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Jerry Colonna is a Actor American born on 17 september 1904 at Boston (USA)
Gerardo Luigi "Jerry" Colonna (September 17, 1904 – November 21, 1986) was an American 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 played a range of nitwitted characters, the best-remembered of which was a moronic professor. Nachman wrote:
Colonna brought a whacked-out touch to Hope's show. In a typical exchange, Hope asks, "Professor, did you plant the bomb in the embassy like I told you?", to which Colonna replied, in that whooping five-alarm voice, "Embassy? Great Scott, I thought you said NBC!"
Colonna's great-great niece is American stand-up comedian Sarah Colonna. It is not known if he was related to the Italian Colonna family of nobles.
(1951)
(Actor)
Source : Wikidata
Jerry Colonna
- Infos
- Photos
- Best films
- Family
- Characters
- Awards
Birth name Gerardo Luigi Colonna
Nationality USA
Birth 17 september 1904 at Boston (USA)
Death 21 november 1986 (at 82 years) at Woodland Hills (USA)
Nationality USA
Birth 17 september 1904 at Boston (USA)
Death 21 november 1986 (at 82 years) at Woodland Hills (USA)
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 played a range of nitwitted characters, the best-remembered of which was a moronic professor. Nachman wrote:
Colonna brought a whacked-out touch to Hope's show. In a typical exchange, Hope asks, "Professor, did you plant the bomb in the embassy like I told you?", to which Colonna replied, in that whooping five-alarm voice, "Embassy? Great Scott, I thought you said NBC!"
Biography
Colonna married Florence Purcell, whom he reportedly met on a blind date in 1930; the couple adopted a son, Robert, in 1941. The marriage lasted 56 years. After his guest shot on The Monkees, Colonna suffered a stroke. Its paralytic effect forced his retirement from show business (save for a couple of brief cameo appearances in late '60s/early '70s Bob Hope specials), and a 1979 heart attack forced him to spend the last seven years of his life in the Motion Picture and Television Hospital. Florence stayed by his side to the end, when he died of kidney failure in 1986. She died eight years later at the same hospital.Colonna's great-great niece is American stand-up comedian Sarah Colonna. It is not known if he was related to the Italian Colonna family of nobles.
Best films
(1951)(Actor)
Usually with
Filmography of Jerry Colonna (26 films)
| Year | Name | Job | Roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Disney's American Legends | Actor | |
| 1958 | Andy Hardy Comes Home | Actor | Doc |
| 1956 | Meet Me in Las Vegas | Actor | |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | Actor | March Hare |
| 1950 | One Hour in Wonderland | Actor | March Hare |
| 1950 | The Brave Engineer | Actor | |
| 1948 | Melody Time | Actor | |
| 1947 | Road to Rio | Actor | Himself |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music | Actor | |
| 1945 | It's in the Bag! | Actor | |
| 1944 | Atlantic City | Actor | |
| 1942 | My Favorite Blonde | Actor | |
| 1942 | Star Spangled Rhythm | Actor | Bob Hope skit |
| 1942 | True to the Army | Actor | Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill |
| 1942 | Priorities on Parade | Actor | Jeep Jackson |
| 1941 | Sis Hopkins | Actor | |
| 1941 | You're the One | Actor | Dr. Colonna |
| 1940 | Road to Singapore | Actor | Achilles Bombanassa |
| 1940 | Comin' Round the Mountain | Actor | Argyle Phifft |
| 1940 | Flight Command | Actor | |
| 1939 | Naughty But Nice | Actor | Allie Gray |
| 1939 | Sweepstakes Winner | Actor | Nick |
| 1938 | College Swing | Actor | Prof. Yascha Koloski (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Port of Seven Seas | Actor | Arab Rug Dealer (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Swingtime in the Movies | Actor | The Texas Tornado |
| 1937 | Rosalie | Actor | Joseph |