Original subtitles

[José Feliciano] One, two, a-one, two, three and...

[guitar playing]

♪ Chico, don't be discouraged♪

♪ The man, he ain't so hard to understand♪

♪ Chico, if you try now♪

♪ I know that you can lend a helping hand♪

♪ Because there's good in everyone♪

♪ And a new day has begun♪

♪ You can see the morning sun if you try♪

♪ And I know things will be better♪

♪ Oh, yes, they will for Chico and the man♪

♪ Yes, they will, for Chico and the man♪

♪ Even though he's funny, he don't understand, yeah♪

Hey. Sorry, pal. Auto club's got its rules.

What do you got against Ed Brown's Garage?

Ed Brown!

- [engine starts] - Do you know him?

[speaking Spanish]

You know him.

Where is Señor Loco anyway?

Right now he's across the street at Pepito's

getting a cup of coffee.

Hey, well, make it fast, will you?

I don't want to be here when he shows up.

Are you kidding? After a cup of Pepito's coffee,

you can't go anywhere too fast.

Sign right here, please.

You got a bathroom in this toilet here?

Yeah.

Up there.

Boy, that Pepito's is getting worse.

First time in my life I had to use a knife

on a cup of coffee.

You know why they give you a knife, man?

In case a fight breaks out, everybody's got a weapon.

Hey, uh, what's wrong with this clunker?

- [Chico] No brakes. - [Ed] No brakes?

What does a Mexican need brakes for?

After the first half-mile, he runs out of gas anyway.

[speaking Spanish]

Who ya talkin' to?

Virgin of Guadalupe.

Oh? What'd you say to her?

I asked her, what makes you so sure

that this car belongs to a Chicano?

Okay, Guadalupe,

I'll tell you why I think it's a Chicano car.

First of all, it's a Chevy.

And in the back, she's got a little dog

with the head going up and down, up and down,

up and down.

Ah. Let's see.

Manuel Guerrera?

Hey, I know a Manuel Guerrera.

[Chico] I got a feeling he knows you, too.

Is this Guerrera in auto upholstery?

No. This Guerrera's in the bathroom.

[Ed] Guerrera!

I thought I told you I never wanted to lay eyes on you again!

Even in my bathroom!

Get this heap out of here.

- [Manuel] Brown! - [Ed] Out.

Listen, Brown, the only reason I'm here is

because the auto club called this an unauthorized garage,

which shows that even the auto club has a sense of humor.

I agree. They took you in as a member. That proves it.

Now get this pumpkin out of here.

It's not my job, man.

Don't give me your family motto.

Just do as I say.

Hey, man, I can't turn my back on one of my people.

He's a Chicano. I'll fix your car, man.

- Gracias. - You're gonna fix his car?

Hey, Ed, we can't turn this car loose on the streets.

Where's your sense of ethics?

Ethics? If I had any ethics, I wouldn't be

in the garage business.

Listen. I'll do the whole job myself, okay?

You won't have to touch nothing. Go ahead...

You can turn around now. He's gone.

The job is only gonna take ten minutes, so...

why don't you go to the drugstore?

They got a new magazine in-- Bike and Bosom.

The druggist is real nice. He doesn't make you buy.

Okay. I'll be back.

Huh.

Hey. What's the story with you two?

None of your business.

[cash register dings]

What are you doing?

I'm curing my hangover at the same time I'm causing it.

The way you two went at it,

you obviously knew him pretty well.

What's-- What is the story with you and Guerrera?

I hardly even know the guy.

Will you shut up? I want to hear it fizzle.

Ugh! I think I found a new paint thinner.

Oh, wow. Ohh...

Ugh!

May look like a Manhattan, but it tastes like Pittsburgh.

So you hardly know Guerrera, huh?

That's what I said, didn't I? What do you got in your hand?

Some of his old repair orders. They go back for years,

and you never charge him for the work.

So what?

Well, you never let anybody off for nothing now.

That's because of inflation.

Nothing was worth a lot more in those days.

