Jerry Colonna | WatchedThis

Jerry Colonna

Jerry Colonna

Acting

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 Movies

Acting

Poster for Make Mine Music
MOVIE

Make Mine Music

5.8(0.3K)
Make Mine Music
Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
Poster for Alice in Wonderland
MOVIE

Alice in Wonderland

7.2(6.3K)
Alice in Wonderland
March Hare (voice)
The Star ReporterMOVIE
MOVIE

The Star Reporter

7.0(0.0K)
The Star Reporter
Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
Poster for The Brave Engineer
MOVIE

The Brave Engineer

6.1(0.0K)
The Brave Engineer
Narrator
Poster for Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
MOVIE

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

6.0(0.0K)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Self (archive footage)
Poster for Casey at the Bat
MOVIE

Casey at the Bat

6.5(0.0K)
Casey at the Bat
Narrator
Poster for Sis Hopkins
MOVIE

Sis Hopkins

6.3(0.0K)
Sis Hopkins
Professor
Poster for Atlantic City
MOVIE

Atlantic City

6.3(0.0K)
Atlantic City
The Professor
Poster for Ellis in Freedomland
MOVIE

Ellis in Freedomland

Ellis in Freedomland
The Waste-away (voice)
Poster for Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
MOVIE

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

9.0(0.0K)
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
Self

Gallery

Jerry Colonna portrait
Jerry Colonna portrait