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57-522: Based on Soundies technology developed during World War II , color 16 mm film shorts with a magnetic soundtrack were designed to be shown in a specially designed jukebox. The difference between the Panoram and the Scopitone jukebox was that with Panoram the 16mm films were black and white with optical sound and there was no selection among the 8 short films in the jukebox, whereas Scopitone featured color (in

114-406: A Panoram , the first coin-operated film jukebox or machine music . These were set up in nightclubs, bars, restaurants and amusement centers. After 2005, the word 'Scopitone' was dedicated as a name for type of music video which is highlighted on musicians, playback artists, and composers on screen. Composer and conductor James Horner first used the Scopitone name for his video as a remembrance of

171-666: A River ", a song she introduced on her debut album Julie Is Her Name , was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In addition to her musical notice, London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her portrayal of Nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency! Born in Santa Rosa, California, to vaudevillian parents, London was discovered while working as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles, and she began her career as an actress. London's 35-year acting career began in film in 1944, and included roles as

228-435: A River". She released studio albums until the end of the decade, and her final studio album was Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969), a collection of contemporary songs. After this, London stopped singing professionally. She had lost significant vocal control due to years of smoking and drinking. London remained close with ex-husband Jack Webb, and in 1972, he cast her and Troup in his television series Emergency! , of which he

285-492: A River". The film was a box-office success, and became one of the top-30 highest-grossing films of 1956. London subsequently appeared in a television advertisement for Marlboro cigarettes, singing the "Marlboro Song". She appeared in several Westerns: In 1957, she appeared in Drango playing a Southern belle harboring fugitives, followed by a starring role opposite Gary Cooper in Man of

342-451: A Scopitone for one of their more obscure records and not their biggest hit; when she saw the finished product, she was appalled by its disjointed appearance. The artifice of such scenes led Susan Sontag to identify Scopitone films as "part of the canon of Camp " in her 1964 essay " Notes on 'Camp' ". The medium's focus on adult audiences, and the resulting avoidance of or inability to lure the superstar American or British Invasion acts of

399-525: A career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles. Her debut album Julie Is Her Name was released in December of that year, and 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

456-421: A crowd; some sing as though they are in a bar with a lot of people—[London] sings as though she's in one room, with you—and that's the difference." Music journalist Lucy O'Brien stated: "[In] the mid-'50s...pop [was] in a period of transition from big band swing to small jazz combos; you've got rock'n'roll, you've got R&B —and she managed to incorporate all those influences and feed that into her music. She

513-563: A performance. Soundies were produced between 1940 and 1946 and have been referred to as "precursors to music videos ". Soundies exhibited a variety of musical genres in an effort to draw a broad audience. The shorts were originally viewed in public places on " Panorams ": coin-operated, 16mm rear projection machines. Panorams were typically located in businesses like nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. Due to World War II , Soundies also featured patriotic messages and advertisements for war bonds . Hollywood films were censored but Soundies weren't, so

570-407: A traffic accident in 1996, one day after her mother's 70th birthday. Withdrawn and introverted despite her public persona, London rarely granted media interviews and never discussed the breakup of her marriage to Webb. London was a chain smoker from the age of 16 and at times smoked in excess of three packs of cigarettes per day. She suffered a stroke in 1995 and remained in poor health for

627-428: A white shag rug with an offstage fan urging her to sing " Walk on By ". Another had Nancy Sinatra and a troupe of go-go girls shimmy to " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' ". Inspired by burlesque , blonde bombshell Joi Lansing performed "Web of Love" and "The Silencer", and Julie London sang "Daddy" against a backdrop of strippers. Mary "Dee Dee" Phelps of Dick and Dee Dee recalled in 2006 being asked to record

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684-492: Is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate." London's debut recordings (which appeared on her self-titled extended play) were completed under the New York-based Bethlehem Records label. Four additional tracks recorded during these sessions were later included on the album Bethlehem's Girlfriends , a compilation album released in 1957. Bobby Troup was one of the session musicians on

741-470: The Hollywood Professional School in 1945 and worked as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles throughout high school. In 1943, London met Sue Carol , a talent agent and then-wife of actor Alan Ladd , while operating the elevator at Roos Bros., ( Roos/Atkins ), an upscale clothing store on Hollywood Boulevard. Struck by London's physical features, Carol facilitated a screen test for

