Doris Packer (May 30, 1904 – March 31, 1979) was an American actress, possibly best known for her recurring role as
Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn,
Theodore Cleaver
Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver is the fictional title character in the American television series '' Leave It to Beaver''. Originally played by Jerry Mathers, Beaver is the son of June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont, respective ...
's elementary school
principal in the
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
, ''
Leave It to Beaver''.
Packer portrayed the mother of
millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. In countries that use the short scal ...
playboy Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
's ''
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' (also known as simply ''Dobie Gillis'' or ''Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis'' in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5 ...
''. Earlier, she played Clarice Armitage, mother of Milton Armitage, whose character on the series Osborne replaced. In most of her screen roles, she was known for her aristocratic and intellectual bearing and precise use of the English language.
Background
Packer was born in
Menominee, Michigan
Menominee ( ) is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Menominee County. Menominee is the fourth-largest city in the Upper Peninsula, behind Marquett ...
. Her family moved to southern
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
when she was quite young. She became interested in acting while in
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
. After attending the
University of California at Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, she moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to study under noted drama teacher Evelyn Thomas. Packer also appeared in
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
shows.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Packer enlisted in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United States ...
(WACs), joining in 1943 as a
Private and eventually reaching the rank of
Technical Sergeant
Technical sergeant is the name of two current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States Armed Forces, as well as in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. Outside the United States, it is used only by the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and the ...
.
Her discharge records were likely lost in the
1973 fire at the
Military Personnel Records Center
The Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC-MPR) is a branch of the National Personnel Records Center and is the repository of over 56 million military personnel records and medical records pertaining to retired, discharged, and deceased veterans ...
.
In 1954, she appeared as Florence on an episode ("Sixteen Vertical") of
Rod Cameron's
crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...
series, ''
City Detective''. In 1955–1956, Packer appeared three times as a nurse in the NBC sitcom ''
It's a Great Life'', featuring
Frances Bavier
Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, she worked in film and television from the 1950s until the 1970s. She is best known for her role o ...
. In 1958, she guest-starred on Rod Cameron's subsequent
syndicated series, ''
State Trooper'', in "The Last Stage Robbery", an episode with a surprise ending.
Packer played wealthy society matrons on ''
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...
'' and ''
I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...
'' and as Mrs. Wiley on ''
The Andy Griffith Show
''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color.
The ...
''. She had a recurring role as Clara Mason in the 1960-61 sitcom ''
Happy''. Packer played Mrs. McGillicuddy in the 1961 episode "Gladys' Political Campaign" on the CBS sitcom, ''
Pete and Gladys''.
She appeared in an episode of ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...
'' entitled "
I Sing the Body Electric". She played the wealthy Mrs Huntingdon in a 1963 episode "I'm No Henry Walden!" on CBS's ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show
''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...
''. She appeared on three episodes of ''
The Beverly Hillbillies
''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...
'' as wealthy matron Mrs. Fenwick. She made a guest appearance on ''
Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...
'' in 1962 as Mrs. Campion in "The Case of the Polka Dot Pony".
During the first season of ''
Petticoat Junction
''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...
'' in 1964, Packer appeared in the thirtieth episode, titled "Kate and the Dowager". She portrayed a hotel guest whom Kate Bradley was trying to impress.
Packer appeared on NBC's
anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...
, ''
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
''The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran on NBC from September 1960 to September 1961. Barbara Stanwyck served as hostess, and starred in all but four of the half-hour productions. The four in which ...
''. In 1964–1965, Packer appeared on the short-lived CBS sitcom, ''
Many Happy Returns'', starring
John McGiver
John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913 – September 9, 1975) was an American character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975.
The owl-faced, portly character ac ...
and set in the complaint division of a fictitious
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
with the unlikely name of Crockmyer's. In 1965 she appeared in the episode, 'We Love You, Miss Pringle' in ''
My Favorite Martian
''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...
'': Season 2, Episode 26. In 1973, she guest-starred in an episode of the situation comedy ''
A Touch of Grace
''A Touch of Grace'' is an American sitcom that was based on the British series ''For the Love of Ada'' starring Shirley Booth and J. Patrick O'Malley centering on a widow who moves in with her daughter and son-in-law and her romantic relationsh ...
''.
Family
Packer was married to
stage director
A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
Rowland G. Edwards for twenty-five years — from September 29, 1928 until his death on August 10, 1953. The couple had no children.
Death
She died, aged 74, in 1979 in
Glendale, California, of natural causes. Her grave marker notes her military service.
Filmography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Packer, Doris
1904 births
1979 deaths
Actresses from Greater Los Angeles
Actresses from Michigan
People from Menominee, Michigan
Military personnel from Michigan
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Women's Army Corps soldiers
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
20th-century American actresses