BS: The Man with the EYES...

Subject: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Jan 06 - 11:37 PM

Check this out, folks. Almost as amazing as Shatner, Jerry Colonna had a long and fruitful career, bugging his eyes waaaaay out and singing perfectly dreadful renditions of popular songs.

Here's his website:

The INCREDIBLE Jerry ColONNNNNA!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Jan 06 - 11:54 PM

Note the EYES!

And you thought YOU were having fun? These people are having FUUUUNNNNN! Oh yeah.

My thanks to Cluin for making me aware of this extraordinary artiste on his bad album cover thread.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jan 06 - 11:57 PM

Even without checking the site I remember Jerry Colonna very well. He used to turn up as a guest on all sorts of things. There was a collection of fellows like that (including Professor Irwin Corey and Bill Dana (José Jimenez) and who was the actor whose fist was painted like a face? Monsieur something-or-other--Not to be confused with the French actor Moustache). I don't think we have personalities who fill the same niches today.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: GUEST,Don Hackman
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 08:32 AM

Jerry woild have been great in some Leslie Nielson PoliceSquad movies.

Woo Hoo Irwin Corey what professor.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: bobad
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 08:38 AM

SRS, that woud be Senor Wences, who also had Pedro in the box - remember "S'allright Pedro?"
"S'allright"

Another character was Mr.Pastry, remember him?

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Rapparee
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 08:42 AM

Well, we DO have Congress....

I've always liked Jerry Colonna. I can't say I understood him, but I liked him.

And he played brass! Perhaps not a trumpet, but brass! Had to be one of the Lord's Chosen.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Amos
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 09:56 AM

Man, that record cover really captures the "spirit" of the Fifties....
far out!!


A

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 10:43 AM

Of course, Senor Wences. Must have crossed a wire when remembering his background, he was Spanish (speaking--where is he from?) And Cantinflas. Who do we have like that today? I suppose equivalents would be some of the Second City and Saturday Night Live performers.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 03:21 PM

It would be worth having a party just to have Jerry show up, don't you think? I mean...hey...talk about fun! Oooooo-weee!

All kidding aside, it sounds like Jerry had himself a happy and fulfilling life and spread a little joy around in his own peculiar way. I got a genuinely good laugh listening to recorded samples of his songs on the website. Any guy who puts a bunch of clucking chickens in the background music of "Ebb Tide" must have something going for him.

Who would you rather have at your party? Jerry Colonna or Karl Rove? Tell me that.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 03:31 PM

I think Jerry was a featured act on a lot of those Bob Hope USO holiday tours.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Leadfingers
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 04:01 PM

Jerry Collonna's rendition of Ebb Tide had to be heard to be believed !

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: jacqui.c
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 04:42 PM

Fantastic! Definitely beats Shatner in the singing stakes.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 04:55 PM

There's been nobody on SNL for the past few years that would even come close, imo, to some of the old ones mentioned. It's really gone downhill.

Subject: RE: BS: The Man with the EYES...
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Jan 06 - 05:01 PM

That might be due to the fact that the "modern" mind has become accustomed to film editing that jumps chaotically from one image to another within fractions of seconds, never lingering long enough on any one thing to actually see any of the details or grasp the whole thing as a concept and analyze it. I think this has affected people's sense of comedy routines as well.