Jerry Colonna
Acting • Born 1904-09-17 – Died 1986-11-21
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).
Filmography
51 credits
Make Mine Music
Movie • 1946
Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
Alice in Wonderland
Movie • 1951
March Hare (voice)
The Star Reporter
Movie • 1938
Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
The Brave Engineer
Movie • 1950
Narrator
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Movie • 1988
Self (archive footage)
Casey at the Bat
Movie • 1946
Narrator
Sis Hopkins
Movie • 1941
Professor
Atlantic City
Movie • 1944
The Professor
Ellis in Freedomland
Movie • 1952
The Waste-away (voice)
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
Movie • 1977
Self
Kentucky Jubilee
Movie • 1951
Jerry Harris
Swingtime in the Movies
Movie • 1938
The Texas Tornado
Rosalie
Movie • 1937
Joseph
Little Miss Broadway
Movie • 1938
Band Member
Star Spangled Rhythm
Movie • 1942
Jerry Colonna
Ice-Capades
Movie • 1941
Colonna
Song Hits on Parade
Movie • 1936
Garden of the Moon
Movie • 1938
Musician
Naughty But Nice
Movie • 1939
Allie Gray
Road to Singapore
Movie • 1940
Achilles Bombanassa
It's in the Bag!
Movie • 1945
Dr. Greengrass
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
Movie • 2002
Self (archive footage)
Port of Seven Seas
Movie • 1938
Arab Rug Dealer
Musical Movieland
Movie • 1944
The Texas Tornado
Valley of the Giants
Movie • 1938
Saloon Singer
Ice Capades Revue
Movie • 1942
Theophilus J. Twitchell
Melody and Moonlight
Movie • 1940
Abner Kellogg
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Movie • 1956
Jerry Colonna
Andy Hardy Comes Home
Movie • 1958
Doc
Pinocchio
Movie • 1957
Ringmaster
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Movie • 1941
Self (uncredited)
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
Movie • 1996
Self (archive footage)
Joys
Movie • 1976
Self
True to the Army
Movie • 1942
Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
Priorities on Parade
Movie • 1942
Jeep Jackson
This Is Bob Hope...
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
Comin' Round the Mountain
Movie • 1940
Argyle Phifft
Sweepstakes Winner
Movie • 1939
Nick, the Chef
The Road to Hong Kong
Movie • 1962
Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)
Stars on Horseback
Movie • 1943
Road to Utopia
Movie • 1946
Man on boat to Alaska (uncredited)
Music Land
Movie • 1955
Narrator (archive footage)
Operation Wonderland
Movie • 1951
Self
G.I. Journal
Movie • 1944
Self
You're the One
Movie • 1941
Dr. Colonna
The Colgate Comedy Hour
TV • 1950
Self
The Monkees
TV • 1966
Dr. Mann
Climax!
TV • 1954
Stan
Dinah!
TV • 1974
Self
The Rosemary Clooney Show
TV • 1956
Self
What's My Line?
TV • 1950
Self