Remembering a Classic: Chico and the Man
Although it had been around for a number of years, television in the 1970s was still a relatively new venture. Before sleek flat screens, TVs were so big and heavy that they had to sit directly on the floor in front of one of the only outlets in the room, rarely to be rearranged with the furniture. Channels were only just starting to surpass the standard 3 and full color was still a luxury. There were only a handful of shows to choose from and if you missed an episode at its scheduled time, the only option was to catch it the next time they aired a rerun. Nevertheless, millions of American were captivated by the small screen and crowded around their television set every night to bask in the electric glow of early Hollywood.The ‘70s were an iconic time of disco fever, wild fashion trends, orange furniture, and integration. Just a decade after the civil rights movement, where people of color were once strictly kept separate on TV from their Caucasian counterparts, were seeing new opportunities in many areas, including entertainment. Chico and the Man was one of the first sitcoms to feature an interracial cast in the business, premiered in 1974 and ran for 4 seasons. Side by side, Chico and Ed star in a sitcom where they depict an uncommon multi-racial dynamic when they team up to run Ed’s business and form a bond of friendship in the process.
Chico Rodriguez (Freddie Prinze), a young Chicano man, graces the screen with long flowing dark hair, prominent mustache and flashy smile, giving him instant heartthrob status. Dressed to impress, he was the pinnacle of style for the time period, sporting tucked in button down shirts and colorful tight pants. Chico is energetic, upbeat and is a master of car mechanics. He is proud of his ethnicity and background as a Chicano man and refers to it frequently throughout his performance in the series. Breaking down stereotypes of Chicanos being “lazy”, Chico emits an entrepreneurial spirit with a never-give-up attitude that is not easily discouraged.
Chico’s stark opposite co-star is Ed Brown (Jack Albertson), a stubborn widower that is best described as a grumpy old man type. Sarcastic comments and blunt insults are often spewed in the direction of whoever dares to enter his shop. As the sole owner of a failing garage on the east side of Los Angeles, a neighborhood that historically became home to many Mexican/American immigrants in the 1960s, he initially refused to adapt to the changing demographic. Like many Angelo Los Angeles residents at the time, Ed is sour about the transition and is resistant to welcoming the new community.
The two meet for the first time when Chico casually rides his bike into a disheveled garage seeking a job and instead, gets an earful of racial slurs from Ed. Unphased by Ed’s unpleasant exterior, Chico knows that his true character is honest and caring from years of watching him do business while he was growing up. To his dismay, he sees Ed is unable to keep up with the demands of the business by himself in his old age and is perpetually lonely since the death of his beloved wife. After dark he slips through an open window and sneaks in after hours to clean up the garage in effort to help, while moving himself into the back of the old garage van at the same time. More touched by his kindness than Ed will outwardly admit, he slowly warms up to Chico and they become business partners.
The duo, both with strong personalities, occasionally butt heads in disagreement but end up balancing each other out as business counterparts. Chico’s outgoing persona allows him to make fast friends with the customers while he simultaneously acts as a buffer to Ed’s off-putting personality. Where Chico’s actions can be a little bit “green” and reckless, Ed makes up for in years of experience of running a business. The combination of their car expertise is put to the test and they start to rebuild a reputation of doing honest and reliable work so word will spread throughout the community.
Much of the sticom’s comedy is made up of sarcastic quips in the form of back and forth banter with each other coupled with an element of dysfunction in the garage’s day-to-day operations. Some of their comedy would likely be considered cringeworthy by today’s standards but in actuality, was a strategic setup so Chico could strike down common stereotypes and off-color comments using humor. This was effective in normalizing their interracial friendship and we observe their partnership grow into friendship and eventially into a heartwarming father-son like relationship.
Historically, Chico and the Man was one of the first shows that attracted a diverse audience. With this unique reach, the show was able to portray what life was like for a Mexican-American during this time to the portion of the crowd who couldn't relate but could develop feelings of empathy. In addition, hispanic viewers in America could finally see themselves represented on big network TV. The exact impact of the show’s influence is unknown but Hollywood has a modest history of blending racial lines by exposing people to it on screen.
Fans quickly fell in love with Chico and Ed’s unique chemistry on screen and ratings climbed earning a spot as one of the top shows for the first three seasons. Sadly, the full potential of this trailblazing series was never reached due to Freddie Prinze’s tragic death which is believed to be caused by his battle with severe depression and drug addiction that plagued him off-screen. After consideration of cancelling the show, NBC decided to try to incorporate a new character onto the show, a 12 year old boy who was also Chicano and became Ed’s new apprentice. However, fans still felt Prinze’s absence and didnt take to the new star causing ratings to steadily drop. Bailing on hope, the show was cancelled after its fourth season.
While the show has long since ended, it is still regarded as a Hollywood classic. It played a part in paving the way for more inclusion in show business by showing that actors of color were not only talented but had the potential to be successful as leads.