You mean you were friends? Yeah.

The way you two went at it, you obviously knew each other

pretty well... and you never made him pay.

- [Ed] Why don't you butt out? - [Chico] Come on, Ed.

Admit to me that he was your friend.

- [Ed] No way. - [Chico] If you admit to me

that you were friends, I won't bother you anymore.

Okay, okay, okay.

We first met when we were in the same outfit in the Army.

Went through World War II together.

After the war, we hung out a lot.

Friday nights, we'd all go out together for dinner,

oh, play a little pool.

We'd go bowling. Maybe a ballgame.

We'd go camping and fishing a lot, too. Now you satisfied?

Hey, man! Ed Brown had a Chicano friend. How about that?

Worse. A Mexican.

Hey, man, Guerrera's a Chicano like me.

When I met him, he was a Mexican.

Chicanos hadn't been invented yet.

Now, if you're gonna work on that car, hurry up, will you?

Get in there. Do your job.

Sure, man. I'll get it out of here in just a minute.

Do you know what I don't understand?

Here you are, always putting down my people,

and you had a Chicano buddy!

[laughs]

Well, when I met him, he was the only one

in the neighborhood. He was a novelty.

And that was before the swarm moved in.

Swarm? What swarm?

You know why it looks like a swarm to you?

'Cause you're a loner. You're always alone.

You like to be alone. You're your only friend.

You know, you're hanging around with a petty bad crowd.

You know what-- You know what your trouble is?

You don't have anyone your own age to talk to,

tell your troubles to.

Who did you tell your troubles to before you hired me?

Before I hired you, I didn't have any troubles.

Ow! Oh, man.

Oh. Blood. Oh. Take it easy.

Don't move. I'll take care of it.

All over my good wrench. Geez.

Hey, man, will you give me a hand with this car?

I can't get the cam sprocket back on!

I told you, I'm not gonna work on this piece of junk!

Okay. If that's the way you want it. También.

But I'm warning you-- pretty soon,

Manuel Guerrera is gonna be back here

and he's gonna be hanging around while I'm working.

He's gonna be talking and waiting...

and waiting and talking.

All the time I'm working, he's gonna be hanging around

talking and waiting and waiting and talking some more.

Alright. Give me that thing.

See? You do need friends.

Yeah. Alright. [grunts] Okay.

Alright. Alright.

[muttering]

[Chico] Hey, you're not a bad mechanic, man.

You're almost as good as me.

[Ed] What do you mean, as good as you?

I was fixing cars when you were still

in sarape diapers and eating strained tamales.

Unh. There we go.

Hey, Brown, I thought you said you weren't gonna touch my car!

That's because the kid couldn't handle it.

That's what I get for hiring Mexican help.

Brown, you got your rationale mixed up.

From the smell on your breath, I say it's not the Mexicans

that run this place. It's the Scotch!

I'll get your bill.

Here. $32.50.

$32.50?

Give it to me. I made a mistake.

You owe me another buck and a half.

- [Manuel] A buck-50? For what? - [Ed] For using the bathroom.

I should expect this from a man like you,

but I'm a proud man, and I'm not gonna lower myself

to fighting with you. Here.

I'll get your change. Stay outside.

Here's your change.

Just remember one thing.

It wasn't my idea to come here. It was the auto club.

I know, I know. The auto club.

Yeah, and I'm a proud man, and I don't like

to go into places where I know I'm not wanted.

- [Ed] Alright, alright! - I wouldn't have come here--

- The auto club. I know. - Yes, well,

just as long as you know that it wasn't my idea.

- It was the auto club. - Auto club! Alright.

[speaking Spanish]

Listen. I want to apologize for my boss.

He feels a little funny about seeing you

after all these years.

Manuel Guerrera doesn't accept secondhand apologies.

You know, he wants to be your friend again.

- [Manuel] Who cares? - [Chico] Oh, sure, man.

He was telling me all about what great buddies

you used to be, about the Army,

those Friday nights at that nice restaurant.

Nice restaurant? Pinky's Roadhouse?

