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 Hopes sidekicks in Hopes popular radio shows and films of the 1940s and 1950s With his popeyed facial expressions and walrussized handlebar moustache Colonna was known for singing loudly in a comic caterwaul according to Raised on Radio author Gerald Nachman and for his catchphrase Whos 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 HopeCrosby 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 Its 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