JC
Jerry Colonna
Actor
Born September 17, 1904Died November 21, 1986 (82 years)
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).
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
| 2001 | American Legends · as Narrator ('brave Engineer') |
| 1986 | Disney Sing-Along Songs: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah · as March Hare |
| 1982 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actor - 'star Spangled Rhhythm' |
| 1965 | The Monkees (TV Series) · as Dr. Mann |
| 1962 | The Road to Hong Kong · as Man Looking For A Match (uncredited) |
| 1958 | Andy Hardy Comes Home · as Doc |
| 1958 | Shirley Temple's Storybook (TV Series) · as Gonzales |
| 1956 | The Gale Storm Show (TV Series) · as Mischa Morningstar |
| 1954 | Climax! (TV Series) · as Stan |
| 1954 | Casey at the Bat · as Narrator |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland · as March Hare (voice) |
| 1950 | The Brave Engineer · as Narrator |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music · as Narrator (segment "casey At The Bat") (voice) |
| 1945 | Road to Utopia · as Man On Boat To Alaska (uncredited) |
| 1945 | It's in the Bag! · as Dr. Greengrass |
| 1944 | Atlantic City · as The Professor |
| 1943 | |
| 1941 | Ice-Capades · as Colonna |
| 1941 | Sis Hopkins · as Professor |
| 1940 | Comin' Round the Mountain · as Argyle Phifft |
| 1940 | Road to Singapore · as Achilles Bombanassa |
| 1939 | Naughty But Nice · as Allie Gray |
| 1939 | Sweepstakes Winner · as Nick, The Chef |
| 1938 | Garden of the Moon · as Musician |
| 1938 | Valley of the Giants · as Saloon Singer |
| 1938 | Little Miss Broadway · as Band Member |
| 1938 | Port of Seven Seas · as Arab Rug Dealer |
| 1938 | College Swing · as Professor Yascha Koloski |
| 1937 | Rosalie · as Joseph |
| 1936 |