Known For
Acting
Known Credits
132
Gender
Female
Birthday
May 31, 1915 (111 years old)
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.
| 1968 | Mayberry R.F.D.as Emma | |
| 1965 | Laredoas | |
| 1965 | Green Acresas Doris Ziffel | |
| 1964 | Kiss Me, Stupidas Big Bertha | |
| 1964 | Daniel Booneas Mrs. Shanks | |
| 1963 | Who's Minding the Store?as Customer at Bargain Sale (uncredited) | |
| 1963 | Petticoat Junctionas Doris Ziffel | |
| 1963 | Petticoat Junctionas Ruth Ziffel | |
| 1963 | Burke's Lawas Cleaning Woman | |
| 1963 | The Greatest Show on Earthas | |
| 1963 | The Fugitiveas Matty | |
| 1963 | A Child Is Waitingas Miss Brown (uncredited) | |
| 1962 | It's Only Moneyas Fisherwoman | |
| 1962 | The Music Manas Mrs. Hawkes | |
| 1961 | Mister Edas | |
| 1960 | My Three Sonsas | |
| 1960 | Sex Kittens Go to Collegeas Circe | |
| 1960 | The Bramble Bushas Polly Welk | |
| 1959 | The Untouchablesas Landlady | |
| 1959 | The Untouchablesas Mrs. Littlesmith | |
| 1958 | Auntie Mameas Mrs. Krantz (uncredited) | |
| 1958 | The Texanas | |
| 1958 | Shirley Temple's Storybookas First Choir Lady | |
| 1957 | The Walter Winchell Fileas | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Martha Dale | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Mrs. Diamond | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Mrs. Dwyer - Fat Woman | |
| 1957 | Perry Masonas Mrs. Williamson | |
| 1957 | M Squadas Landlady | |
| 1957 | Wagon Trainas Mrs. Maybelle Gifford | |
| 1957 | Have Gun, Will Travelas | |
| 1957 | Richard Diamond, Private Detectiveas Clara Chase | |
| 1957 | Richard Diamond, Private Detectiveas Mrs. Brody | |
| 1957 | The D.I.as Woman Customer | |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargoas Boxcar Annie | |
| 1956 | Dark Meetingas Clara | |
| 1955 | The Millionaireas Fat Woman | |
| 1954 | Father Knows Bestas Shopper | |
| 1954 | A Star Is Bornas Esther's Neighbor (uncredited) | |
| 1953 | The Eddie Cantor Storyas Beer Garden Patron | |
| 1953 | Infernoas Waitress (uncredited) | |
| 1953 | So This Is Loveas Fat Girl with Sailor in Nightclub (uncredited) | |
| 1953 | I Love Lucy: The Movieas Party Guest (archive footage) | |
| 1952 | Four Star Playhouseas Clara | |
| 1952 | Ghost Busteras Mrs. Nolan | |
| 1951 | I Love Lucyas Neighbor | |
| 1951 | I Love Lucyas Nurse | |
| 1951 | I Love Lucyas Showgirl #2 | |
| 1951 | I Love Lucyas Woman On Bus | |
| 1951 | I Love Lucyas Woman Shopper | |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Miss Buell | |
| 1950 | My Blue Heavenas Susan (uncredited) | |
| 1950 | The Fuller Brush Girlas Wife Watching TV (uncredited) | |
| 1950 | No Way Outas Woman (uncredited) | |
| 1950 | Unmaskedas Mrs. Schmidt | |
| 1949 | The Inspector Generalas Buxom Villager (uncredited) | |
| 1949 | The Crooked Wayas | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas Ellie | |
| 1948 | The Snake Pitas Asylum Patient (uncredited) | |
| 1946 | Terror Trailas Karen Kemp, the Louisville Lady | |
| 1945 | The Strange Affair of Uncle Harryas Annie | |
| 1945 | Murder, He Saysas Bonnie Fleagle | |
| 1945 | The Naughty Ninetiesas Gilded Cage Hostess (uncredited) | |
| 1945 | Trouble Chasersas Goldie | |
| 1944 | Once Upon a Timeas Cabbie (uncredited) | |
| 1944 | Henry Aldrich Plays Cupidas Miss LaRue ("Wild Rose") | |
