Curves Ahead; The Incomparable Julie London

She was born Julie Peck in Santa Rosa, California, in 1926, to Jack and Josephine Peck, a vaudeville song-and-dance team. The family moved to San Bernardino, California when Julie was 14. She graduated there from Hollywood Professional High School and soon after took a job as a $19-a-week elevator operator in a department store in Hollywood. She sang at night with a band led by the violinist Matty Malneck. Julies lucky star was in her orbit. A chance meeting with talent agent Sue Carol would help start her movie career. The roles she first recieved were minor such as in Jungle Woman in 1944 and Nabongna in 1945, but she quickly gained popularity with movie goers with her performance in The Red House in 1947 with Edward G. Robinson.

pictured: Julie London and Lon McCallister

Ms. Londons singing and acting was put on hold for a time during a brief marriage to actor, Jack Webb. Julie met Jack Webb when she was fifteen; the two dated off and on until the marriage in 1947. Julie and Jack had two beautiful daughters, Stacy (1950) and Alisa (1952), during their relationship. Webb became a great star with the television series "Dragnet". The pressures of stardom coupled with the fact that webb was a self professed workaholic put an obvious strain on his marriage with Julie and it ended after 6 years in 1953. Webb always spoke highly of Julie and they remained friends throughout thier lifetimes.

Julie and Jack Webb at home

Julie and Jack with baby daughter 1953

After the divorce, Julie became somewhat reclusive and focused her energy on motherhood which was a role she cherished. While still married to Webb, Julie and he had shared a mutual love of Jazz music. and had spent many evenings touring the clubs together. Her love for jazz remained and she met the bandleader, Bobby Troup, during a nightclub visit on La Brea Avenue.. They quickly became smitten with one another and began dating. Bobby clearly recognized julies talent for singing and encouraged it. He believed she could make a career with such a talent. Finally giving in, Julie began singing at different nightclubs. The word quickly got around and Julie London became the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957 as named by Billboard.

Always beautiful

Julie London, Feb. 1957


Julie London, Around Midnight 1960

My favorite LP cover of Julies

Julie London, Your Number Please, 1959

Julies voice has been refered to as "intimate, sleek, and sultry as well as smoky, husky, breathy, haunting, intimate and even "a voice for a smoke-filled room." My favorite is "A molten Mezzo."
While her looks clearly did attract record buyers, her voice was incomparable. Singing close to the microphone, London’s voice sounded controlled yet relaxed. It has been said that "the purity and naturalness of her vocal style tempts one to take it for granted, yet few if any singers have matched it." the anonymous author of the liner notes to London’s second album wrote: "there is an appealing loneliness in Julie, she has a way of getting out on a plane all by herself where no one can reach her". Julies music was so popular that "many male admirers bought her albums simply to gaze upon her come-hither countenance on the dust jacket", according to Hal Erickson (All Movie Guide). London recorded more than 30 albums--among them "Julie Is Her Name," "Lonely Girl," "Calendar Girl," "About the Blues," "Make Love to Me," and "London by Night", Despite all of the wonderful praise, Julie was notoriously shy and uncomfortable with stardom.
She was always very modest and rarely, if ever, took credit for her talent or work. She was a beautiful woman in spirit and heart as well as on the surface

Julie was once quoted as saying: "I'm sure any vocal teacher that listens to me would rather cut my throat than do anything."

Julie and Bobby Troup married on December 31, 1959, they had one daughter, Kelly and twin sons, Jody and Reese. Bobby was also a much beloved stepfather to Julies daughters from her marriage to Jack Web. Julie said about marriage; "I think that`s one of the most difficult things in any marriage - in order to build anything, you must be together. You can`t build anything over the telephone."

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Troup, 1960 New Years


Julie, Bobby and friend working hard

Julie, Bobby (facing camera) and friend


Always working; Julie and Bobby


Julie and Bobby rehearsing at home as a family member looks on

Along with her new singing career, Julie's film career took off once more and she began guesting on television variety shows, appearing on shows such as Dinah Shore, Bob Hope, Steve Allen and Perry Como. Troup, the songwriter of such hits as "Route 66," even got her to write a couple of songs, the title song for the 1958 film about Alcoholics Anonymous in which she starred and sang, "The Voice in the Mirror." was written by Julie.

julie london and Richard Egan, " the voice in the mirror"

Julie and Bobby were hired in 1972 by Julies ex husband Jack Webb to act in his new television production, EMERGENCY! Julie was nurse Dixie McCall to Troup's neurosurgeon, Dr. Joe Early during the series' run from 1972 to 1977. EMERGENCY!

