Acting
Barbara Pepper
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
Mayberry R.F.D.
Series · 1968
Green Acres
Series · 1965
Laredo
Series · 1965
Kiss Me, Stupid
Film · 1964
The Best Man
Film · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
Who's Minding the Store?
Film · 1963
A Child Is Waiting
Film · 1963
Burke's Law
Series · 1963
Petticoat Junction
Series · 1963
The Greatest Show on Earth
Series · 1963
The Fugitive
Series · 1963
Petticoat Junction
Series · 1963
The Music Man
Film · 1962
It's Only Money
Film · 1962
Mister Ed
Series · 1961
The Bramble Bush
Film · 1960
Sex Kittens Go to College
Film · 1960
My Three Sons
Series · 1960
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
Auntie Mame
Film · 1958
The Texan
Series · 1958
Shirley Temple's Storybook
Series · 1958
The D.I.
Film · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Series · 1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Series · 1957
M Squad
Series · 1957
The Walter Winchell File
Series · 1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Tales of Wells Fargo
Series · 1957
Wagon Train
Series · 1957
Dark Meeting
Film · 1956
The Millionaire
Series · 1955
A Star Is Born
Film · 1954
Father Knows Best
Series · 1954
Inferno
Film · 1953
So This Is Love
Film · 1953
The Eddie Cantor Story
Film · 1953
I Love Lucy: The Movie
Film · 1953
Ghost Buster
Film · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
The Fuller Brush Girl
Film · 1950
Unmasked
Film · 1950
My Blue Heaven
Film · 1950
No Way Out
Film · 1950
The Crooked Way
Film · 1949
The Inspector General
Film · 1949
The Snake Pit
Film · 1948
Studio One
Series · 1948
Terror Trail
Film · 1946
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
Film · 1945
Murder, He Says
Film · 1945
Trouble Chasers
Film · 1945
The Naughty Nineties
Film · 1945
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid
Film · 1944
Once Upon a Time
Film · 1944
A Maid Made Mad
Film · 1943
Girls in Chains
Film · 1943
So This Is Washington
Film · 1943
Aerial Gunner
Film · 1943
Blonde and Groom
Film · 1943
Let's Face It
Film · 1943
Sappy Pappy
Film · 1942
One Thrilling Night
Film · 1942
Carry Harry
Film · 1942
My Favorite Spy
Film · 1942
Manpower
Film · 1941
Birth of the Blues
Film · 1941
South of Tahiti
Film · 1941
Three Sons o' Guns
Film · 1941
Out of the Fog
Film · 1941
The Lady Eve
Film · 1941
Framed
Film · 1940
Castle on the Hudson
Film · 1940
Foreign Correspondent
Film · 1940
The Return of Frank James
Film · 1940
Sailor's Lady
Film · 1940
Forgotten Girls
Film · 1940
They Made Me a Criminal
Film · 1939
Flight at Midnight
Film · 1939
The Amazing Mr. Williams
Film · 1939
Bachelor Mother
Film · 1939
The Women
Film · 1939
Of Mice and Men
Film · 1939
Three Sons
Film · 1939
Colorado Sunset
Film · 1939
Off the Record
Film · 1939
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Film · 1938
Hollywood Stadium Mystery
Film · 1938
Army Girl
Film · 1938
The Girl Downstairs
Film · 1938
Wide Open Faces
Film · 1938
The Lady in the Morgue
Film · 1938
The Chaser
Film · 1938
Forty Naughty Girls
Film · 1937
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Film · 1937
Many Unhappy Returns
Film · 1937
Too Many Wives
Film · 1937
The Big Shot
Film · 1937
You Can't Buy Luck
Film · 1937
Portia on Trial
Film · 1937
The Westland Case
Film · 1937
Music for Madame
Film · 1937
Show Boat
Film · 1936
The Rogues' Tavern
Film · 1936
What Becomes of the Children?
Film · 1936
Taming the Wild
Film · 1936
The Big Game
Film · 1936
Wanted: Jane Turner
Film · 1936
M'Liss
Film · 1936
Mummy's Boys
Film · 1936
Winterset
Film · 1936
After the Thin Man
Film · 1936
The Singing Vagabond
Film · 1935
Waterfront Lady
Film · 1935
The Sagebrush Troubadour
Film · 1935
Let 'em Have It
Film · 1935
Forced Landing
Film · 1935
Frisco Waterfront
Film · 1935
Our Daily Bread
Film · 1934
Strictly Dynamite
Film · 1934
Roman Scandals
Film · 1933