| 1943 | Let's Face Itas Daisy (uncredited) | |
| 1943 | So This Is Washingtonas Betty - Taxi Driver (uncredited) | |
| 1943 | Girls in Chainsas Barbara Pepper | |
| 1943 | Blonde and Groomas Rex's Fiancée | |
| 1943 | Aerial Gunneras Blonde at Shooting Gallery (uncredited) | |
| 1943 | A Maid Made Madas Blonde | |
| 1942 | Sappy Pappyas Female Customer | |
| 1942 | Carry Harryas Edith, Harry's Girl Friend | |
| 1942 | My Favorite Spyas Speedy | |
| 1942 | One Thrilling Nightas Lettie | |
| 1941 | Birth of the Bluesas Maizie | |
| 1941 | South of Tahitias Julie | |
| 1941 | Manpoweras Polly | |
| 1941 | Three Sons o' Gunsas Francie LaRue | |
| 1941 | Out of the Fogas | |
| 1941 | The Lady Eveas Lady Wrestler Type on Ship (uncredited) | |
| 1940 | Foreign Correspondentas Dorine | |
| 1940 | The Return of Frank Jamesas Nellie Blane | |
| 1940 | Sailor's Ladyas Maude | |
| 1940 | Forgotten Girlsas Eve Abbott | |
| 1940 | Framedas Goldie Green | |
| 1940 | Castle on the Hudsonas Goldie | |
| 1939 | Of Mice and Menas Second Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | The Amazing Mr. Williamsas Muriel - Wedding Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | Three Sonsas Viola | |
| 1939 | The Womenas Tough Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | Flight at Midnightas Mildred | |
| 1939 | Colorado Sunsetas Ginger Bixby | |
| 1939 | Bachelor Motheras Dance-Hall Hostess (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | Off the Recordas Flossie - Telephone Operator (uncredited) | |
| 1939 | They Made Me a Criminalas Budgie Massey | |
| 1938 | The Girl Downstairsas Woman at bar (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | The Strange Case of Dr. Meadeas Mattie | |
| 1938 | Army Girlas Riki | |
| 1938 | The Chaseras Mabel, Drunken Girl | |
| 1938 | The Lady in the Morgueas Kay Renshaw | |
| 1938 | Wide Open Facesas Belle | |
| 1938 | Hollywood Stadium Mysteryas Althea Ames | |
| 1937 | Portia on Trialas Evelyn | |
| 1937 | The Westland Caseas Agatha Hogan | |
| 1937 | Many Unhappy Returnsas Sophie - Cigar Store Counter Girl | |
| 1937 | Music for Madameas Blonde on Bus (Uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Forty Naughty Girlsas Alice | |
| 1937 | The Big Shotas Mamie | |
| 1937 | You Can't Buy Luckas Store Clerk | |
| 1937 | The Outcasts of Poker Flatas Blonde Saloon Lady (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Too Many Wivesas Angela Brown | |
| 1936 | After the Thin Manas Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Wanted: Jane Turneras Marge Sanders | |
| 1936 | What Becomes of the Children?as Elsie Ford | |
| 1936 | Wintersetas Girl | |
| 1936 | The Big Gameas Lois | |
| 1936 | Mummy's Boysas Mary Browning | |
| 1936 | M'Lissas Clytie Morpher | |
| 1936 | The Rogues' Tavernas Marjorie Burns | |
| 1936 | Show Boatas | |
| 1936 | Taming the Wildas Hazel White | |
| 1935 | The Singing Vagabondas Honey | |
| 1935 | Frisco Waterfrontas The Blonde Stranger | |
| 1935 | Forced Landingas Nancy 'Dusty' Rhodes | |
| 1935 | The Sagebrush Troubadouras Joan Martin | |
| 1935 | Waterfront Ladyas Gloria Vance | |
| 1935 | Let 'em Have Itas Milly Adams | |
| 1934 | Our Daily Breadas Sally | |
| 1934 | Strictly Dynamiteas Party Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Roman Scandalsas Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) |