Barbara Pepper
Acting • Born 1915-05-31 – Died 1969-07-18
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
132 credits
Manpower
Movie • 1941
Polly
They Made Me a Criminal
Movie • 1939
Budgie Massey
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Movie • 1938
Mattie
The Music Man
Movie • 1962
Mrs. Hawkes
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
Movie • 1945
Annie
Inferno
Movie • 1953
Waitress (uncredited)
Who's Minding the Store?
Movie • 1963
Customer at Bargain Sale (uncredited)
Show Boat
Movie • 1936
The Rogues' Tavern
Movie • 1936
Marjorie Burns
Kiss Me, Stupid
Movie • 1964
Big Bertha
A Maid Made Mad
Movie • 1943
Blonde
Birth of the Blues
Movie • 1941
Maizie
A Child Is Waiting
Movie • 1963
Miss Brown (uncredited)
Flight at Midnight
Movie • 1939
Mildred
Framed
Movie • 1940
Goldie Green
Our Daily Bread
Movie • 1934
Sally
Murder, He Says
Movie • 1945
Bonnie Fleagle
Girls in Chains
Movie • 1943
Barbara Pepper
Forty Naughty Girls
Movie • 1937
Alice
The Singing Vagabond
Movie • 1935
Honey
Waterfront Lady
Movie • 1935
Gloria Vance
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Movie • 1937
Blonde Saloon Lady (uncredited)
Hollywood Stadium Mystery
Movie • 1938
Althea Ames
Army Girl
Movie • 1938
Riki
The Sagebrush Troubadour
Movie • 1935
Joan Martin
What Becomes of the Children?
Movie • 1936
Elsie Ford
The Girl Downstairs
Movie • 1938
Woman at bar (uncredited)
Taming the Wild
Movie • 1936
Hazel White
Many Unhappy Returns
Movie • 1937
Sophie - Cigar Store Counter Girl
The Crooked Way
Movie • 1949
The Big Game
Movie • 1936
Lois
Too Many Wives
Movie • 1937
Angela Brown
Sappy Pappy
Movie • 1942
Female Customer
Wide Open Faces
Movie • 1938
Belle
Wanted: Jane Turner
Movie • 1936
Marge Sanders
Let 'em Have It
Movie • 1935
Milly Adams
The Lady in the Morgue
Movie • 1938
Kay Renshaw
The D.I.
Movie • 1957
Woman Customer
M'Liss
Movie • 1936
Clytie Morpher
One Thrilling Night
Movie • 1942
Lettie
The Fuller Brush Girl
Movie • 1950
Wife Watching TV (uncredited)
The Big Shot
Movie • 1937
Mamie
You Can't Buy Luck
Movie • 1937
Store Clerk
The Amazing Mr. Williams
Movie • 1939
Muriel - Wedding Guest (uncredited)
So This Is Washington
Movie • 1943
Betty - Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Aerial Gunner
Movie • 1943
Blonde at Shooting Gallery (uncredited)
South of Tahiti
Movie • 1941
Julie
Mummy's Boys
Movie • 1936
Mary Browning
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid
Movie • 1944
Miss LaRue ("Wild Rose")
A Star Is Born
Movie • 1954
Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)
Castle on the Hudson
Movie • 1940
Goldie
Three Sons o' Guns
Movie • 1941
Francie LaRue
Bachelor Mother
Movie • 1939
Dance-Hall Hostess (uncredited)
The Women
Movie • 1939
Tough Girl (uncredited)
Of Mice and Men
Movie • 1939
Second Girl (uncredited)
Portia on Trial
Movie • 1937
Evelyn
Dark Meeting
Movie • 1956
Clara
Winterset
Movie • 1936
Girl
The Lady Eve
Movie • 1941
Lady Wrestler Type on Ship (uncredited)
The Snake Pit
Movie • 1948
Asylum Patient (uncredited)
Unmasked
Movie • 1950
Mrs. Schmidt
Foreign Correspondent
Movie • 1940
Dorine
