
Jerry Colonna
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








Credits
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This Is Bob Hope... 2017Self (archive footage)★ 8
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Self (archive footage)★ NR
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Self (archive footage)★ 7.5
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Self (archive footage)★ 6
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Self★ NR
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Joys 1976Self★ 4
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Dinah! 1974Self★ 6.7
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The Monkees 1966Dr. Mann★ 6.5
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Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)★ 5.7
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Doc★ 4.5
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Pinocchio 1957Ringmaster★ NR
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Self★ NR
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Meet Me in Las Vegas 1956Jerry Colonna★ 4.5
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Music Land 1955Narrator (archive footage)★ 6
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Climax! 1954Stan★ 3.3
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Ellis in Freedomland 1952The Waste-away (voice)★ NR
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Alice in Wonderland 1951March Hare (voice)★ 7.2
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Operation Wonderland 1951Self★ 7.3
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Kentucky Jubilee 1951Jerry Harris★ 5
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Self★ 6.8
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The Brave Engineer 1950Narrator★ 6
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What's My Line? 1950Self★ 6.9
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Casey at the Bat 1946Narrator★ 6.2
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Make Mine Music 1946Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)★ 5.9
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Road to Utopia 1946Man on boat to Alaska (uncredited)★ 6.6
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It's in the Bag! 1945Dr. Greengrass★ 5
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G.I. Journal 1944Self★ NR
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Atlantic City 1944The Professor★ 5
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Musical Movieland 1944The Texas Tornado★ 6
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Stars on Horseback 1943★ NR
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Ice Capades Revue 1942Theophilus J. Twitchell★ 5.7
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Priorities on Parade 1942Jeep Jackson★ NR
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True to the Army 1942Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill★ NR
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Star Spangled Rhythm 1942Jerry Colonna★ 5.9
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Himself★ NR
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Ice-Capades 1941Colonna★ 5.4
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Sis Hopkins 1941Professor★ 6
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You're the One 1941Dr. Colonna★ 1
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Melody and Moonlight 1940Abner Kellogg★ 5
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Argyle Phifft★ NR
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Road to Singapore 1940Achilles Bombanassa★ 6.5
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Naughty But Nice 1939Allie Gray★ 6.2
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Sweepstakes Winner 1939Nick, the Chef★ 3.7
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The Texas Tornado★ 5.9
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Garden of the Moon 1938Musician★ 5.8
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Valley of the Giants 1938Saloon Singer★ 6
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Little Miss Broadway 1938Band Member★ 6.6
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Port of Seven Seas 1938Arab Rug Dealer★ NR
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The Star Reporter 1938Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra★ NR
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Rosalie 1937Joseph★ 5.5
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Song Hits on Parade 1936★ NR