Jerry Colonna
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).
Known For
Climax!
What's My Line?
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Dinah!
The Monkees
Alice in Wonderland
Make Mine Music
Joys
All Movies (47)
- This Is Bob Hope...2017 · as Self (archive footage)
- Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO2002 · as Self (archive footage)
- Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents1996 · as Self (archive footage)
- Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC1988 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready1977 · as Self
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy1976 · as Self (archive footage)
- Joys1976 · as Self
- The Road to Hong Kong1962 · as Man Looking For Match (uncredited)
- Andy Hardy Comes Home1958 · as Doc
- Pinocchio1957 · as Ringmaster
- Meet Me in Las Vegas1956 · as Jerry Colonna
- Music Land1955 · as Narrator (archive footage)
- Ellis in Freedomland1952 · as The Waste-away (voice)
- Alice in Wonderland1951 · as March Hare (voice)
- Operation Wonderland1951 · as Self
- Kentucky Jubilee1951 · as Jerry Harris
- The Brave Engineer1950 · as Narrator
- Road to Rio1947 · as Jerry Colonna
- Casey at the Bat1946 · as Narrator
- Make Mine Music1946 · as Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
- Road to Utopia1946 · as Man on Boat to Alaska (uncredited)
- It's in the Bag!1945 · as Dr. Greengrass
- G.I. Journal1944 · as Self
- Atlantic City1944 · as The Professor
- Musical Movieland1944 · as The Texas Tornado
- Stars on Horseback1943
- Ice Capades Revue1942 · as Theophilus J. Twitchell
- Priorities on Parade1942 · as Jeep Jackson
- True to the Army1942 · as Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
- Star Spangled Rhythm1942 · as Jerry Colonna
- Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 11941 · as Self (uncredited)
- Ice-Capades1941 · as Colonna
- Sis Hopkins1941 · as Professor
- You're the One1941 · as Dr. Colonna
- Melody and Moonlight1940 · as Abner Kellogg
- Comin' Round the Mountain1940 · as Argyle Phifft
- Road to Singapore1940 · as Achilles Bombanassa
- Naughty But Nice1939 · as Allie Gray
- Sweepstakes Winner1939 · as Nick, the Chef
- Swingtime in the Movies1938 · as The Texas Tornado
- Garden of the Moon1938 · as Musician
- Valley of the Giants1938 · as Saloon Singer
- Little Miss Broadway1938 · as Band Member
- Port of Seven Seas1938 · as Arab Rug Dealer
- The Star Reporter1938 · as Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
- Rosalie1937 · as Joseph
- Song Hits on Parade1936
All TV Shows (6)
- Dinah!1974 · as Self
- The Monkees1966 · as Dr. Mann
- The Rosemary Clooney Show1956 · as Self
- Climax!1954 · as Stan
- The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self
- What's My Line?1950 · as Self