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