798-655: The Kessler Sisters burst out of twin steamer trunks to sing " Quando Quando " on the dim screen that surmounted the jukebox. Scopitone went on to appear in bars in England , including a coffee bar in Swanage where " Telstar " was a favourite. By 1964, approximately 500 machines were installed in the United States, most of which were deliberately targeted at cocktail lounges and adult establishments, in part to avoid competition with

855-529: The Paris Première channel. As of 2012, one of the few Scopitones not in a museum or private collection in the United States is at Third Man Records in Nashville, Tennessee . Many Scopitone films have been released on DVD or made available on the internet . The Swiss technology museum Enter has one Scopitone on display. Soundies A soundie is a three-minute American musical film displaying

912-576: The 1960s, including guest appearances on Rawhide (1960), Laramie (1960), I Spy (1965), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1965) and The Big Valley (1968). She and second husband Bobby Troup frequently appeared as panelists on the game shows Tattletales , Hollywood Squares , and Masquerade Party in the 1970s. On May 28, 1964, Troup and she recorded a one-hour program for Japanese television in Japan. London sang 13 of her classic songs, including "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Lonesome Road", and "Cry Me

969-600: The Official prints and negatives). The trade publication Billboard reported in February 1951 that Official Films had spent $ 300,000 preparing the Soundies film library for television syndication, under the series title "Music Hall Varieties"; Official earned more than $ 700,000 from local TV stations. Three documentaries have been produced about Soundies. Don McGlynn produced and edited The Soundies in 1986, hosted by Cab Calloway ;

1026-550: The Scopitone business had deep ties to the Sicilian Mafia . Even though the popularity of the Scopitone had faded away by the end of the 1960s,the same concept was still in limited use throughout the 1970s by acts such as the Carpenters and ABBA , both of whose early productions were shot on 16mm film before transitioning to videotape . Toward the late 1960s, films produced for the rival Color-Sonic video jukebox were adapted to

1083-595: The Scopitone jukebox. The first Scopitones were made in France by a company called Cameca on Blvd Saint Denis in Courbevoie, among them Serge Gainsbourg 's "Le poinçonneur des Lilas" (filmed in 1958 in the Porte des Lilas Métro station ), Johnny Hallyday 's "Noir c'est noir" a French version of Los Bravos ' " Black Is Black ") and the " Hully Gully " showing a dance around a swimming pool. Scopitones spread to West Germany , where

1140-620: The Scopitone. The last official film for a Scopitone was made at the end of 1978. In 1990, a selection of Scopitones was screened at the Jewel Box theater in Seattle by Dennis Nyback . In 2006, French singer Mareva Galanter released several videos which mimic the Scopitone style. Galenta's album Ukuyéyé features several songs in the French Yé-yé style. She also recently hosted a weekly French television program called "Do you do you Scopitone" on

1197-562: The Soundies machines and films became obsolete. Almost all of the Panoram jukeboxes were either junked or modified into self-service "peepshow" machines. Most remaining Panorams are in the hands of collectors and are occasionally offered for sale. The library of approximately 1,800 Soundies films was made available first to home-movie companies Castle Films and Official Films , then to television via Official's TV division, and ultimately to home video (via England's Charly Records , which acquired

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1254-663: The US produced films Technicolor ), with Hi-Fi magnetic soundtracks, with selection available between all 36 Scopitone films in the Scopitone Jukebox. Scopitone films, like Soundies, featured recordings that performers lip synced to, with at least one exception; Billy Lee Riley was recorded live performing the song "High Heel Sneakers" in his Scopitone. Between 1940 and 1946, three-minute musical films called Soundies (produced in New York City , Chicago and Hollywood ) were displayed on

1311-703: The West , in which her character, the film's only woman, is abused and humiliated by an outlaw gang. The same year, she appeared as a pending bride in the Western Saddle the Wind ; London's performance received critical acclaim in The New York Times . She appeared in The Wonderful Country in 1959, in which she plays a downtrodden wife of an army major. In 1960, London released the album Julie...At Home , which

1368-718: The album. London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", " Motherless Child ", " A Foggy Day ", and " You're Blasé ". "Cry Me a River", London's most famous single, was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup. The recording became a million-seller after its release on her debut album in 1955. While her music career earned her public notice, London also continued to appear in films, with lead roles in Crime Against Joe (1956), as well as appeared as herself in The Girl Can't Help It (1956), in which London performs three songs, including "Cry Me

