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Barbara Pepper

Barbara Pepper

Actor · 1915 – 1969 · 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.

Movies24

  • Movie7.0

    Foreign Correspondent

    1940 · 463 votes

  • Movie7.1

    A Star Is Born

    1954 · 339 votes

  • Movie7.2

    The Women

    1939 · 183 votes

  • Movie7.3

    The Lady Eve

    1941 · 412 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Auntie Mame

    1958 · 129 votes

  • Movie7.3

    After the Thin Man

    1936 · 206 votes

  • Movie7.1

    The Music Man

    1962 · 201 votes

  • Movie6.4

    The Return of Frank James

    1940 · 146 votes

  • Movie6.9

    Who's Minding the Store?

    1963 · 92 votes

  • Movie6.8

    A Child Is Waiting

    1963 · 65 votes

  • Movie7.2

    Bachelor Mother

    1939 · 81 votes

  • Movie7.3

    Of Mice and Men

    1939 · 106 votes

  • Movie7.3

    The Best Man

    1964 · 45 votes

  • Movie7.1

    The Snake Pit

    1948 · 118 votes

  • Movie6.2

    It's Only Money

    1962 · 24 votes

  • Movie6.2
  • Movie7.0

    Kiss Me, Stupid

    1964 · 222 votes

  • Movie6.9

    No Way Out

    1950 · 110 votes

  • Movie6.6

    The Inspector General

    1949 · 58 votes

  • Movie6.1

    The Fuller Brush Girl

    1950 · 11 votes

  • Movie6.5

    Manpower

    1941 · 19 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Roman Scandals

    1933 · 25 votes

  • Movie6.7

    The Naughty Nineties

    1945 · 32 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Once Upon a Time

    1944 · 17 votes

Series24

  • TV7.7

    Perry Mason

    1957 · 139 votes

  • TV7.3

    The Fugitive

    1963 · 63 votes

  • TV6.6

    Wagon Train

    1957 · 31 votes

  • TV7.0

    Daniel Boone

    1964 · 34 votes

  • TV7.3

    Have Gun, Will Travel

    1957 · 44 votes

  • TV6.8

    Four Star Playhouse

    1952 · 11 votes

  • TV5.9

    Petticoat Junction

    1963 · 42 votes

  • TV5.4

    Studio One

    1948 · 13 votes

  • TV6.6

    My Three Sons

    1960 · 41 votes

  • TV6.6

    Father Knows Best

    1954 · 28 votes

  • TV7.9

    I Love Lucy

    1951 · 264 votes

  • TV6.3

    Burke's Law

    1963 · 12 votes

  • TV8.0

    The Untouchables

    1959 · 139 votes

  • TV7.2

    Green Acres

    1965 · 80 votes

  • TV7.2

    Tales of Wells Fargo

    1957 · 16 votes

  • TV6.0

    The Texan

    1958 · 6 votes

  • TV5.8

    The Millionaire

    1955 · 4 votes

  • TV5.4

    M Squad

    1957 · 7 votes

  • TV6.8
  • TV6.8

    Mister Ed

    1961 · 57 votes

  • TV6.4

    Laredo

    1965 · 14 votes

  • TV6.5
  • TV6.2

    Mayberry R.F.D.

    1968 · 5 votes

  • TV7.5