He Dreams of Jeannie
Queen Creek artist known for creating memento of classic TV show
By Perry Robles

A television sitcom that aired 40 years ago still inspires artist Mario A.C. Della Casa.

Della Casa created his line of I Dream of Jeannie bottles more than 23 years ago, based on the bottle that was featured in the TV show.

The bottles, which are available for sale, are modeled after the one that was home to Jeannie, played by actress Barbara Eden in the popular series that originally ran from 1965 to 1970.

Della Casa’s bottles are the same size and shape as the original, but are hand painted in variety of colors and designs.

In the classic TV show, an astronaut played by Larry Hagman found a bottle on a deserted island. He removed the bottle’s stopper, releasing a genie. Jeannie’s skimpy attire and her living arrangements with the astronaut were a bit controversial in the ’60s, but the pair eventually married.

Della Casa, 45, said he could relate to shows like I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched, which featured characters with unusual lifestyles, while he was growing up “feeling different” himself.

Bewitched was a favorite program for Della Casa (he said he identified with Uncle Arthur), and that show’s star, Elizabeth Montgomery, who played the suburban witch Samantha Stevens, was an influence on his work.

Della Casa, who was born in Italy, grew up in California and became acquainted with Montgomery after befriending her children. He said he wanted to pay homage to Samantha, but Montgomery didn’t like the idea. He said the actress told him that Samantha’s gimmick was just a wave of a hand or a nose twitch.

Della Casa loved Jeannie’s bottle, but couldn’t find one to purchase. He said Montgomery told him, “You’re an artist, aren’t you? Create one.” He said Sony Entertainment, which owns the trademark, gave him the license to do the bottles.

He’s created hundreds of bottle designs, many custom-made, and has sold thousands of bottles over the years, he said.

Della Casa, who splits his time between Queen Creek and Italy, also does oil paintings, including murals, portraits and fantasy works. He said his work has been displayed in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

His credits include creating the trophy for the TV Land Award and having his work featured on the Lifetime TV show Life Among the Dead. He’s also working with a new reality show that will grant wishes to people in need to be aired on cable TV in the fall.

For aspiring artists, Della Casa advised: “Don’t conform. Do something fun.”

Della Casa’s bottles are featured on his Web site, www.jeanniebottles.com, where they are advertised for sale from $250 to $390. The bottles are also available for sale at the Root Seller, 4015 N. 16th St., Phoenix. Della Casa’s oil paintings are available at www.elegantpaintings.com.