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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1950
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).
Gender
Male
Birthday
September 17, 1904
Died
November 21, 1986
Birthplace
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Also Known As
Alice in Wonderland
1951
Kentucky Jubilee
1951
Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956
Comin' Round the Mountain
1940
Stars on Horseback
1943
You're the One
1941
Valley of the Giants
1938
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
Ellis in Freedomland
1952
Joys
1976
The Brave Engineer
1950
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
Atlantic City
1944
Rosalie
1937
Sis Hopkins
1941
Make Mine Music
1946
Ice-Capades
1941
Melody and Moonlight
1940
Ice Capades Revue
1942
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
+ 25 more movies