1425-461: The earlier part of the decade The Exciters (" Tell Him ") and Neil Sedaka (" Calendar Girl ") to Bobby Vee (" The Night Has a Thousand Eyes " and " Baby Face ") and later 1960s acts such as Gary Lewis (" Little Miss Go-Go "), Jody Miller (" The Race Is On " and her biggest hit " Queen of the House ") and Procol Harum (" A Whiter Shade of Pale "). In one Scopitone recording, Dionne Warwick lay on

1482-475: The era, was a factor in its demise; for example, when The Beatles decided to enter the music video business in 1965, they opted to bypass the Scopitone and distribute their promotional films via television. Other factors included the declining taste and poor quality of the productions (particularly those made in the United States), changing taste toward psychedelic rock and a late 1960s sting that revealed that

1539-604: The female lead in numerous Westerns , co-starring with Rock Hudson in The Fat Man (1951), with Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes in Saddle the Wind (1958), with Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and with Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959). In the mid-1950s, London signed a recording contract with Liberty Records , marking the beginning of her professional musical career. She released her final studio album in 1969, but achieved continuing success playing

1596-441: The female starring role of nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency! (1972–1979), in which she acted with her husband Bobby Troup . The show was produced by her ex-husband Jack Webb . London was born Julie Peck on September 26, 1926, in Santa Rosa, California, the only child of Josephine Rosalie Peck (née Taylor; 1905 – 1976) and Jack Peck (1901–1977), who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. In 1929, when she

1653-555: The film in August 1950. After Warner Bros. dropped her contract, London was offered a contract with Universal Pictures based on the role, but turned it down, opting instead to focus on her marriage to actor Jack Webb. After divorcing Webb in 1954, London resumed her career, appearing in The Fighting Chance , filmed in May 1955 and released by 20th Century Fox . Earlier in 1955, London

1710-959: The film was broadcast nationally on PBS . Dewey Russell compiled an hourlong, direct-to-video history, "Soundies: Music Video from the '40s" in 1987, narrated by Michael Sollazzo. Chris Lamson produced "Soundies: A Musical History," hosted by Michael Feinstein , in 2007 for PBS. For today's filmmakers and archivists, Soundies are known for preserving rare performances of African-American artists who had fewer opportunities to perform in mainstream films. Such artists as The Ink Spots , Fats Waller , Duke Ellington , Louis Jordan , Sister Rosetta Tharpe , Dorothy Dandridge , Big Joe Turner , Bob Howard , Billy Eckstine , Count Basie , The Mills Brothers , Herb Jeffries , Cab Calloway , Meade Lux Lewis , Lena Horne , Louis Armstrong , Nat King Cole , and Stepin Fetchit all made Soundies (several of these were excerpted from longer theatrical films). The Soundies concept

1767-580: The films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006). The track was ranked number 48 in NPR 's list of the 50 Greatest Jazz Vocals, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. Her albums Julie...At Home and Around Midnight (both released in 1960) were both included in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die . She has been named as an influence by several contemporary artists, including Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish . Music journalist Will Friedwald referred to London as "one of

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1824-575: The films occasionally had daring content like burlesque acts; these were produced to appeal to soldiers on leave. Filmed professionally on black-and-white 35 mm stock , like theatrical motion pictures, they were printed on the more portable and economical 16 mm film. The Panoram "movie jukebox" was manufactured by the Mills Novelty Company of Chicago. Each Panoram housed a 16 mm RCA film projector, with eight Soundies films threaded in an endless-loop arrangement. A system of mirrors flashed

1881-729: The films were changed weekly. The completed Soundies were generally made available within a few weeks of their filming, by the Soundies Distributing Corporation of America. Several production companies filmed the Soundies shorts in New York City, Hollywood, and Chicago: James Roosevelt 's Globe Productions (1940–41), Cinemasters (1940–41), Minoco Productions (owned by Mills Novelty, 1941–43), RCM Productions (1941–46), LOL Productions (1943), Glamourettes (1943), Filmcraft Productions (1943–46), and Alexander Productions (1946) led by William D. Alexander ). The performers recorded

1938-481: The following five years. In late 1999, she was diagnosed with lung cancer but forewent treatment due to her weakened physical state. On October 17, 2000, London was rushed from her home to the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center after choking and struggling to breathe. She died in the hospital in the early morning hours of October 18 of what was later determined to be cardiac arrest ; she

1995-450: The image from the lower half of the cabinet onto a front-facing screen in the top half. Because of the mirror arrangement, the films had to be printed with the image "flipped" (with the titles appearing backwards on the screen). Each film cost 10 cents to play, with no choice of song; the patron saw whatever film was next in the queue. Panorams could be found in public amusement centers, nightclubs, taverns, restaurants, and factory lounges, and

