You Know Her from ‘Emergency!’—But Julie London’s Other Roles Might Surprise You

Most folks remember Julie London best as Dixie McCall, the perpetually calm, peacemaking heading of nursing on the 1970s medical drama Emergency! But the diminutive beauty with the movie siren looks enjoyed a robust career in music, film and TV long before Nurse McCall set foot in the halls of Rampart Emergency Hospital. And you may have seen her on more of your favorite dramas and variety shows than you realize, especially Westerns. She’s great with a stethoscope and a Smith & Wesson!

Born Julie Peck on Sept. 26, 1926, to vaudevillian parents in Santa Rosa, Calif., London was discovered by actor Alan Ladd‘s talent agent wife, Sue Carol, while working as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles. Her elegant, bedroom-eyed beauty led the then teenage London to film roles, particularly in Westerns such as 1947’s The Red House with Edward G. Robinson and Rory Calhoun, 1951’s The Fat Man with Rock Hudson and Jayne Meadows, and 1958’s Man of the West with Gary Cooper and Hawaii 5-0‘s Jack Lord and Saddle the Wind with Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes.