
Let's Face It
1943Movie
Daisy (uncredited)
So This Is Washington
1943Movie
Betty - Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Girls in Chains
1943Movie
Barbara Pepper
Blonde and Groom
1943Movie
Rex's Fiancée
Aerial Gunner
1943Movie
Blonde at Shooting Gallery (uncredited)
A Maid Made Mad
1943Movie
Blonde
Sappy Pappy
1942Movie
Female Customer
Carry Harry
1942Movie
Edith, Harry's Girl Friend
My Favorite Spy
1942Movie
Speedy
One Thrilling Night
1942Movie
Lettie
Birth of the Blues
1941Movie
Maizie
South of Tahiti
1941Movie
Julie
Manpower
1941Movie
Polly
Three Sons o' Guns
1941Movie
Francie LaRue
Out of the Fog
1941Movie
The Lady Eve
1941Movie
Lady Wrestler Type on Ship (uncredited)
Foreign Correspondent
1940Movie
Dorine
The Return of Frank James
1940Movie
Nellie Blane
Sailor's Lady
1940Movie
Maude
Forgotten Girls
1940Movie
Eve Abbott
Framed
1940Movie
Goldie Green
Castle on the Hudson
1940Movie
Goldie
Of Mice and Men
1939Movie
Second Girl (uncredited)
The Amazing Mr. Williams
1939Movie
Muriel - Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Three Sons
1939Movie
Viola
The Women
1939Movie
Tough Girl (uncredited)
Flight at Midnight
1939Movie
Mildred
Colorado Sunset
1939Movie
Ginger Bixby
Bachelor Mother
1939Movie
Dance-Hall Hostess (uncredited)
They Made Me a Criminal
1939Movie
Budgie Massey
Off the Record
1939Movie
Flossie - Telephone Operator (uncredited)
The Girl Downstairs
1938Movie
Woman at bar (uncredited)
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
1938Movie
Mattie
Army Girl
1938Movie
Riki
The Chaser
1938Movie
Mabel, Drunken Girl
The Lady in the Morgue
1938Movie
Kay Renshaw
Wide Open Faces
1938Movie
Belle
Hollywood Stadium Mystery
1938Movie
Althea Ames
Portia on Trial
1937Movie
Evelyn
The Westland Case
1937Movie
Agatha Hogan
Many Unhappy Returns
1937Movie
Sophie - Cigar Store Counter Girl
Music for Madame
1937Movie
Blonde on Bus (Uncredited)
Forty Naughty Girls
1937Movie
Alice
The Big Shot
1937Movie
Mamie
You Can't Buy Luck
1937Movie
Store Clerk
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1937Movie
Blonde Saloon Lady (uncredited)
Too Many Wives
1937Movie
Angela Brown
After the Thin Man
1936Movie
Party Guest (uncredited)
What Becomes of the Children?
1936Movie
Elsie Ford
Wanted: Jane Turner
1936Movie
Marge Sanders
Winterset
1936Movie
Girl
The Big Game
1936Movie
Lois
Mummy's Boys
1936Movie
Mary Browning
M'Liss
1936Movie
Clytie Morpher
The Rogues' Tavern
1936Movie
Marjorie Burns
Show Boat
1936Movie
Taming the Wild
1936Movie
Hazel White
The Singing Vagabond
1935Movie
Honey
Frisco Waterfront
1935Movie
The Blonde Stranger
The Sagebrush Troubadour
1935Movie
Joan Martin
Forced Landing
1935Movie
Nancy 'Dusty' Rhodes
Waterfront Lady
1935Movie
Gloria Vance
Let 'em Have It
1935Movie
Milly Adams
Our Daily Bread
1934Movie
Sally
Strictly Dynamite
1934Movie
Party Girl (uncredited)
Roman Scandals
1933Movie
Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)