2052-403: The inexperienced actress, and London signed a contract with her. London met Esquire photographer Henry Waxman while working her second job as a clerk at a menswear store, and he shot photographs of her that appeared in the magazine's November 1943 issue. These photos helped establish her as a pin-up girl during World War II. She made her film debut while still in high school, appearing under

2109-452: The jukebox industry for the teen audience. By 1966, reportedly 800 machines were installed in bars and nightclubs in the US, at a cost of $ 3500 apiece. This, in turn, required production of new Scopitone films for the American audience, many of which were produced on contract with Debbie Reynolds 's production company. Several well-known acts of the 1960s appear in Scopitone films, ranging from

2166-503: The leading Soundies performers. Many stars of the future made appearances in Soundies at the beginning of their careers, including Gale Storm , Dorothy Dandridge , Ricardo Montalbán , Liberace , Doris Day , Gloria Grahame , Cyd Charisse , Alan Ladd , Marilyn Maxwell , and Yvonne DeCarlo . Many nightclub and recording artists also made Soundies, including Harry "The Hipster" Gibson , Benny Fields , Frances Faye , Gloria Parker , Charles Magnante , Milton DeLugg , and Gus Van . In

2223-809: The market for jukebox films, the other companies disbanded, and some sold their films to the Soundies concern. Soundies emphasized variety from their beginning; the first three bandleaders who contracted for Soundies were boogie-woogie specialist Will Bradley , established popular music maestro Vincent Lopez , and Hawaiian singer-leader Ray Kinney . Soundies displayed all genres of music, from classical to big-band swing, and from hillbilly novelties to patriotic songs. Harry McClintock , Jimmy Dorsey , Louis Jordan , Spike Jones , Stan Kenton , Kay Starr , Johnnie Johnston , Les Brown , The Hoosier Hot Shots , Charlie Spivak , Cliff Edwards , Martha Tilton , Sally Rand , Nick Lucas , Gene Krupa , Anita O'Day , Jimmie Dodd , Merle Travis , and Lawrence Welk were some of

2280-597: The mid-1940s, during a moratorium imposed by James Petrillo of the musicians' union, Soundies resorted to filming nonmusical vaudeville acts, featuring exotic dancers Sally Rand and Faith Bacon , animal acts, acrobats, impressionists, and jugglers. Beginning in 1941, Soundies experimented with expanding its format, and filmed comedy Soundies with Our Gang actor Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer , Broadway comic Willie Howard , dialect comedians Smith and Dale , Harry Langdon , Snub Pollard , and The Keystone Cops . Most of these films were nonmusical, and were not as well received as

2337-418: The mid-1960s, Scopitone jukeboxes had spread across England and the United States. Julie London Julie London (née Peck ; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty albums of pop and jazz standards between 1955 and 1969. Her recording of " Cry Me

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2394-507: The most influential stylists of the early 20th century." London also inspired a tribute from Jools Holland and Jamiroquai as part of their music video version of " I'm in the Mood for Love " shortly after her passing. Her cover of the Ohio Express song " Yummy Yummy Yummy " was featured on the television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. London's "Must Be Catchin' "

2451-576: The music in advance, and mimed to the soundtrack during filming. The movie-jukebox idea developed several imitations and variations of the technical design; the most successful of these imitators were the Techniprocess company (managed by Rudy Vallee ) and the Featurettes company, which used original novelty songs and usually unknown talent (17-year-old Gwen Verdon appears in a couple of the Featurettes as "Gwen Verdun"). As Soundies quickly gained most of

2508-515: The musical Soundies. Soundies abandoned the comedy-sketch idea, but continued to produce filmed versions of comic novelty songs. Some bandleaders recognized the promotional value of Soundies. Will Bradley, Vincent Lopez, and Ray Kinney were the first, as has been mentioned, and Ozzie Nelson , Cab Calloway , Louis Armstrong , Lawrence Welk , and Louis Jordan followed. The most prolific Soundies bandleaders were Johnny Long (18 titles) and Stan Kenton (17 titles); cowboy entertainer Red River Dave

2565-657: The name Julie London in Nabonga in 1944. She later starred in the 1947 film The Red House with Edward G. Robinson. After a series of uncredited roles, she signed a contract with Warner Bros. Pictures , appearing in the war film Task Force (1949) and the Western Return of the Frontiersman (1950). She was cast in the lead role of Pat Boyd in the William Castle -directed The Fat Man (1951). London completed shooting

