OK, now I could be completely wrong, but the fellow that I keep hearing discribed on the Jack Benny radio and later television program in this thread was Jerry Colonna–wasn’t he? Moustache, big eyes, was in a number of “Road” pics with Hope and Crosby. The long “Yessssssss” delivery…
No, no—different actor. Jerry Colonna did this weird Italian/Greek sort of character. He did use long, drawn-out vowels, usually when singing: “Ooooooooooh, carry me back to oooooooold Virginny!”
That’s Jerry Colonna, fer sure, but he had a different delivery. Frank Nelson’s. Nelson’s was almost effeminate. Colonna’s big trademark, other than his big mustache and eyes, was his invisible friend “Yehudi.” And I never heard him say “Yesssss.” Colonna was parodied in some of the old WB cartoons (when Bugs says "Hel-lo, Jer-ry! and for a second looks like him), and I think Frank Nelson even made an appearance as a game show host.