Forced Landing
Movie • 1935
Nancy 'Dusty' Rhodes
The Westland Case
Movie • 1937
Agatha Hogan
Trouble Chasers
Movie • 1945
Goldie
The Return of Frank James
Movie • 1940
Nellie Blane
The Bramble Bush
Movie • 1960
Polly Welk
Auntie Mame
Movie • 1958
Mrs. Krantz (uncredited)
Terror Trail
Movie • 1946
Karen Kemp, the Louisville Lady
Carry Harry
Movie • 1942
Edith, Harry's Girl Friend
Blonde and Groom
Movie • 1943
Rex's Fiancée
Let's Face It
Movie • 1943
Daisy (uncredited)
Three Sons
Movie • 1939
Viola
Roman Scandals
Movie • 1933
Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
Ghost Buster
Movie • 1952
Mrs. Nolan
Music for Madame
Movie • 1937
Blonde on Bus (Uncredited)
My Favorite Spy
Movie • 1942
Speedy
My Blue Heaven
Movie • 1950
Susan (uncredited)
So This Is Love
Movie • 1953
Fat Girl with Sailor in Nightclub (uncredited)
The Eddie Cantor Story
Movie • 1953
Beer Garden Patron
Colorado Sunset
Movie • 1939
Ginger Bixby
Frisco Waterfront
Movie • 1935
The Blonde Stranger
Off the Record
Movie • 1939
Flossie - Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Once Upon a Time
Movie • 1944
Cabbie (uncredited)
Sailor's Lady
Movie • 1940
Maude
Sex Kittens Go to College
Movie • 1960
Circe
The Inspector General
Movie • 1949
Buxom Villager (uncredited)
The Chaser
Movie • 1938
Mabel, Drunken Girl
No Way Out
Movie • 1950
Woman (uncredited)
The Naughty Nineties
Movie • 1945
Gilded Cage Hostess (uncredited)
Forgotten Girls
Movie • 1940
Eve Abbott
Strictly Dynamite
Movie • 1934
Party Girl (uncredited)
Out of the Fog
Movie • 1941
It's Only Money
Movie • 1962
Fisherwoman
After the Thin Man
Movie • 1936
Party Guest (uncredited)
Home Work
Movie
Mister Ed
TV • 1961
Burke's Law
TV • 1963
Cleaning Woman
Green Acres
TV • 1965
Doris Ziffel
My Three Sons
TV • 1960
I Love Lucy
TV • 1951
Nurse
Petticoat Junction
TV • 1963
Ruth Ziffel
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Martha Dale
Studio One
TV • 1948
Ellie
Laredo
TV • 1965
The Greatest Show on Earth
TV • 1963
Have Gun, Will Travel
TV • 1957
Daniel Boone
TV • 1964
Mrs. Shanks
The Fugitive
TV • 1963
Matty
The Millionaire
TV • 1955
Fat Woman
I Love Lucy
TV • 1951
Neighbor
I Love Lucy
TV • 1951
Woman On Bus
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Miss Buell
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV • 1957
Mrs. Brody
M Squad
TV • 1957
Landlady
The Texan
TV • 1958
The Walter Winchell File
TV • 1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV • 1957
Clara Chase
Petticoat Junction
TV • 1963
Doris Ziffel
Mayberry R.F.D.
TV • 1968
Emma
Four Star Playhouse
TV • 1952
Clara
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Mrs. Diamond
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Mrs. Dwyer - Fat Woman
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Mrs. Williamson
Tales of Wells Fargo
TV • 1957
Boxcar Annie
Father Knows Best
TV • 1954
Shopper
I Love Lucy
TV • 1951
Woman Shopper
I Love Lucy
TV • 1951
Showgirl #2
Shirley Temple's Storybook
TV • 1958
First Choir Lady
The Untouchables
TV • 1959
Mrs. Littlesmith
The Untouchables
TV • 1959
Landlady
Wagon Train
TV • 1957
Mrs. Maybelle Gifford