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