Original subtitles

♪ One two oh one two three and ♪

[theme song]

♪ 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 every one ♪

♪ 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 ♪♪

Ed!

Why are you sneaking up on me?

Why are you sneaking out on me?

Wait a minute. Well, let's see.

Can't be going to Las Vegas.

They won't let you shoot craps for nickels .

Can't be going to a Church Social.

You've never been to Church and you've never been social.

Wait a minute. It's a lady, huh?

Since when have you become my mother?

Ed, I'm not your mother.

But don't lie to me. A mother's heart knows.

Well, I guess you'll find out sooner or later

so I might as well tell you right now.

I finally gave in and agreed to go out with Elizabeth.

Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. Elizabeth who?

Never mind.

But if a Mr. Burton should call

I'm nowhere to be found. Right?

You got a clean handkerchief?

Yes, I have a clean, white handkerchief.

And I'm also wearing some clean, white underwear.

Just in case I ever become...

- Involved in an accident. - "Involved in an accident."

Good now.

Okay, have a good time.

Don't stay out too late

because I won't warn you about your food, you come back.

And I'll leave some chilly for you in the hot plate

if you're hungry when you come home.

Boy children, you try to raise them...

Hey, Chico.

I just saw Ed get in a taxi cab

all dressed up. What's happening?

Louie, I think he's going out with a lady.

- A lady? - Yeah.

But which lady could it be?

Well, maybe, it is Ms. Velasquez.

No, it couldn't be Mrs. Velasquez.

Why not?

Mr. Velasquez.

Louie...

...you said he left in a taxi. What did the taxi looked like?

Well, it was an orange taxi with purple fenders

and a picture of a girl in a bikini suit on the side.

Louie, in this neighborhood, that could be any taxi.

Wait a minute, did the girl with the bikini

have a rhinestone in her belly button?

Yeah.

Louie that's it. It's the Rhinestone cab company.

- Felipe, the dispatcher-- - What're you doing, Chico?

Louie, don't bother me now.

I got a lot of belly buttons to cover.

[piano music]

[applause]

Hello, big spender.

Madam, I regret to inform you

that I neither speak, read, or write or understand English.

Okay then.

Buongiorno.

Arrivederci.

Look, lady

I never saw you before in my life.

You're a complete stranger.

And I don't even know you.

My name is Flora. Now you know me.

What's your name, Ace?

Ivan The Terrible.

How terrible are you?

Stick around and you'll find out.

Oh, come on you big lug. What's your name?

Well, if you must know, I guess there's nowhere to escape.

It's Ed Brown.

Well, that's refreshing.

They usually call themselves John Smith.

Where do you live, Big Ed?

In the home for the Criminally Insane.

[laughs]

[laughs] Oh, that is so funny.

Ah, I love a man with a sense of humor.

Then, go bother Johnny Carson.

May I sit down?

Please lady. I already have a date.

No, you don't.

You ordered that drink an hour ago

and she's not here yet.

Face it. She stood you up.

Oh, no, she didn't. She's sitting right here.

Oh?

She's lovely.

How do you know she's lovely? You can't see her.

I've had four martinis. I can see anything you can see.

Well, you can't see her and I'll tell you why.

My wife, Margaret...

We used to come here every year

celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Seven years ago...

...I started coming here alone.

[sighs]

This was her favorite drink. Pink lady.

That's beautiful.

[sniffs] That's just beautiful.

[sobs]

I'm sorry for intruding, Margaret.

Please forgive me.

[cries]

It's alright. It's alright.

Look, we both forgive you.

Now please, Flora. Don't cry.

I can't.

She's so pale and warm.

She's a quiet little thing, ain't she?

I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, Ed.

- It's alright. - I'll leave you two alone.

Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.

- Here's to you, Margaret. - Yes. Thank you.

Here's to you.

[applause]

Oh, uh, excuse me, Mr. Piano player.

I'd like you to play a song for me.

Sorry, pal. I'm on a break.

Yeah, but-but son, my anniversary and you...

Oh.

[coughs] I was uh...