Julie as Dixie McCall EMERGENCY! 72-79

Julie 1967 (one of my favorites of her)

Julie at the Waldorf Hotel 1968

brought Julie to a whole new group of fans. It was a popular series during its run and has gained a great following by lovers of classic television today with the much awaited release of the show on DVD.
Julie enjoyed playing Dixie McCall and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on EMERGENCY! It was family, not career, that was Julie's priority. She was extremely family oriented and a real homebody, She spent as much time as possible with her husband and children at home. In regards to the family home, Julie said;
"I think homes should reflect the individuals and their individual taste rather than someone else`s." She enjoyed knitting, playing games with the kids, swimming, etc. Home truly is where Julies and the heart of her family was.

All the kids staying close to mom !

The Family Bed


Taking it easy at home

Julie in 1957 with Daughters Stacy & Alisa
and family pet

Julie and Bobby enjoying a meal

Dad stokes the fire while everyone else gets warm

Julie and the girls, Stacy and Alisa, Jan 1957

Julie with girls at home 57

Julie with Stacy and Alisa, at home 1957

Julies last music recording, "My Funny Valentine," for the film "Sharky's Machine" was made in 1981 after which she quite happily retired. Julie acted in 24 movies and her last motion picture was "The George Raft Story" in 1961, in which she portrayed Raft's first girlfriend, Sheila Patton. Julies last album was "Yummy, Yummy Yummy" in 1969. (thank you much to Mr. Lopez for that correction!) Julie considered the album "Easy Does It" her very best.

Julie with Ray Danton in the George Raft Story

Bobby Troup LP with his beloved Julie on cover

Julie and Bobbys marriage lasted 40 loving years. Many who knew them said "BobbyandJulie" as if they were one word, and that was the feeling of their life together.
About her husband Julie said once; " Bobby was one of the few people I had ever known who really wanted to do something for me." Julie suffered from a stroke in 1995 and began to suffer from many health problems from then on. in 1996 a sad and painful tragedy struck the family when their daughter Stacy was killed along with her passenger, Stephen Barnicoat, when the pickup she was driving collided with a california state patrol car. She was only 46. Bobby doted on and cared for Julie until his death from a massive heart attack at UCLA medical Center in 1999. Sadly and in a way, not surprisingly, Julie died a year later of cardiac arrest at 5:30 a.m. in Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center in October, (on Bobbys birthday), 2000, leaving behind a legacy and a voice that will be forever incomparable.

The Beautiful Julie London at NY Idlewilde Airport 70's

Curves Ahead; Martha Raye

When I used to think about Martha Raye,the first thing that came to my mind was this: "The lady with the mouth." That was how I remembered her. Not terribly flattering I guess. When I was a young girl that's how my parents described her to me once.

"They call her 'The Mouth'," my mother said. "Right, Joe? isn't that what they call Martha Raye?" she hollered over her shoulder to my Father in the kitchen who promptly agreed. "Yep, The Big Mouth." he answered. "Oh...I thought it was just 'The Mouth'." Mom frowned. "Are you sure?" she asked him, her eyebrow cocked. "Yes Pam," my Father sighed. "I'm sure." Later on my Mom told me that she was pretty sure that it was just 'The Mouth' and that my Dad didn't know what he was talking about.

We didn't have the internet then. We couldn't just jump up and prove a point instantaneously. We had to either pick up the phone and call someone who might know the answer, drive yourself insane with trying to remember something that was buried deep in your brain somewhere or go to the library and actually research it. Anyhow, my Father was right. Martha Raye was known as "The Big Mouth" mainly because her mouth appeared quite large in proportion to the rest of her face.

Marthas mouth set her apart from the crowd, yes...but it wasn't really her mouth that made
Martha a star. Martha was star material long before they started making up her mouth to appear even larger than it was.
I happened on an old movie, Pin Up Girl yesterday with Martha in it. She was young and bubbly and I was surprised that I was looking at Martha Raye! I was taken back when I realized that it was her.
She was really quite pretty. She had beautiful eyes, a pretty face and she was all woman, no doubt about that.

Two days after Martha was born, (1916) her mother, an actress performing at a local vaudeville theatre, was already back on stage! Martha was born to act, literally.

Martha Raye and her Mother, Maybelle Hooper

Martha began in Vaudeville at age 3, first appearing in her parents act; "Reed and Hooper". She performed with her brother Bud and the two kids were such a huge hit that the name of the act was changed to "Margy and Bud". (Martha was born Margy Reed) Concerning her childhood Martha once said: "I must have been hypnotized by the spotlight. I never realized I was being culturally deprived, that I was having a lousy upbringing. We were too busy making a living to worry about stuff like that."

