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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1954
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
It's in the Bag!
1945
Alice in Wonderland
1951
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
1996
Road to Singapore
1940
Music Land
1955
Sweepstakes Winner
1939
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
Priorities on Parade
1942
Garden of the Moon
1938
The Brave Engineer
1950
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
2002
Make Mine Music
1946
Operation Wonderland
1951
Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956
Port of Seven Seas
1938
Swingtime in the Movies
1938
Rosalie
1937
Joys
1976
Song Hits on Parade
1936
+ 25 more movies