Jerry Colonna
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 17, 1904
- Died
- November 21, 1986
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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
Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and WWII 2025
as Self - Performer (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope... 2017
as Self (archive footage)
- Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO 2002
as Self (archive footage)
- Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents 1996
as Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC 1988
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready 1977
as Self
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy
Bob Hope's World of Comedy 1976
as (archive footage)
Joys 1976
as Self
The Road to Hong Kong 1962
as Man Looking For Match (uncredited)
Andy Hardy Comes Home 1958
as Doc
Pinocchio 1957
as Ringmaster
Meet Me in Las Vegas 1956
as Jerry Colonna
Music Land 1955
as Narrator (archive footage)
Ellis in Freedomland 1952
as The Waste-away (voice)
Alice in Wonderland 1951
as March Hare (voice)
Operation Wonderland 1951
as Self
Kentucky Jubilee 1951
as Jerry Harris
The Brave Engineer 1950
as Narrator
Road to Rio 1947
as Jerry Colonna
Casey at the Bat 1946
as Narrator
Make Mine Music 1946
as Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
Road to Utopia 1946
as Man on Boat to Alaska (uncredited)
It's in the Bag! 1945
as Dr. Greengrass
- G.I. Journal
G.I. Journal 1944
as Self
Atlantic City 1944
as The Professor
Musical Movieland 1944
as The Texas Tornado
Stars on Horseback 1943
Actor
Ice Capades Revue 1942
as Theophilus J. Twitchell
Priorities on Parade 1942
as Jeep Jackson
True to the Army 1942
as Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
Star Spangled Rhythm 1942
as Jerry Colonna
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1 1941
as Self (uncredited)
Ice-Capades 1941
as Colonna
Sis Hopkins 1941
as Professor
You're the One 1941
as Dr. Colonna
Melody and Moonlight 1940
as Abner Kellogg
Comin' Round the Mountain 1940
as Argyle Phifft
Road to Singapore 1940
as Achilles Bombanassa
Naughty but Nice 1939
as Allie Gray
Sweepstakes Winner 1939
as Nick, the Chef
Swingtime in the Movies 1938
as The Texas Tornado
Garden of the Moon 1938
as Musician
Valley of the Giants 1938
as Saloon Singer
Little Miss Broadway 1938
as Band Member
Port of Seven Seas 1938
as Arab Rug Dealer
- The Star Reporter
The Star Reporter 1938
as Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
Rosalie 1937
as Joseph
Song Hits on Parade 1936
Actor
Credits from TMDB.