Julia Meade, a theatrical, motion picture and television actress, was also well known as a frequent television and print commercial spokesperson.
She started in Television in New York City in 1948 at the Du Mont TV studio in Wanamaker's department store. She soon moved into network TV on the show Winner Take All and did her first regular commercials as emcee of NBC's Embassy Club. She has done everything from weather reports and fashion shows to soap commercials and whodunits.
Called America's first household name, she was seen weekly from 1953 to 1967 on Toast of the Town (The Ed Sullivan Show) in a Motorama format showing off dream cars of the 50s and 60s such as Lincoln and Mercury.
She appeared in commercials advertising a variety of products on shows such as Playhouse 90 and Your Hit Parade. In 1971 Julia did the first corrective ad on TV. The Federal Trade Commission accused ITT Continental Baking Company of false advertising in regards to its product Profile Bread. In the corrective ad Julia stated that Profile Bread had no fewer calories than other Bread, but was sliced thinner.
She passed away on May 16, 2016. Read The New York Times obituary. |
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| Julia in a publicity still from the 1958 Armstrong Circle Theatre television production of The Complex Mummy Complex. |
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| Julia and her daughter Caroline at a TWA promotion event in NYC in December of 1960. |
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| This still is from the Archives of The San Francisco Examiner, dated August 30th, 1957. The copy accompaning the photo reads: "A bouquet of 20 roses, symbolizing the 20 Lincoln-Mercury dealers of the Bay Area were presented to Julia Meade, the "voice of Lincoln" on the Ed Sullivan Show, by Lyle Byers, a director of the Lincoln Mercury Dealers Association. Miss Meade, who will be in San Francisco for the coming week, will be honored at various Lincoln Mercury dealer functions during her stay." |
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