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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
September 17, 1904
Died
November 21, 1986
Place of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Also Known As
- Gerardo Luigi Colonna
Jerry Colonna
0.3 Popularity
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
8.0
Self (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
🎬
0.0
Self (archive footage)
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
2002
🎬
7.5
Self (archive footage)
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
1996
6.0
Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
0.0
Self
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
1977
4.0
Self
Joys
1976
6.7
Self
Dinah!
1974
6.5
Dr. Mann
The Monkees
1966
5.8
Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
4.5
Doc
Andy Hardy Comes Home
1958
Credits
This Is Bob Hope...
as Self (archive footage)
2017
8.0
🎬
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
as Self (archive footage)
2002
0.0
🎬
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
as Self (archive footage)
1996
7.5
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
as Self (archive footage)
1988
6.0
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
as Self
1977
0.0
Joys
as Self
1976
4.0
Dinah!
as Self
1974
6.7
The Monkees
as Dr. Mann
1966
6.5
The Road to Hong Kong
as Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)
1962
5.8
Andy Hardy Comes Home
as Doc
1958
4.5
Pinocchio
as Ringmaster
1957
0.0
🎬
The Rosemary Clooney Show
as Self
1956
0.0
Meet Me in Las Vegas
as Jerry Colonna
1956
4.2
Music Land
as Narrator (archive footage)
1955
6.0
Climax!
as Stan
1954
3.3
Ellis in Freedomland
as The Waste-away (voice)
1952
0.0
Alice in Wonderland
as March Hare (voice)
1951
7.2
Operation Wonderland
as Self
1951
7.3
Kentucky Jubilee
as Jerry Harris
1951
5.0
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
1950
6.8
The Brave Engineer
as Narrator
1950
6.0
What's My Line?
as Self
1950
6.9
Casey at the Bat
as Narrator
1946
6.2
Make Mine Music
as Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
1946
5.8
Road to Utopia
as Man on boat to Alaska (uncredited)
1946
6.7
It's in the Bag!
as Dr. Greengrass
1945
5.7
🎬
G.I. Journal
as Self
1944
0.0
Atlantic City
as The Professor
1944
5.0
Musical Movieland
as The Texas Tornado
1944
6.0
Stars on Horseback
1943
4.0
Ice Capades Revue
as Theophilus J. Twitchell
1942
5.7
Priorities on Parade
as Jeep Jackson
1942
0.0
True to the Army
as Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
1942
0.0
Star Spangled Rhythm
as Jerry Colonna
1942
6.0
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
as Self (uncredited)
1941
0.0
Ice-Capades
as Colonna
1941
5.5
Sis Hopkins
as Professor
1941
6.0
You're the One
as Dr. Colonna
1941
1.0
Melody and Moonlight
as Abner Kellogg
1940
5.0
Comin' Round the Mountain
as Argyle Phifft
1940
0.0
Road to Singapore
as Achilles Bombanassa
1940
6.5
Naughty But Nice
as Allie Gray
1939
6.2
Sweepstakes Winner
as Nick, the Chef
1939
3.7
Swingtime in the Movies
as The Texas Tornado
1938
5.9
Garden of the Moon
as Musician
1938
6.2
Valley of the Giants
as Saloon Singer
1938
6.0
Little Miss Broadway
as Band Member
1938
6.4
Port of Seven Seas
as Arab Rug Dealer
1938
0.0
🎬
The Star Reporter
as Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
1938
0.0
Rosalie
as Joseph
1937
5.5
Song Hits on Parade
1936
0.0