Jerry Colonna
- Birthday
- Sep 17, 1904
Bio: In his youth, Jerry Colonna worked as a longshoreman by day to finance his music studies by night. He became a star trombonist in several major bands, fronting his own jazz aggregation for a time. Not willing to become just one more sideliner, Colonna decided to develop a wacky comic persona, growing a huge handlebar mustache for that purpose. He skyrocketed to… More Bio: In his youth, Jerry Colonna worked as a longshoreman by day to finance his music studies by night. He became a star trombonist in several major bands, fronting his own jazz aggregation for a time. Not willing to become just one more sideliner, Colonna decided to develop a wacky comic persona, growing a huge handlebar mustache for that purpose. He skyrocketed to popularity as a combination stooge/heckler for radio comedian Bob Hope, coining such catch phrases as "Who's Yehudi?" and "Ah, yes...exciting, isn't it?" On his own, Colonna recorded several best-selling records, offering ear-piercing renditions of such songs as "On the Road to Mandalay" (he could hold a high note longer--and to better effect--than any "serious" opera diva). After his film debut in 52nd Street (1937), Colonna played several hilarious supporting roles, and also starred in a few lively "B"-movies like Priorities on Parade (1944) and Kentucky Jamboree (1950); he was also seen in an ersatz version in dozens of Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1940s. During the 1950s and 1960s, Colonna continued making USO tours with Bob Hope (as he'd done during the war), headlined a nightclub act, and showed up with great frequency as a TV guest star on such series as The Monkees and McHale's Navy. After Colonna fell victim to a stroke in the late 1960s, his old boss Hope saw to it that Jerry and his family were well-provided for. In addition to his performing credits, Jerry Colonna also penned a novel, The Loves of Tullio (1970). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Most Popular
Filmography
-
Road to Morocco (2000)
- Actor
- 92%
-
Alice in Wonderland (1999)
- March Hare
- 33%
-
The Road to Hong Kong (1962)
- Guest Star
-
Meet Me in Las Vegas (Viva Las Vegas!) (1956)
- MC at Silver Slipper
-
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
- March Hare
- 77%
- See all 17 films
Jerry Colonna Videos
Road To Morocco
1 minutes 40 seconds
Alice In Wonderland
1 minutes 48 seconds
Little Miss Broadway
2 minutes 2 seconds
Star Spangled Rhythm
2 minutes 17 seconds
Rosalie
30 seconds
Born Today
- Gary Burghoff (70 years old)
- Bryan Greenberg (35 years old)
- Ray Stevenson (49 years old)
- Patti LaBelle (69 years old)
- Sybil Danning (66 years old)
- Kristin Scott Thomas (53 years old)
- Billy Gilman (25 years old)
- Will Sasso (38 years old)
- John C. Reilly (48 years old)
- Seijun Suzuki (90 years old)
- Dash Mihok (39 years old)
- Tommy Chong (75 years old)
- Cecilia Cheung (33 years old)
- Michael Lonsdale (82 years old)
- Cayden Boyd (19 years old)
- Doug Jones (53 years old)
- Nell Campbell (60 years old)
- Alfred Molina (60 years old)
- Jim Broadbent (64 years old)
- Bob Dylan (72 years old)
- Priscilla Presley (68 years old)
- Déborah François (26 years old)
- Jean-Pierre Bacri (62 years old)
- Eric Close (46 years old)
- See more (24)
