
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(48 works)

What's My Line?
1950What's My Line?
1950

Climax!
1954Climax!
1954

The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950

Dinah!
1974Dinah!
1974

The Monkees
1966The Monkees
1966

Alice in Wonderland
1951Alice in Wonderland
1951

Make Mine Music
1946Make Mine Music
1946

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988

Road to Utopia
1946Road to Utopia
1946

Road to Rio
1947Road to Rio
1947

Joys
1976Joys
1976

Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956

Rosalie
1937Rosalie
1937

Road to Singapore
1940Road to Singapore
1940

Ellis in Freedomland
1952Ellis in Freedomland
1952

Little Miss Broadway
1938Little Miss Broadway
1938

Valley of the Giants
1938Valley of the Giants
1938

Naughty But Nice
1939Naughty But Nice
1939

Music Land
1955Music Land
1955

The Road to Hong Kong
1962The Road to Hong Kong
1962

This Is Bob Hope...
2017This Is Bob Hope...
2017

Swingtime in the Movies
1938Swingtime in the Movies
1938

Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
1977Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
1977

Star Spangled Rhythm
1942Star Spangled Rhythm
1942

It's in the Bag!
1945It's in the Bag!
1945

Kentucky Jubilee
1951Kentucky Jubilee
1951

Ice-Capades
1941Ice-Capades
1941

Musical Movieland
1944Musical Movieland
1944

Garden of the Moon
1938Garden of the Moon
1938

Port of Seven Seas
1938Port of Seven Seas
1938

Stars on Horseback
1943Stars on Horseback
1943

G.I. Journal
1944G.I. Journal
1944

Ice Capades Revue
1942Ice Capades Revue
1942

Melody and Moonlight
1940Melody and Moonlight
1940

Comin' Round the Mountain
1940Comin' Round the Mountain
1940

Pinocchio
1957Pinocchio
1957

You're the One
1941You're the One
1941

Andy Hardy Comes Home
1958Andy Hardy Comes Home
1958

Atlantic City
1944Atlantic City
1944

Priorities on Parade
1942Priorities on Parade
1942

Sis Hopkins
1941Sis Hopkins
1941

Operation Wonderland
1951Operation Wonderland
1951

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941

Sweepstakes Winner
1939Sweepstakes Winner
1939

The Brave Engineer
1950The Brave Engineer
1950

True to the Army
1942True to the Army
1942

Casey at the Bat
1946Casey at the Bat
1946

Song Hits on Parade
1936Song Hits on Parade
1936