Yeah, he told me how you'd have a few drinks and some laughs.

And, you know... as I saw him talking,

there was real love in his eyes, you know?

Love?

Yeah. Real love. And you know what else?

He wanted me to ask you to have dinner with him again tonight,

just like the old days.

¿De veras?

Would I, Francisco Ramon Rodriguez y Sanchez,

lie to you?

So what do you say?

I say let him ask me himself.

I'm not going to Ed Brown on my hands and knees.

Uh, yeah, well, you see, he can't ask you himself, man,

'cause you know how those Anglos are.

They say one thing and mean another.

That's why they make such great politicians.

So what do you say, man? Dinner here tonight at 7:00.

Why? So we can be at each other's throat like we used to be?

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Don't you remember all those dinners...

being buddies in the Army, all having all that fun...

Camping and fishing, fishing and camping?

So what do you say? Here tonight,

we'll have a nice meal, a few beers,

a few beers, a nice meal. What do you say?

- Oh, I don't know. - Hey, man, if you won't

do it for him, then do it for me, a brother...

For you, huh? Okay. But just for you.

It's not for him. [speaks Spanish]

Right. Not for him.

- Ah, and do me one favor. - [Chico] Sure.

- Forget the beer. - Why?

I'd go broke paying them bathroom fees!

[Chico] Okay. See you at 7:00.

[engine starts]

You can come out now. He's gone.

Hey. What were you two talking about?

Talking about? Nothing.

Yeah, that's typical of you people.

I'm going upstairs.

Okay, okay, okay.

If you're gonna insist, I'll tell you.

We were talking about my dinner party.

Dinner party? What dinner? You're giving a dinner party?

Sure, man. I'm practicing up

to be one of the beautiful people.

[snooty accent] You know, the beautiful people,

the ones who are always jetting down to Acapulco

and lie in the sun and get nice and brown.

Just like the people they're always putting down.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about my dinner party.

You -- You're a beautiful person.

And you and Guerrera are both invited. What do you say?

I wouldn't sit at the same table with him

if it was the Last Supper.

Okay. I'm gonna tell you the truth.

Now I know you're lying.

I'm throwing this party

'cause Guerrera asked me to.

He begged me. He wants to be your friend again.

You know...

as he was talking...

there was real love in his eyes.

Love?

Would I, Francisco Ramon Rodriguez y Sanchez, lie to you?

Yeah, but what difference does that make?

Anyway, I'm not coming to the party.

Okay. If that's the way you feel about it.

I mean, I got along fine without Manuel Guerrera

these last nine years.

His friendship is the last thing I need.

Hey, I said okay.

So let's just drop the subject.

- Okay. It's dropped. - I mean, we were friends once,

but then was then and now is now.

Can't argue with that. Now is now.

Well, I'm going upstairs.

Okay. I've got to go out for a few minutes

and get this stuff for dinner.

You better hurry up before they steal all the chickens.

Hey, Ed, you're always accusing my people of stealing,

and here you charge a guy 35 bucks for five minutes' work.

The thieves aren't out there, man. He's in here.

Don't you accuse me of stealing!

You're gouging customers.

Gouging, yes. Just don't accuse me of stealing.

And I hope you and your friend have a very good dinner.

Because I'm not coming.

Well, Guadalupe, you know him better than I do.

You know everything.

My guess is he's coming.

Ladies, today I'm going to show you how to use Tabasco sauce

to get your husband to tell you where he was last night!

♪ Mi amor ♪

♪ Mi amor ♪

[singing in Spanish]

[humming]

[singing in Spanish]

Hey! Why are you setting three places?

I told you I wasn't coming.

Well, I thought you'd change your mind.

- Sure you don't want to come? - [Ed] No.

I got something more important to do.

There's a baseball game on television.

The Dodgers are at Cincinnati. I don't want to miss it.

Hey, why are you so stubborn, man?

Guerrera is willing to let bygones be bygones.

Oh, that's very nice of him.

Yeah, I know it's very nice of him.