Martha first made a real name for herself as a sophisticated jazz song stylist. After enjoying success onstage and in Radio Raye entered features films in 1936, where she gained a second following as a raucous, knockabout singing comedienne. She supplied broad comic relief in a number of Bing Crosby films and often got to sing in her peppy, surprisingly sweet, flowing voice.. Over the next 2 decades , she would appear with many of the leading comics of her day such as Bob Hope, Joe E Brown, Abbott and Costello, WC Fields, Charlie Chaplin, and Jimmy Durante.

Martha joined the USO soon after the US entered into WW2 and found a personal calling that would stay with her heart as long as she lived.. She travelled extensively to entertain the American troops. Before WW2 was over, Martha had entertained soldiers in every theatre of war where American troops were stationed. Martha was so beloved by the troops that she became known as "Colonel Maggie". President Johnson named her an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets), and she was the first civilian allowed to wear one of their berets She dressed in combat boots and fatiques and raised morale with her wonderful singing and excellent comedic talents. She even performed nursing services when she could! She travelled to and from vietnam for 9 years during that war. In the 1960's she performed at the McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey for the Anniversary of Women in the Air Force. She received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1969 for her service to the troops in Vietnam. For her service to America, Raye also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.

During the 1950's Martha turned to TV where she hosted and guested on numerous variety programs. She did the Martha Raye Show in 1954-1956. She was considered one of the greats in TV comedy. "Her routines," explained TV Guide, "are boisterous, rowdy affairs, full of slapstick, wild plot lines and fantastic mugging - with appropriate crossed eyes, crooked arm and other contortionist business. But she's one of only a handful of clowns who can pull it off." Variety dubbed Raye "the funniest femme in television," She pulled it off for only two years. Television audiences were a different bunch in those days. Racism was rampant and shamefully a very normal part of our society.
There was an incident that happened on the September 20, 1955 episode that caused many of the shows tv audience to turn against Martha, involving an african american child. 12-year-old $64,000 Question winner Gloria Lockerman was a guest, along with Tallulah Bankhead, on the show that night. "At the bows, when they were saying goodnight," recalls Norman Lear (the brains behind All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons) "Talullah Bankhead picked Gloria Lockerman up and hugged her; Martha joined them and the three of them were hugging, and they both kissed her, This was 1954. There were so many letters about hugging that little black child that the show never recovered from it, with the ad agency carrying on the way it did." For whatever reason, the show was cancelled at the end of the 1955-56 season.
Marthas personal life was extremely complex and probably an emotional rollercoaster. She was married 7 times. Most of her marriages lasted less than two years with the exception of the one to Nick Condos from March 9, 1944 to June 17, 1953 which resulted in the birth of her only child Melodye Raye Condos on July 26, 1944.

martha and husband nick (middle)

Martha, Nick Condos and their only child, Melody Raye Condos

Martha was a feisty, beautiful lady who gave herself so completely to her craft and others that it seems she didn't know how to give to or take care of herself. Following the demise of her TV variety show, the breakup of her fifth marriage, and a series of other personal problems, she attempted suicide with sleeping pills on August 14, 1956. After her recovery she always wore a St. Christopher's medal, a St. Genesius medal and a Star of David given to her by wellwishers even though she was neither catholic or Jewish. . At the end of her TV programs she also would say "Good night, Sisters," as a reference to The Sisters of St. Francis Hospital in Miami where she recovered, as a sign of appreciation and gratitude. In marthas later life she In 1970, she portrayed Boss Witch, the "Queen of all Witch-dom" in the feature film Pufnstuf for Sid and Marty Krofft. This led to her being cast as villainess Benita Bizarre in The Bugaloos (1970), which the Kroffts produced the same year. She often appeared as a guest on other programs, particularly ones that often had older performers as guest stars.

Martha pictured here with her portrait and the artist Hyacinthe

Raye served as the television spokesperson for Polident denture cleanser, principally during the 1970s and 1980s. Raye's final years were spent dealing with ongoing health problems. She suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had lost both legs in 1993 due to circulatory problems.On November 2, 1993, Martha Raye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Bill Clinton, for her service to her country. The citation reads:

"A talented performer whose career spans the better part of a century, Martha Raye has delighted audiences and uplifted spirits around the globe. She brought her tremendous comedic and musical skills to her work in film, stage, and television, helping to shape American entertainment. the great courage, kindness, and patriotism she showed in her many tours during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict earned her the nickname "Colonel Maggie." The American people honor Martha Raye, a woman who has tirelessly used her gifts to benefit the lives of her fellow Americans."

Martha died of pneumonia on October 19, 1994, after a long history of cardiovascular disease. Raye was 78 years of age, and residing in Los Angeles at the time of her death.


In much appreciation of her work with the USO during World War II and subsequent wars, special consideration was given to bury her in Arlington National Cemetery upon her death, however, at her request, she was ultimately buried with full military honors in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.