From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0173160
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q923250
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Filmography (Movies)
This Is Bob Hope...
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:29/12/2017
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/2002
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:23/11/1996
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:16/05/1988
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
Character:Self
Release Date:18/12/1977
Joys
Character:Self
Release Date:05/03/1976
The Road to Hong Kong
Character:Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)
Release Date:29/03/1962
Andy Hardy Comes Home
Character:Doc
Release Date:22/12/1958
Pinocchio
Character:Ringmaster
Release Date:13/10/1957
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Character:Jerry Colonna
Release Date:09/03/1956
Music Land
Character:Narrator (archive footage)
Release Date:11/06/1955
Ellis in Freedomland
Character:The Waste-away (voice)
Release Date:15/06/1952
Alice in Wonderland
Character:March Hare (voice)
Release Date:28/07/1951
Operation Wonderland
Character:Self
Release Date:14/06/1951
Kentucky Jubilee
Character:Jerry Harris
Release Date:18/05/1951
The Brave Engineer
Character:Narrator
Release Date:03/03/1950
Casey at the Bat
Character:Narrator
Release Date:15/08/1946
Make Mine Music
Character:Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
Release Date:30/06/1946
Road to Utopia
Character:Man on boat to Alaska (uncredited)
Release Date:27/02/1946
It's in the Bag!
Character:Dr. Greengrass
Release Date:21/04/1945
G.I. Journal
Character:Self
Release Date:03/11/1944
Atlantic City
Character:The Professor
Release Date:15/09/1944
Musical Movieland
Character:The Texas Tornado
Release Date:09/09/1944
Stars on Horseback
Character:
Release Date:23/04/1943
Ice Capades Revue
Character:Theophilus J. Twitchell
Release Date:24/12/1942
Priorities on Parade
Character:Jeep Jackson
Release Date:23/07/1942
True to the Army
Character:Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
Release Date:21/03/1942
Star Spangled Rhythm
Character:Jerry Colonna
Release Date:05/03/1942
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
Character:Self (uncredited)
Release Date:02/10/1941
Ice-Capades
Character:Colonna
Release Date:19/08/1941
Sis Hopkins
Character:Professor
Release Date:12/04/1941
You're the One
Character:Dr. Colonna
Release Date:19/02/1941
Melody and Moonlight
Character:Abner Kellogg
Release Date:10/10/1940
Comin' Round the Mountain
Character:Argyle Phifft
Release Date:16/08/1940
Road to Singapore
Character:Achilles Bombanassa
Release Date:22/03/1940
Naughty But Nice
Character:Allie Gray
Release Date:23/06/1939
Sweepstakes Winner
Character:Nick, the Chef
Release Date:20/05/1939
Swingtime in the Movies
Character:The Texas Tornado
Release Date:24/12/1938
Garden of the Moon
Character:Musician
Release Date:23/09/1938
Valley of the Giants
Character:Saloon Singer
Release Date:17/09/1938
Little Miss Broadway
Character:Band Member
Release Date:29/07/1938
Port of Seven Seas
Character:Arab Rug Dealer
Release Date:01/07/1938
The Star Reporter
Character:Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
Release Date:21/03/1938
Rosalie
Character:Joseph
Release Date:24/12/1937
Song Hits on Parade
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1936
Television Appearances
Images