Why don't you do the same thing?

I'll tell you why. Because in my book,

you don't make bygones out of interracial marriage.

- Interracial marriage?! - [Ed] Yes.

You and Guerrera? Boy, you two were closer than I thought!

Not Guerrera. His son.

His son? Oh, that's sick, man.

I don't want to hear that.

His son and my daughter!

- Oh, his son and your d-- - [Ed] Yeah.

Are they gonna get married?

Who knows? I tried to stop it early

when it was just interracial fooling around.

I don't understand what you got so upset about, man.

I didn't get upset. It was Guerrera. He was the hothead!

When I told my daughter I didn't want her running around

with a Mexican, he took it personally.

[horn honking]

Well, Chico, I think your dinner guest has arrived.

Brown, this time you went too far!

I think you went too far.

Let's face it. I'm gonna sue you for everything you got.

Okay.

Mr. Guerrera, just tell us what happened.

Sure, I'll tell you what happened.

But he might have a hard time hearing me

because first I'm going to kill him!

It's the least I can do since he tried to kill me.

Kill you? You're out of your mind!

If this isn't a case of attempted murder,

then what is?

This!

Hey!

Can't you two talk about this over dinner?

There will be no dinner. I make it a point

never to break bread with somebody who tries to kill me.

Nobody tried to kill anybody.

No? Then how come the brakes he just fixed on my car

went out on me and I had to stop my car by running

into a telephone pole?

Look at it! What am I gonna do with it now?

Do what everybody else in the neighborhood does.

Convert it into an extra room.

It will be a banner day for you!

Living in an abandoned car will be a step up for you!

Can we start with the appetizer?

Appetizers? Let's face it, Brown.

You did it to get even with me for what happened nine years ago.

Why would I wait nine years?

No, he didn't. I swear. I saw him work on your car.

Ed Brown hasn't thrown a repair job in his life.

Can't you see you two are friends? You need each other?

- [Manuel] I'm going. - [Ed] Good!

Chico, put his car in a sack.

Let me put some brake fluid in there so he can get home.

- [Ed] Ohh! - [Chico] Un momentito.

Ed, you can't go up there.

Why can't I?

Well, because, um...

Because there's something I didn't tell you.

He didn't want me to, but I can see have no choice.

I'm gonna be very honest with you.

Again?

Ed, Guerrera's gonna die.

What?

He's got two weeks-- three weeks, tops.

He's-- He's-- Guerrera's...

I didn't want to tell you before 'cause,

well, I thought death might throw a damper on the party.

Oh, no.

- One of his last requests... - [Ed] Yeah.

...was to have one last dinner with you.

- [Ed] Yeah. - [Chico] Just like the old days.

Man's on his deathbed, you're gonna feed him tacos?

Ed. Go to him.

Alright. Yeah. Yeah. It's the least I can do.

Oh. Poor man. [muttering]

Yeah. Hey, uh, Manuel?

Manuel, I want to talk to you!

What do you want?

Well, I-I want to talk to you about--

Well, I mean, I didn't do this to your car, but I'll fix it.

I'll fix all the damages,

you know, from the collision and all that and...

And I-I know you need it fast.

Am I hearing what I'm hearing?

Oh, what a terrible way to die. Deaf.

What are you talking about?

About us. I mean, you and me. Friendship.

I mean, like it was in the old days.

We'll go to dinner again. We'll go to ballgames.

I hope they don't go into extra innings.

I get it. You're trying

to soft-talk me to avoid a lawsuit.

A lawsuit? No, he's not.

No? Do you realize how close I was to death

just a few minutes ago?

Oh, two weeks. Maybe three.

Anyhow, Manuel, I want to tell you, I mean--

A-About what happened nine years ago.

Uh, I just--

Whatever's on your mind, say it, Brown.

Alright. I'll say it, but it's a long story.

But, uh, I'll make it short.

Okay, so, uh...

Guerrera, I forgive you.

- [Manuel] You forgive me? - [Ed] Yeah, I know. I know.

