Jerry Colonna

Known For

Acting

Born

Sep 17, 1904

Died

Nov 21, 1986

Place of Birth

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Credits

53 titles

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

Filmography

2017

This Is Bob Hope...

Self (archive footage)

Movie
2002

Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO

Self (archive footage)

Movie
1996

Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents

Self (archive footage)

Movie
1988

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie
1977

Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready

Self

Movie
1976

Bob Hope's World of Comedy

Self (archive footage)

Movie
1976

Joys

Self

Movie
1974

Dinah!

Self

Tv
1966

The Monkees

Dr. Mann

Tv
1962

The Road to Hong Kong

Man Looking For Match (uncredited)

Movie
1958

Andy Hardy Comes Home

Doc

Movie
1957

Pinocchio

Ringmaster

Movie
1956

The Rosemary Clooney Show

Self

Tv
1956

Meet Me in Las Vegas

Jerry Colonna

Movie
1955

Music Land

Narrator (archive footage)

Movie
1954

Climax!

Stan

Tv
1952

Ellis in Freedomland

The Waste-away (voice)

Movie
1951

Alice in Wonderland

March Hare (voice)

Movie
1951

Operation Wonderland

Self

Movie
1951

Kentucky Jubilee

Jerry Harris

Movie
1950

The Colgate Comedy Hour

Self

Tv
1950

The Brave Engineer

Narrator

Movie
1950

What's My Line?

Self

Tv
1947

Road to Rio

Jerry Colonna

Movie
1946

Casey at the Bat

Narrator

Movie
1946

Make Mine Music

Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)

Movie
1946

Road to Utopia

Man on Boat to Alaska (uncredited)

Movie
1945

It's in the Bag!

Dr. Greengrass

Movie
1944

G.I. Journal

Self

Movie
1944

Atlantic City

The Professor

Movie
1944

Musical Movieland

The Texas Tornado

Movie
1943

Stars on Horseback

Movie
1942

Ice Capades Revue

Theophilus J. Twitchell

Movie
1942

Priorities on Parade

Jeep Jackson

Movie
1942

True to the Army

Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill

Movie
1942

Star Spangled Rhythm

Jerry Colonna

Movie
1941

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1

Self (uncredited)

Movie
1941

Ice-Capades

Colonna

Movie
1941

Sis Hopkins

Professor

Movie
1941

You're the One

Dr. Colonna

Movie
1940

Melody and Moonlight

Abner Kellogg

Movie
1940

Comin' Round the Mountain

Argyle Phifft

Movie
1940

Road to Singapore

Achilles Bombanassa

Movie
1939

Naughty but Nice

Allie Gray

Movie
1939

Sweepstakes Winner

Nick, the Chef

Movie
1938

Swingtime in the Movies

The Texas Tornado

Movie
1938

Garden of the Moon

Musician

Movie
1938

Valley of the Giants

Saloon Singer

Movie
1938

Little Miss Broadway

Band Member

Movie
1938

Port of Seven Seas

Arab Rug Dealer

Movie