I wanted to play a song for my wife Margaret.

Margaret, are you listening?

She's listening. She's listening.

- Oh, good. - You know?

I, uh, I used to call her Margie and that's...

[piano music]

♪ Margie ♪

♪ I'm always thinking of you Margie ♪

♪ I'll tell the world I love you ♪

♪ Don't forget your promise to me ♪

♪ I wanna hold a ring ♪

♪ And every little thing for Margie ♪

♪ You are my inspiration ♪

♪ Days are never blue ♪

♪ After all is said and done ♪

♪ There is really only one ♪

♪ Oh Margie ♪

♪ Margie it's you ♪♪

[applause]

A singles bar at your age.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

How did you get here?

Easy. I followed a belly button.

Oh, honey. That was just wonderful.

Oh, thank you. Thank you. Ah, come on, Flora.

Why don't you beat it, kid? You can see I've got a date.

Come on, Flora. Let's get over here.

And sit down right over here.

Oh, no.

No, I couldn't. Not in her place.

- You picked up two women? - No!

No, there's only one.

Margaret.

It's her anniversary. Oh...

Well, Ed.

What do I say, after I say, I'm sorry?

Try goodbye.

Hiya, I'm Chuck Martin, the owner.

The girls think you were a knockout.

- Oh, thank you. - Not you. Him.

Now listen they'd like an encore, old man.

- Encore-- - Go on and have fun.

Come on, dinner and drinks will be on the house.

And any night you come here, the piano is yours.

Oh, gee. I, uh...

Oh, well, I...

I, uh...

Why don't you go home, kid? You know, get some sleep.

I'm liable to be here all night.

Ed, do you think I'd let you stay here tinkling by yourself?

I'm...

Oh, here he is. Come on.

[applause]

This is the song I, I sang to Margaret

on my, on our first date.

[piano music]

♪ I'll be down to get you with a taxi honey ♪

♪ You'd better be ready around half past 8:00 ♪

♪ Now honey don't be late ♪

♪ I want to be there when the band starts playing ♪

♪ Remember when we get there honey ♪

♪ Two steps who wanna have them all ♪

♪ Gonna wear out both of my shoes ♪

♪ When the dance the jelly roll blues ♪

♪ Tomorrow night at the Darktown Strutter's Ball ♪

Hey, he's great, isn't he?

Yeah, he's great, but I don't know why I'm so happy?

You just gained a piano player

and I just lost a great mechanic.

♪ Wear up both my shoes ♪

♪ To dance the jelly roll blues ♪

♪ Tomorrow night at the Darktown Strutter's Ball ♪♪

[applause]

Hey, Chico, where did you get that picture?

Louie, he's brought it home with him every night this week.

[Ed singing indistinctly]

I was waiting to hear a few new Suzie like I knew Suzie.

Stick around that's probably next.

Last night it was Cecelia and night before that Sweet Adeline.

But no matter who he's singing about, it's really Margaret

he's singing about and I'm worried.

Why should you worry?

The man's having fun tickling

that keyboard every weekend.

Louie, at Ed's age tickling anything

for a whole weekend is dangerous.

He doesn't come home till 4:00 in the morning.

He doesn't get up till 3:00 in the afternoon.

- But, Chico maybe-- - Shh!

♪ Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez-vous ♪

♪ Mademoiselle from Armentieres ♪

♪ She wiggled her ears for 50 years ♪

♪ Hinky-dinky parlez-vous ♪♪

Ah-ha!

Isn't that beautiful?

Well, gentlemen, a good evening to you.

You listen to me, Ed Brown--

Unh-unh-unh, that's a foul spark plug. Clean it.

Oh, right away, master. I'm so sorry.

[laughing]

Of course, I've a carburetor to fix and some wire to solder

and then I've to flush out the radiator

and patch six tires and then if I have time

I'll go to the washroom with your permission, of course.

Are you quite through, my boy?

Yes, master.

Then get yourself an assistant.

Listen to me, Ed, we can't afford an assistant.

Ed, listen to the kid.

He's talking to you like a mother.

