Jerry Colonna
Acting
Born: September 17, 1904 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Died: November 21, 1986 (aged 82)
Highest Rated
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gerardo Luigi "Jerry" Colonna (September 17, 1904 – November 22, 1986) was an American musician, actor, comedian, singer, songwriter and trombonist best remembered as the zaniest of Bob Hope's sidekicks in Hope's popular radio shows and films of the 1940s and 1950s. With his pop-eyed facial expressions and walrus-sized handlebar moustache, Colonna was known for singing loudly "in a comic caterwaul," according to Raised on Radio author Gerald Nachman, and for his catchphrase, "Who's Yehudi?", uttered after many an old joke, although it usually had nothing to do with the joke. The line was believed to be named for violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin, and the search for Yehudi became a running gag on the Hope show. Colonna featured in three of the popular Hope-Crosby Road films: Road to Singapore (1940) as Achilles Bombassa, Road to Rio (1947) as a Cavalry captain and The Road to Hong Kong (1962) in a cameo role. He can also be seen in the Fred Allen vehicle, It's in the Bag! (1945), as psychiatrist Dr. Greenglass, and he made a brief appearance with Hope in the "Wife, Husband and Wolf" sketch in Star Spangled Rhythm. In 1956 he performed the featured song "My Lucky Charm" in the film Meet Me in Las Vegas, starring Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse. He provided the voice of the March Hare in the Walt Disney animated film version of Alice in Wonderland (1951) (another radio legend, Ed Wynn, voiced the Mad Hatter) and also lent his zany narration style to several Disney shorts, including Casey at the Bat (1946) and The Brave Engineer (1950).
Photos (2)
Movies (36)
Alice in Wonderland
March Hare (voice)
Make Mine Music
Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Jerry Colonna
The Road to Hong Kong
Man Looking For Match (uncredited)
Andy Hardy Comes Home
Doc
Road to Singapore
Achilles Bombanassa
Little Miss Broadway
Band Member
Road to Rio
Jerry Colonna
Star Spangled Rhythm
Jerry Colonna
Music Land
Narrator (archive footage)
Road to Utopia
Man on Boat to Alaska (uncredited)
It's in the Bag!
Dr. Greengrass
Valley of the Giants
Saloon Singer
Port of Seven Seas
Arab Rug Dealer
Garden of the Moon
Musician
Naughty but Nice
Allie Gray
Casey at the Bat
Narrator
Sis Hopkins
Professor
Comin' Round the Mountain
Argyle Phifft
Priorities on Parade
Jeep Jackson
Rosalie
Joseph
The Brave Engineer
Narrator
Kentucky Jubilee
Jerry Harris
Musical Movieland
The Texas Tornado
Ice-Capades
Colonna
Ice Capades Revue
Theophilus J. Twitchell
Swingtime in the Movies
The Texas Tornado
You're the One
Dr. Colonna
True to the Army
Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
Melody and Moonlight
Abner Kellogg
Atlantic City
The Professor
Sweepstakes Winner
Nick, the Chef
Song Hits on Parade
1936
Ellis in Freedomland
The Waste-away (voice)
Stars on Horseback
1943
Pinocchio
Ringmaster
TV Shows (2)
Self / Appearances (10)
What's My Line?
Self · 1 eps
Dinah!
Self · 1 eps
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · 2 eps
Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and WWII
Self - Performer (archive footage)
Joys
Self
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
This Is Bob Hope...
Self (archive footage)
Operation Wonderland
Self
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
Self
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Self (uncredited)