Born in Santa Rosa, California to vaudevillian parents, London was discovered while working as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles, and began her career as an actress. London's 35-year acting career began in film in 1944, and included roles as 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 opposite Robert Mitchum in "The Wonderful Country" (1959).