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.
Making Whoopee
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another sunny honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin' whoopee
A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
Its really killin' that he's so willin'
Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring
He's washin dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious he even sews
But don't forget folks,
Thats what you get folks, for makin' whoopee
He doesn't make much money
Five thousand dollars per;
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says, "You pay six to her."
He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge, right into jail.
You'd better keep her
I think it's cheaper
Than making whoopee."
The song "Makin' Whoopee" is a witty commentary on the institution of marriage and the expectations that come with it. The lyrics speak of the cycle of weddings, honeymoons, and the mundane realities of married life. The song begins with a description of another wedding ceremony in June, with the groom nervously repeating his vows. The lyrics then turn to the expectations placed on married couples: settling down in a love nest, taking care of household chores, and the financial pressures that come with starting a family.
The song's chorus, "For makin' whoopee," is a tongue-in-cheek way of referring to the expectation of sexual intimacy in marriage. The song suggests that many couples get married for the wrong reasons, such as financial security or societal expectations. The lyrics also suggest that marriage can be a trap, as the groom in the song is forced to pay alimony to his ex-wife even though he doesn't make much money.
Overall, "Makin' Whoopee" is a clever commentary on the social expectations surrounding marriage and the realities of marital life. The song's mixture of humor and poignancy make it a memorable addition to the American songbook.
Line by Line Meaning
Another bride, another June
It's a common scenario where a couple gets married in June.
Another sunny honeymoon
They have planned a sunny and happy honeymoon.
Another season, another reason
Just like every season has its own reason, there is always something that gives couples a reason to get married.
For makin' whoopee
The ultimate goal is to have physical intimacy.
A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
People come to the wedding and throw rice and there are a lot of shoes present there.
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
Even if the groom is confident, he will be nervous when it comes to answering the wedding vows; he may even answer twice by mistake.
Its really killin' that he's so willin'
It's astonishing that he is willing to spend the rest of his life with someone and is truly in love with them.
To make whoopee
This just means that he is willing to have physical intimacy with his partner.
Picture a little love nest
A home that is perfect for a newly married couple where they live together in love and affection.
Down where the roses cling
A place where roses cling around the house, giving the couple a serene and romantic feeling.
Picture the same sweet love nest
Imagining that same love nest, years later, still sweet and tender.
Think what a year can bring
A lot of life can happen in one year of marriage, both good and bad and the couple is imagining all the potential ways they will grow together.
He's washin' dishes and baby clothes
The husband is doing his part by sharing the household responsibilities, even washing the dishes and baby clothes.
He's so ambitious he even sews
He is not afraid to learn new things and help with additional chores like sewing clothes for his child.
But don't forget folks,
However, people should remember that...
Thats what you get folks, for makin' whoopee
These are the things that are to be expected in a marriage when a couple is intimate with one another.
He doesn't make much money
The husband doesn't make a lot of money at his job.
Five thousand dollars per;
He only earns five thousand dollars per year.
Some judge who thinks he's funny
The judge treats the husband and his poor financial situation as a joke.
Says, 'You pay six to her.'
The judge demands that the husband pay his ex-wife six thousand dollars as part of the divorce settlement.
He says, 'Now judge, suppose I fail?'
The husband poses a rhetorical question asking the judge what happens if he fails to pay.
The judge says, 'Budge, right into jail.'
The judge orders him to pay or face jail time for not complying with the court's order.
You'd better keep her
The judge suggests to the husband that he might be better off keeping his ex-wife rather than paying the large settlement.
I think its cheaper than makin' whoopee.
The judge's final advice is that it's a financially better option to stay married to his ex-wife than to have to pay alimony.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., MEMORY LANE MUSIC GROUP
Written by: WALTER DONALDSON, GUS KAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind