View Full Version : Cast of Chico and the Man


Tiger32
01-23-2002, 04:41 PM
Chico And The Man



Show Type: Sitcom

First Telecast: September 13, 1974

Last Telecast: July 21, 1978

Theme Music: "Chico and the Man," written and performed by Jose Feliciano



Cast

Ed Brown (The Man)..... Jack Albertson

Chico Rodriquez (1974-1977)..... Freddie Prinze

Louie..... Scatman Crothers

Mabel (1974-1975)..... Bonnie Boland

Mando (1974-1977)..... Isaac Ruiz

Reverend Bemis (1975-1976)..... Ronny Graham

Della Rogers (1976-1978)..... Della Reese

Raul Garcia (1977-1978)..... Gabriel Melgar

Aunt Charo (1977-1978)..... Charo



SYNOPSIS

Set in the barrio of East Los Angeles, Chico and the Man was the story of two men from different cultural backgrounds who grew to respect each other. Chico, the enterprising young Chicano, was determined to go into partnership with cranky, sarcastic, cynical and lonely widower Ed Brown. Ed operated a small, run-down garage and spent most of his time complaining and pushing people far away from him. At first, Ed was not receptive to the idea of a partner, but underneath it all, he was flattered and touched to have someone show genuine interest in him. Chico cleaned the place up, moved into a beat-up old truck in the garage and brought in new business.

Other cast members included: Louis, the garbageman; Mabel, the mailwoman and Chico's friend Mando. Della Rogers was added in 1976 as the civic-minded owner of the diner across the street from Ed's garage - who also happened to be the new owner of the property on which the garage was located.

In early 1977, Freddie Prinze took his own life with a gun. Afterwards, there were serious considerations given to the cancellation of the show. That was not the case as a new "Chico" was added to the cast for the following year.

He was not an adult though, or even someone whose name was really Chico. In the opening episode of the 1977-78 season, it was determined that Chico had left Ed's garage to go into business with his successful father, a character introduced the previous year and played by Cesar Romero in a one-time episode. Later, Ed and Louis returned from a fishing trip to Tijuana to discover a 12-year-old stowaway in their car trunk. The boy, Raul, took an extreme liking to Ed and became his personal resident alien. At the end of the first episode, the two of them were preparing for bed and Ed inadvertently said "Good night, Chico" to his new friend and, when corrected, simply said "You're all Chicos to me!" Ed eventually adopted Raul and found himself contending with Raul's protective and very sexy, Aunt Charo - an entertainer who had recently arrived from Spain to work in Los Angeles.