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.
Theme From "A Summer Place"
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where it may rain or storm
Yet I'm safe and warm
For within that summer place
Your arms reach out to me
And my heart is free from all care
For it knows
When seen through the eyes
Of those who are blessed with love
And the sweet secret of
A summer place
Is that it's anywhere
When two people share
All their hopes
All their dreams
All their love
There's a summer place
Where it may rain or storm
Yet I'm safe and warm
In your arms, in your arms
In your arms, in your arms
In your arms, in your arms
Julie London's “Theme From A Summer Place" is a romantic song about a summer retreat that provides a sanctuary from the stresses of life. The music creates a dreamlike atmosphere that transports the listener to a peaceful and happy state of mind. The song is an ode to the joys of love, as it emphasizes togetherness, warmth, and protection. The lyrics convey a sense of security from the rain or storm and the beauty of love when shared between two people.
The lyrics describe a romantic escape from reality, where two people share a secret summer place, where they can be safe and warm from the cold of the outside world. The song accentuates the power of love, and the beauty and peace it can bring to our lives. London's sultry voice adds to the romantic and dreamy quality of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a summer place
There is a special place that represents summer and its related feelings
Where it may rain or storm
Even though it may rain or storm in that place, it doesn't ruin the desired feelings
Yet I'm safe and warm
In that summer place, no matter the weather, the singer feels secure and comfortable
For within that summer place
Because of that magical place and its attributes
Your arms reach out to me
The individual's loved one is present, offering comfort and reassurance
And my heart is free from all care
Being in that space with their significant other, the singer's heart is worry-free
For it knows there are no gloomy skies
In that place, there is no room for negative or sad thoughts
When seen through the eyes
The way someone looks at the world can dramatically affect their perception
Of those who are blessed with love
For those who have the fortune of being in love, their perspective will always be warmer and more optimistic
And the sweet secret of a summer place
The distinctive, complex beauty of the magical summer place
Is that it's anywhere
This space can be found anywhere, it exists as long as it is shared by two people in love
When two people share
This unique type of love applies only when two individuals in love are present
All their hopes, all their dreams, all their love
All of their future aspirations, past memories, and current feelings encompass this space of safety and warmth
In your arms, in your arms
All of these feelings and emotions can be found in the safety and comfort of the individual's loved one
In your arms, in your arms
That safety and comfort can be found wherever their loved one is
In your arms, in your arms
That safety and comfort can always be found within their significant other’s embrace
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Discant, Max Steiner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind