Bonino 70 years old

Bonino is an ethnic situation comedy television series starring Ezio Pinza as an Italian-American opera singer trying to rear his six children after the death of their mother. The program aired on live NBC from September 12 to December 26, 1953. Pinza's character is named Babbo Bonino. Character actress Mary Wickes portrayed Martha the housekeeper, a role which she filled over the years in numerous other series. The actors portraying the children were Conrad Janis as eldest son Edward, Lenka Peterson as older daughter Doris, Chet Allen as Jerry; Oliver Andes as Carlo, Gaye Huston as Fancesca, and Van Dyke Parks as Andrew, the youngest. Allen had earlier appeared as Amahl in Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors on NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1951-1952. Parks, who grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, became a rock-music producer and composer who cowrote with Brian Wilson the Beach Boys' hits "Heroes and Villains" and "Surf's Up".Mike Kellin, who was cast the following year in Celeste Holm's short-lived CBS sitcom Honestly, Celeste!, appeared in the role of Rusty. David Opatoshu, portrayed Walter Rogers, Babbo's agent, who tries to convince him to return to singing. As each episode unfolds, Bonino realizes that his children are more independent than he thought. Pinza sang in each episode.Anthony Eisley, later of ABC's detective series Hawaiian Eye, guest starred in Bonino as John Clinton.

Credits

Cast

Name	Character
Van Dyke Parks He was 10 , now 81 years old	as Andrew Bonino
Lenka Peterson She was 27 , now 98 years old	as Doris Bonino
Ezio Pinza He was 61 , 64 years old when he died	as Babbo Bonino

Crew

Name	Job title