Cast

Barbara Pepper

Acting

Cast

Barbara Pepper

Known for

Acting

Born

1915-05-31

From

New York City, New York, USA

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.

Barbara Pepper

Barbara Pepper

Biography

Foreign Correspondent

The Return of Frank James

The Westland Case

Carry Harry

A Star Is Born

Trouble Chasers

The Women

The Music Man

The Snake Pit

After the Thin Man

Kiss Me, Stupid

Forgotten Girls

Who's Minding the Store?

Sex Kittens Go to College

Army Girl

It's Only Money

Our Daily Bread

My Blue Heaven

The Naughty Nineties

A Child Is Waiting

No Way Out

The Fuller Brush Girl

Of Mice and Men

Hollywood Stadium Mystery

Flight at Midnight

Mummy's Boys

Once Upon a Time

Girls in Chains

Many Unhappy Returns

The Bramble Bush

The Lady Eve

Auntie Mame

Blonde and Groom

Show Boat

The D.I.

Too Many Wives

Forty Naughty Girls

Taming the Wild

A Maid Made Mad

Aerial Gunner

Dark Meeting

South of Tahiti

Manpower

The Crooked Way

Murder, He Says

The Girl Downstairs

The Inspector General

Birth of the Blues

Winterset

The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry

The Amazing Mr. Williams

So This Is Love

My Favorite Spy

Castle on the Hudson

Unmasked

The Rogues' Tavern

One Thrilling Night

The Eddie Cantor Story

Roman Scandals

Inferno

The Chaser

Bachelor Mother

Waterfront Lady

Let 'em Have It

I Love Lucy: The Movie

Sailor's Lady

Off the Record

Wide Open Faces

Framed

Colorado Sunset

They Made Me a Criminal

The Big Game

Portia on Trial

Out of the Fog

Wanted: Jane Turner

Forced Landing

The Strange Case of Dr. Meade