Jerry Colonna
Born
September 17, 1904
Died
November 21, 1986 (82 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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).
Known For
This Is Bob Hope...
Self (archive footage)
2017
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
Self (archive footage)
2002
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
Self (archive footage)
1996
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Self (archive footage)
1988
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
Self
1977
Joys
Self
1976
Dinah!
Self · (1 episode)
1974
The Monkees
Dr. Mann · (1 episode)
1966
The Road to Hong Kong
Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)
1962
Andy Hardy Comes Home
Doc
1958
Pinocchio
Ringmaster
1957
The Rosemary Clooney Show
Self · (1 episode)
1956
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Jerry Colonna
1956
Music Land
Narrator (archive footage)
1955
Climax!
Stan · (1 episode)
1954
Ellis in Freedomland
The Waste-away (voice)
1952
Alice in Wonderland
March Hare (voice)
1951
Operation Wonderland
Self
1951
Kentucky Jubilee
Jerry Harris
1951
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (2 episodes)
1950
The Brave Engineer
Narrator
1950
What's My Line?
Self · (1 episode)
1950
Casey at the Bat
Narrator
1946
Make Mine Music
Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
1946
Road to Utopia
Man on boat to Alaska (uncredited)
1946
It's in the Bag!
Dr. Greengrass
1945
G.I. Journal
Self
1944
Atlantic City
The Professor
1944
Musical Movieland
The Texas Tornado
1944
Stars on Horseback
1943
Ice Capades Revue
Theophilus J. Twitchell
1942
Priorities on Parade
Jeep Jackson
1942
True to the Army
Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
1942
Star Spangled Rhythm
Jerry Colonna
1942
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Himself
1941
Ice-Capades
Colonna
1941
Sis Hopkins
Professor
1941
You're the One
Dr. Colonna
1941
Melody and Moonlight
Abner Kellogg
1940
Comin' Round the Mountain
Argyle Phifft
1940
Road to Singapore
Achilles Bombanassa
1940
Naughty But Nice
Allie Gray
1939
Sweepstakes Winner
Nick, the Chef
1939
Swingtime in the Movies
The Texas Tornado
1938
Garden of the Moon
Musician
1938
Valley of the Giants
Saloon Singer
1938
Little Miss Broadway
Band Member
1938
Port of Seven Seas
Arab Rug Dealer
1938
The Star Reporter
Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
1938
Rosalie
Joseph
1937
Song Hits on Parade
1936