Ed, I'm working my fingers to the bone day and night

while you're sitting at bar playing and singing.

Yeah?

Well, I make more money in one weekend in tips

at that bar than that pump takes in an entire month.

So, get yourself two assistants.

♪ Pack up your troubles ♪

♪ In your old kit bag ♪

♪ And smile smile smile ♪♪

I work alone.

Louie, listen, I'm not going to be smiling

until I get Ed out of that bar.

Oh, Chico, I'm surprised at you.

Is business more important to you than the man's happiness?

Oh, Louie, you know better than that.

I'm not worried about the business.

But I want Ed to be happy but not singing

about the past, about the future.

Well, you got a point there, Chico because

past wasn't so hot.

And on the other hand, the present isn't so good either.

We've got to get Ed out of the good old days

of the past and back into the rotten days of the present.

As soon as I get dressed we're going.

- Where-where are we going? - To the Piano Bar.

There's one Ed song I don't want to miss.

Now what song is that?

Well, if what I got in mind works

it's going to be his last one.

You go home and get dressed.

Alright, quiet everyone. Ladies and gentlemen.

Chuck Martin presents the tinkling fingers of a man

who brings back the good old days.

Ed Brown.

[applause]

Yeah, good to see you all. Really.

Thank you, thank you very much for your applause.

Now let's get back to the good old days of 1932.

In those days, a rumble was a seat

in the back of a model A4.

Also the days when the Rolling Stone gathered no loss.

And those were the days when grass was something you mow.

And, uh, my wife and I enjoyed a little song.

I must say it was one of her favorites.

It was called

"A little green frog."

Here it goes.

♪ A little green frog sitting on a log ♪

♪ Making love to the harvest moon ♪

♪ When along came a bull frog ♪

♪ Crooning a pretty little love song ♪

♪ The moon soon hid behind the clouds ♪

♪ As it watched the lovers gay ♪

♪ And it wasn't very long when this lonesome frog ♪

♪ Started in to croon his way ♪

♪ A gay-liga-licka-licka-loo gili-gilay-galoo ♪

♪ Cotton kinda love to me ♪

♪ A gay-liga-licka-licka-loo gili-gilay-galoo ♪

♪ What a happy little frog I'll be ♪

♪ On my log there's plenty of room ♪

♪ Come to me and you'll see how well I can spoon ♪

♪ You're wasting time making love to the moon ♪

♪ Now is the time to spoon now's the time to spoon ♪

♪ Gilli-gilai-Gilli-galoo galoo-Gilli-gilao ♪

♪ Means I know you'll understand ♪

♪ Gilli-gilai-Gilli means ♪

♪ We'll go on our honeymoon so grand ♪

♪ And in a little while we'll have a pollywog ♪

♪ And when he goes to be a frog he'll have to find another log ♪

♪ So won't you Gilli-gilai-Gilli-galoo ♪

♪ Gilli-gilai-galoo with me ♪♪

[applause]

How do you like that one?

Oh, thank you very much.

Well, thank you very much.

Thank you dear. Thank you. Let's put that over there.

Now, let's go back to the year 1929.

- I remember-- - Uh, sir.

Would you please do not play anything from 1929

because that was the year of the big crash?

A terrible, terrible year.

My poor father lost everything

in one streak, the house

the swimming pool, the servants, the pigs.

He wasn't even born in 1929.

Oh, look, I'm not ashamed to say that

in 1929, I sold apples on the street.

But I don't want to be reminded of it, if you don't mind.

I don't mind. So, let's go back to 1938.

That was the year that employment was on the upswing.

Roosevelt was giving America a new deal.

And the world was ready to laugh again.

Unh-unh. Pardon me, sir.

I don't what there was to laugh about in 1938.

That was the year that Germans invaded Austria.

Yeah and my homeland ravaged by the Nazis!

German krauts!

The Germans never got as far as Mississippi, you...

Pardon him.

Pardon him, Mr. Piano player.

But I think we should be reminded of Vienna

the fall of Paris and the blitz of London.

Oh, who wants to talk about World War II

Roosevelt and all...

