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

• 1976Bob Hope's World of Comedy — (archive footage)
• The Monkees — Dr. Mann
• 1962The Road to Hong Kong — Man Looking For Match (uncredited)
• 1958Andy Hardy Comes Home — Doc
• 1957Pinocchio — Ringmaster
• 1956Meet Me in Las Vegas — Jerry Colonna
• 1955Music Land — Narrator (archive footage)
• Climax! — Stan
• 1952Ellis in Freedomland — The Waste-away (voice)
• 1951Alice in Wonderland — March Hare (voice)
• 1951Kentucky Jubilee — Jerry Harris
• 1950The Brave Engineer — Narrator
• 1947Road to Rio — Jerry Colonna
• 1946Casey at the Bat — Narrator
• 1946Make Mine Music — Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
• 1946Road to Utopia — Man on Boat to Alaska (uncredited)
• 1945It's in the Bag! — Dr. Greengrass
• 1944Atlantic City — The Professor
• 1944Musical Movieland — The Texas Tornado
• 1943Stars on Horseback
• 1942Ice Capades Revue — Theophilus J. Twitchell
• 1942Priorities on Parade — Jeep Jackson
• 1942Star Spangled Rhythm — Jerry Colonna
• 1942True to the Army — Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
• 1941Ice-Capades — Colonna
• 1941Sis Hopkins — Professor
• 1941You're the One — Dr. Colonna
• 1940Comin' Round the Mountain — Argyle Phifft
• 1940Melody and Moonlight — Abner Kellogg
• 1940Road to Singapore — Achilles Bombanassa
• 1939Naughty but Nice — Allie Gray
• 1939Sweepstakes Winner — Nick, the Chef
• 1938Garden of the Moon — Musician
• 1938Little Miss Broadway — Band Member
• 1938Port of Seven Seas — Arab Rug Dealer
• 1938Swingtime in the Movies — The Texas Tornado
• 1938The Star Reporter — Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
• 1938Valley of the Giants — Saloon Singer
• 1937Rosalie — Joseph
• 1936Song Hits on Parade

Appearances as themselves (14)

• 2025Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and WWII — Self - Performer (archive footage)
• 2017This Is Bob Hope... — Self (archive footage)
• 2002Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO — Self (archive footage)
• 1996Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents — Self (archive footage)
• 1988Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 1977Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready — Self
• 1976Joys — Self
• Dinah! — Self
• The Rosemary Clooney Show — Self
• 1951Operation Wonderland — Self
• The Colgate Comedy Hour — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• 1944G.I. Journal — Self
• 1941Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1 — Self (uncredited)