Barbara Pepper's signature roles were as worldly "dames" during the Hollywood's 1930s and 1940s Golden Era, fitting snugly alongside other flashy broads of that period such as 'Iris Adrian' taking over the part. Plagued by a heart condition, Barbara died of a coronary in July, 1969, at the age of 54, looking at least a decade older, if not more.
She and Lucille Ball met early in their careers when they were both in The Goldwyn Girls , and they remained lifelong friends.
After Bea Benaderet proved unavailable, Barbara was seriously considered for the part of "Ethel Mertz" on her friend Lucille Ball s classic sitcom "I Love Lucy" , two years after Barbaras husband was killed. However, by this time the depressed Barbara had developed a chronic alcohol problem. With William Frawley --whose fondness for the bottle was legendary--already cast as "Fred Mertz", executive producer Desi Arnaz felt he couldnt take the chance of having two problem drinkers in pivotal roles on the same show. Vivian Vance , of course, eventually got the part.
Barbara had two sons with Craig Reynolds : Dennis Pepper and John.
Daughter of character film player Dave Pepper.
Probably best known for playing Doris Ziffel, the wife of the Douglas neighboring farmer Fred Ziffel, in "Green Acres" .
On July 30, 1936, a man named Fred Radke of Tacoma, WA, was walking on the sidewalk in front of her home in Hollywood when he was suddenly stricken with a heart attack and collapsed. Seeing this, Pepper called a physician and then ran outside to administer first aid to him until the physician got there. The doctor said that Radke was close to death and had Pepper not been there to help him, he certainly would have died.
