CHICO AND THE MAN: CHICO'S PADRE (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about a cantankerous garage owner and his wisecracking Chicano assistant. In this episode, Louie announces that he and the other garbagemen are going on strike and demanding higher wages. A private investigator, Jennings, then arrives at the garage in search of Chico, though Ed and Louie assume that he is in some sort of trouble and quickly deny knowing him. Chico barges in and reveals himself, however, and he is stunned when Jennings reveals that he works for Gilberto Rodriguez, his father, whom he has long believed to be dead. He explains that his family has always offered conflicting reports of his father's demise and grows upset as he wonders why he chose to leave, leaving him effectively an orphan after his mother's death. Louie and Ed urge him to "give the creep a chance," but Chico is offended when Gilberto's chauffeur arrives to escort Chico to a meeting at an upscale hotel and demands that he come to the garage instead.
Ed and Louie encourage him to go to the hotel, pointing out that Gilberto is clearly wealthy and could be Chico's ticket to "Easy Street," but his father then arrives at the garage and Chico steels himself for the long-delayed reunion. The urbane Gilberto explains that he merely wants to get to know his now-adult son and Ed tries to ease the tension with a toast, but Chico demands answers for his long absence, pointing out that he had a difficult childhood without a dad. Gilberto explains that he eloped with Chico's mother, as her parents disapproved of her wedding a "pauper," but was arrested for stealing the car that took them over the border into California and served two years in prison, after which he lost track of his wife and son. He adds that he has built up his impressive career through many years of hard work and invites Chico to live in his stately home in Mexico, and Ed urges him to consider it. Chico explains that he feels a sense of filial loyalty towards Ed and wishes to make his own future, but he shares an affectionate hug with Gilberto as he departs. Later, Chico borrows money from a victorious Louie to buy two Father's Day presents, though he reconsiders after Ed displays his usual cranky attitude towards him. Commercials deleted.
(Some scenes from the original broadcast have been edited for this asset: in one deleted scene, Chico prepares an unusual method for avoiding his father should he arrive at the garage. In the second, Louie frets to Ed that they could "lose that boy forever" and chastises him for feigning indifference to the idea of Chico departing the garage to live with his father.)
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 4, 1977 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:22
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:48020
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1974-1978
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- James Komack … Executive Producer, Created by
- Hal Kanter … Supervising Producer
- Michael Morris … Producer
- Thomas Hill … Associate Producer
- Jack Donohue … Director
- Ron Friedman … Writer
- George Arthur Bloom … Writer
- Henry Irving … Writer
- José Feliciano … Music by
- Janna Merlyn Feliciano … Music by
- Freddie Prinze … Cast, Chico Rodriguez
- Jack Albertson … Cast, Ed Brown
- Scatman Crothers … Cast, Louie
- Cesar Romano … Cast, Gilberto Rodriguez
- Jerry Hausner … Cast, Maynard Jennings
- Wyatt Johnson … Cast, Chauffeur