[indistinct chatter]

[Ed] Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet!

I have another song.

And if you want to know something

I don't remember when it was written.

Ah, however, I do remember that Margaret and I

were living in Brooklyn at that time.

Uh, pardon that was 1957.

No, no. Not 1957. Any year but 1957.

That was the year my husband ran off with my younger sister.

Any year but 1957. Come on, would you--

Mr. Martin would you please do something

and throw this bums out of here?

Look, old timer, those bumps are my valued customers.

Yeah, well these bums are troublemakers.

- That's what they are. - Wait a minute.

Who are you calling a troublemaker?

I'm sorry, but I was talking to him.

Hey, don't you dare lay a hand on this adorable boy.

Can't you just sing a nice song about a nice year?

A nice song about a nice year. Okay, I got it.

♪ Way down upon the Swanee River ♪

Hey, Swanee river stream flowing through the south.

What's that remind you of?

Civil war! Brother fighting against brother.

Yes, sir!

♪ Glory glory hallelujah! ♪

♪ Glory glory hallelujah! ♪

♪ Glory glory hallelujah! ♪♪

My granddaddy's plantation was burned down

by you dumb Yankees .

Who're you calling a dumb Yankee? You--

Walk out, Brown. You're causing trouble.

- Just take five, will you? - Oh, alright.

But I'm-I'm telling you it's not my fault.

It's all his fault and especially his.

And I... Never mind. Give me that.

Wait here, Louie.

[sighing]

Why? Why, Chico? Why did you do it?

'Cause you were slipping back into the past, man.

I was worried about you. I care.

Yeah, but I was-I was having fun for the first time in years.

I was playing music and I was happy

and you had to go and spoil it all.

Ed, there's normal happy and there's flipped out happy.

What's normal happy? Being up to your ears in dying motors?

Yeah, dying motors you can bring back to life.

But Ed you're not gonna bring Margaret back to life

no matter how many times you sing the old songs.

Yeah, but the old songs are the only songs I know.

If you take that away from me then

I won't have any music in my life at all.

[sighs]

Ah, why is it so bad

trying to go back into the past for just a little while?

No, it's not so bad.

But you were lost back in the past, man.

And I just thought it was time

somebody came along and found you.

You know something?

For a rotten kid, you're a pretty good kid.

[sighs] Well.

I've got... I think I'll just sing one more song.

Okay. One more.

- Okay. - Okay.

[indistinct chatter]

And no fooling around this time.

- No fooling around. - Alright.

[indistinct clamoring]

[whistles]

Hold it, hold it, hold it.

Folks, I hope you'll permit me to sing just one more song

before I retire?

- When was it written? - Louie, shh!

This is for you, Margaret.

[piano music]

♪ Try to remember ♪

♪ That kind of September ♪

♪ When life was slow ♪

♪ And oh so mellow ♪

♪ Try to remember that kind of September ♪

♪ When grass was green ♪

♪ And grain was yellow ♪

♪ Try to remember ♪

♪ That kind of September ♪

♪ When you were a tender ♪

♪ And callow fellow ♪

♪ Try to remember ♪

♪ And if you remember ♪

♪ Then follow, follow ♪

♪ Follow... ♪♪

Now that's my man.

[applause]

Ed.

- You're doing it again. - So are you.

- Don't you move. - No, I'm not.

[Chico] Don't you move.

You look me right in the eye and tell me

you're not going back to that bar.

Well, I can't do that.

But I will say I'm not going to play the piano again.

Oh.

Hello!

Son of a gun!

[whistles] Looking good.

Whoo-hoo!

[male narrator] "Chico and The Man" was recorded live

before a studio audience at NBC studios at Burbank, California.

♪ Chico was born in El Barrio ♪

♪ Spent much of his time in the street ♪

♪ His mind was crazy for knowledge ♪

♪ His belly for something to eat ♪

♪ But times are hard ♪

♪ Chico and the Man ♪

♪ Times are hard ♪

♪ Chico and the Man ♪

♪ Yeah yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ It's alright yeah ♪♪