2622-415: The original Soundies "jukebox" concept was revived by French company Cameca as Scopitone . Similar to Soundies, Scopitones are short musical films designed to be played on a specially designed coin-operated jukebox, but with new technical improvements - color and high-fidelity sound. Scopitones were printed on color 16mm film with magnetic sound, instead of Soundies' black-and-white film with optical sound. By

2679-565: The television industry to spend more time with her family. She completed " My Funny Valentine ", her last musical recording, for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine in 1981. Predominantly a torch singer , London was described by critics as both "sultry" and "low-keyed". Her recordings were often noted by critics for being "intimate", typically featuring sparse guitar and bass arrangements. A BBC Legends episode noted: "Some singers sing as though they are addressing

2736-487: The use of rubber and precious metals, prioritizing these resources for military use during wartime. This meant that Mills Novelty could no longer build and sell Panoram machines, and had to confine its activities to keeping the existing projectors supplied with films. Soundies became strictly a production company, dedicated to making its own musical shorts. The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America remained active until 1947. With commercial television developing rapidly,

2793-520: Was 74. London was cremated and buried next to Troup in the Courts of Remembrance Columbarium of Providence at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for recording) is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. London performed "Cry Me a River" in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention for its use in

2850-401: Was almost as prolific (14 titles). More than 1,800 Soundies minimusicals were made, many of which have been released on home video. The Soundies films were regularly described and reviewed in the entertainment and music trade publications, such as Billboard . During their first year, the Soundies made millions of dollars (in dimes). However, in late 1941, the federal government restricted

2907-454: Was cancelled despite good ratings. London, the only actress to appear in every episode of the series, was invited back for two of the four TV movie specials, and the show ended in 1979. During this time, London appeared in television advertisements for Rose Milk Skin Care Cream. Later, Webb offered London a position as executive producer of future television projects, but she chose to retire from

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2964-472: Was executive producer. London played Dixie McCall, Rampart's Chief Nurse of The Emergency Room and Troup was cast as emergency-room physician Dr. Joe Early, along with her best friend, Robert Fuller as Dr. Kelly Brackett, Rampart's Chief of Emergency Medicine. They all appeared in the same roles in an episode of the Webb-produced series Adam-12 . In 1977, after a six-year run of 128 episodes, Emergency!

3021-585: Was recorded at her residence in Los Angeles. The same year, she released Around Midnight , which incorporated a larger backing band in comparison to her previous releases. She released numerous albums on Liberty Records throughout the 1960s, including Whatever Julie Wants (1961), Love Letters (1962), The End of the World (1963), and All Through the Night (1965), the latter a collection of songs by Cole Porter . London appeared on numerous television series in

3078-472: Was revived in 1951 by producer Louis D. Snader . Radio stations relied on transcriptions—recorded musical performances. Snader brought the idea to television with films, which he called " Snader Telescriptions ." Snader hired dozens of pop-music acts and vaudeville performers, many of whom had already appeared in Soundies, to star in his new films. Snader Telescriptions are often confused with Soundies because of their similarity in length and personnel. In 1958,

3135-450: Was spotted singing at a jazz club in Los Angeles by record producer Simon Waronker , who was recommended to her by her friend (and future husband) Bobby Troup. Despite her notable stage fright, Waronker was impressed by London's vocals and delivery, and later recalled that "The lyrics poured out of her like a hurt bird." Waronker convinced London to pursue a recording career, and signed her with Liberty Records. London recorded 32 albums in

3192-495: Was three years old, the family moved to San Bernardino, California, where she made her professional singing debut on her parents' radio program. Throughout her early life, both London and her mother were admirers of Billie Holiday . London was described by friends and family as a shy child "without much self-confidence". In 1941, when she was 14, her family moved to Hollywood, California. In her teenaged years, she began to sing in local nightclubs in Los Angeles. She graduated from

3249-465: Was very much of her time." As her career progressed into the 1960s, London's recordings incorporated more elaborate instrumentation, with her vocals backed by larger ensembles. In 1947, London married actor/producer Jack Webb . Their relationship was based partly on their common love of jazz . They had two daughters, Stacy and Lisa. London and Webb divorced in 1954. Julie married Bobby Troup in 1959. Jack Webb died December 23, 1982. Stacy Webb died in

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