London's 35-year acting career began in films in 1944 and included playing opposite Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959). She achieved continuing success in the TV medical drama Emergency! (1972–1979), co-starring her real-life husband, Bobby Troup, and produced by her ex-husband, Jack Webb, in which London played the female lead role of nurse Dixie McCall. She and Randolph Mantooth, who played one-half of her medical students, a paramedic, in the series, were very close to her family, until her death in 2000.
Born in Santa Rosa, California, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was fourteen the family moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional High School in 1945.
London began singing under the name Gayle Peck in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd), while working as an elevator operator. Her early film career, however, did not include any singing roles.
London recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles. Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded four tracks that would later be included on the compilation album Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the album, for which London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", "Motherless Child", "A Foggy Day", and "You're Blasé".
London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup. The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on reissue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006). The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. London's "Must Be Catchin'" was featured in the 2011 premiere episode of the ABC series Pan Am. Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).
Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy", "Daddy", and "Desafinado". Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and playfully sensual.
She was married to Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame. Her obvious beauty and self-poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted with his pedestrian appearance and stiff-as-a-board acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from his and her love for jazz; their marriage lasted from July 1947 to November 1953. They had two daughters, one who was killed in a traffic accident in the 1990s and one who survived London. In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Jack Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Blvd. They married on December 31, 1959 and remained married until Troup's death in February 1999. Together, they had one daughter and twin sons.
London suffered a stroke in 1995, and was in poor health until her death in Encino, California, at the age of seventy-four, survived by four of her five children. She died on18th October 2000, and was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what they all say
From New York to Rome
Emily Post would surely say to her host
I′ve dug the evening the most
But please take me home
Nice girls don't stay for breakfast
And I'm a nice girl
You know that I am
If you′re impressed
With these words I professed
I have just one small request
Pass the jam
Please pass the jam
Pass the jam
The song "Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast" by Julie London depicts the perception and expectations society has of women's actions and behavior. The lyrics suggest that it is not socially acceptable for a "nice girl" to stay overnight with a man after a date. This societal pressure is exemplified in the lines "Nice girls don't stay for breakfast, that's what they all say from New York to Rome." The lyrics are showing how Emily Post, the etiquette expert and author, would advise women to leave after a date, as indicated by the line "Emily Post would surely say to her host I've dug the evening the most, but please take me home."
The song challenges the expectations of women's roles in society, and Julie London plays with the idea of what it means to be a "nice girl." The lyrics reflect a sense of frustration and defiance towards society's expectations, whereas London desires to stay and enjoy the moment. London suggests that she is a "nice girl" despite not conforming to traditional gender roles. The line "If you're impressed with these words I professed, I have just one small request; Pass the jam, please pass the jam, Pass the jam" is a playful way of showing that she is still a polite and well-behaved woman, despite not following the expected societal behaviors.
Line by Line Meaning
Nice girls don′t stay for breakfast
Societal norms dictate that women who have spent the night with a man should leave before breakfast.
That's what they all say
This belief is commonly held and accepted among many individuals.
From New York to Rome
This belief is not limited to a specific location or culture, but rather widely recognized.
Emily Post would surely say to her host
Emily Post, a renowned etiquette expert, would advise individuals to behave in this manner.
I′ve dug the evening the most
I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together this evening.
But please take me home
However, I would like to leave now despite having enjoyed our time together.
Nice girls don't stay for breakfast
Once again, it is emphasized that women should leave before breakfast after spending the night with a man.
And I'm a nice girl
I, too, adhere to this societal norm.
You know that I am
It is clear that my actions align with my label as a 'nice girl.'
If you′re impressed
If you find my behavior admirable or desirable,
With these words I professed
With the opinions I have shared with you,
I have just one small request
I would like to politely ask for a favor.
Pass the jam
Please hand me the jar of jam.
Please pass the jam
A polite ask for someone to hand me the jar of jam.
Pass the jam
A repeated request for someone to hand me the jar of jam.
Writer(s): Bobby W Troup, Jerry Leshay
Contributed by Kaelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.