DORIS PACKER

May 30, 1904

Doris Packer was born in Menominee, Michigan. Her family moved to southern California when she was young. She became interested in acting while in high school. After attending the University of California at Los Angeles, she moved to New York City to study drama and appeared in Broadway shows.  It was there she met her husband Rowland G. Edwards.  A busy radio performer in New York, she was a popular player on such shows as “Henry Aldrich” and “Mr. & Mrs. North.” 

In 1943, during World War II, Doris enlisted in the U.S. Army Women’s Army Corps (WACs) and reached the rank of Technical Sergeant before her discharge. Following her husband’s death in 1953, Doris relocated to the West Coast to try out film and TV.

Her first film was 1953′s Meet Me at the Fair starring Dan Dailey.  From 1954 to 1956 she made 16 appearances, most all as Mrs. Millicent Sohmers, on “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show”.  

She is possibly best known for her recurring role as Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn, Theodore Cleaver’s elementary school principal in the television series, “Leave It to Beaver” (1957-63). Packer also portrayed the mother of millionaire playboy Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. on CBS’s “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (1960-63).

In 1957, she was seen on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy’s Night in Town” (ILL S6;E22) filmed on February 21, 1957 and first aired on March 25, 1957.  The latecomers sharing the theater box with the gang are John Eldredge and Doris Packer. The couple got to the theatre late after getting a speeding ticket, forcing Lucy and Ethel to squeeze into the box seats with Ricky and Fred.  

Two years later, she returned to play Paul Douglas’ prim secretary in “Lucy Wants a Career,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.”  It is her job to screen applicants for the position of Douglas’s Girl Friday.  All except Lucy seem to be former models! 

In September 1962 she appeared in the premiere episode of Judy Carne’s Desilu sitcom “Fair Exchange”. 

In March 1963, she played wealthy hostess Mrs. Huntington on an episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” filmed by Desilu. 

MRS. HUNTINGTON: “Mr. and Mrs. Petrof, I am Mrs. Huntington, your hostess. Come, I want you to meet some of my very dear friends. People, I want you to meet Mr. and Mrs. William Petrof.”
ROB (gently correcting her): “Petrie.”
MRS. HUNTINGTON: “Oh, yes. You pronounce that Petrof, don’t you?”

She was also in a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show” titled “Lucy and The Runaway Butterfly” (TLS S1;E29) in April 1963.  She played the country club mother of a young executive Lucy is dating.  Mother is not impressed. 

In Mayberry (aka the Desilu backlot), Packer played another wealthy hostess, Mrs. Wiley, who gives a party of Ernest T. Bass on a February 1964 episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.”

The first-ever "swear” word heard on prime time network TV was “damn” and was uttered on an episode of “My Favorite Martian” in 1965. The potty-mouth was actress Doris Packer. Frankly, Miss Packer, we don’t give a darn!  Also in this episode, Tim (Bill Bixby) mentions that he attended Cahuenga High, which was actually a reference to Desilu Production’s studios on Cahuenga Boulevard, where “My Favorite Martian” filmed its first 7 episodes before moving to a different Desilu lot.

Packer appeared on all three of CBS’s rural Hooterville sitcoms, all as different characters: “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1963), “Petticoat Junction” (1964), and “Green Acres” (1967). 

In 1968, Packer worked for Desi Arnaz on an episode of “The Mothers In Law” playing (what else) mother-in-law Hubbard. Mother-in-law Buell was played by frequent “Lucy” actor Barbara Morrison. Morrison wears the same dress she wore on “The Lucy Show” also in 1968.

Her final role was as Rozalind in Shampoo (1975). 

Packer died on March 31, 1979 at age 74.