I said I'd never talk to you again after you told your son

you didn't want him going around with my daughter,

but after thinking it over, I understand.

Wait a minute. He didn't want his son

going with your daughter. It wasn't the other way around?

Why don't you stay out of this?

Guadalupe, you got a lot of work to do

on both sides of the fence.

- I accept your apologies. - Oh, thank you, Manuel.

And I want you to know Ed Brown

never turned his back on a friend in his time of need.

In time of need?

Yeah, in his time of need.

Uh, what do you say we eat? Okay?

Manuel, I thought you'd sit over there,

and, Ed, right over here.

[Ed] Oh.

You guys help yourself to the guacamole

while I get the rest of the dinner.

[Ed] Okay. Ahh.

Hey, uh, Chico, do you have some Tabasco sauce?

Oh, no. Watch that. That stuff is murder.

I mean, uh, it'll kill you. Uh...

Nothing personal.

What are you talking about?

Ed, could I see you in the kitchen for a minute?

- Help yourself, Manuel. - Yeah. Eat while you may.

Uh, Ed, there's something I forgot to tell you.

Remember back when I was being perfectly honest?

- [Ed] Yeah. - [Chico] I lied.

Lied?

Uh, Guerrera's not dying.

Guerrera's not-- Why not?!

Look, the only reason I did it was because I know

you two deep down inside want to get back together again.

But Guerrera's not dying? You promised!

Guerrera, get the hell out of my garage!

What?

You got a lot of nerve, not dying.

Ed!

He said you were gonna die!

If you're gonna live, I want you out of my garage!

That's the Ed Brown I remember!

Brown, you're just as much of a dumb burro today

as you ever were, and for the life of me,

I don't know why you even invited me here!

I invited you?

Time for the soup.

Hey.

You said he wanted us to get together. You lied.

Well, not-- No, not exactly. Uh...

What do you mean, you lied not exactly?

Well, yeah, I-I guess.

You're wasting your time here.

You could have a great career in Washington!

Okay. I lied to you. I admit it.

But you two lie to yourselves! I just saw that you do care!

Can't you see you're both wrong

+and you're too stubborn to admit it?

That's what I like about you, Rodriguez.

You got answers to questions nobody's even asked!

I'm leaving.

Let me put that brake fluid in there, man.

Look at that! The brake line is busted!

¿De veras?

That has nothing to do with what we fixed, man.

That's a problem near the wheel.

Well, what's the difference?

When a man brings a car in, a good mechanic

is supposed to check everything

and fix anything that's wrong, no?

Mr. Guerrera, the accident wasn't Ed Brown's fault.

I think you owe him an apology.

You see, he wasn't trying to get even with you

for what happened nine years ago.

And, anyway, that's in the past.

As Ed Brown himself says,

then his then and now is now.

[soft music plays]

♪ A man needs a heart ♪

♪ To understand ♪

[Manuel] Brown!

- [Ed] What do you want? - [Manuel] Open up.

[Ed] What for?

I want to talk to you.

What is it?

You watching the Cincinnati game?

Yeah. Why?

I wouldn't mind watching that myself.

Why do I care?

Okay. You can watch. Just don't talk.

What's going on?

It's between innings. I got to hurry.

So, uh, how are you and Guerrera getting along?

- [Ed] Fine. Just fine. - [Chico] Really?

In all this time, you haven't said one word to each other?

Nope.

- [Chico] Not a word? - [Ed] Nope.

I don't believe you.

Would I, Edward Philip Jackson E. Brown, lie to you?

[funky music plays]

[Freddie] "Chico and the Man" was recorded live

before a studio audience at NBC Studios,

Burbank, California.

♪♪

[José Feliciano] ♪ Chico was born in El Barrio♪

♪ Spent much of his time in the street♪

♪ His mind was craving for knowledge♪

♪ His belly for something to eat♪

♪ But times are hard♪

♪ For Chico and the Man♪

♪ Times are hard♪

♪ For Chico and the Man♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey, alright♪