Original subtitles

♪ One, two, a-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 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 ♪♪

♪♪

Okay, back 'er in.

Alright, take it easy now.

Hey, Louie, take... Watch... Hey, Louie.

Louie, Louie. Stop! Stop it!

Louie, Louie! What's the matter with you?

What's the matter with you?

Didn't you hear me yelling and screaming?

- No, I had my window rolled up. - What for?

So I couldn't hear you yelling and screaming.

You've been yelling at me all the way from Mexico.

Never mind.

Open the trunk. I wanna get my fish.

[muttering indistinctly]

Whew. Ooh.

Whoo-wee! No wonder the guard at the border

waved us on so fast...

Man, these fish smell terrible.

Yeah, hold that while I divide the fish.

- Okay. - Okay. Let's see here.

Here's one for you and one for me.

Here's two for you and two for me.

There's three for you and three for me.

Hey, man, wait a minute.

How come you give me all the little fish?

Louie, I'm doing you a favor, little fish taste better.

Now, how you know that?

That's why big fish eat the little fish.

Go put them in the freezer there.

Now, why should I carry your fish?

Because they're too tired to walk.

- Hey, Ed. - What?

Do you remember catching a yellowtail

wearing a green T-shirt?

If it's a big one, it's mine.

Put it in the freezer.

What the hell are you doing here?

You owe me 50 cents for loading your fish.

Louie, you realize what we've done?

We brought a junior wetback over the border.

- Over the border? - Yeah.

This is Tijuana.

No, no, kid, Tijuana was about three hours ago.

Why didn't you say something?

We don't announce stops.

This is gotta be Tijuana.

Uh-uh, this is East Los Angeles.

Better known as Upper Tijuana.

[speaking Spanish]

But I promised myself to get out in Tijuana.

Well, I'm sorry, kid, but you blew it.

- I can't be in California! - Why not?

First, I gotta work in Tijuana

to make enough money to come here.

That takes maybe four years.

Oh, well, we'll put you back on schedule.

Louie, take him back to the border.

Oh, come on, Ed, what are you talkin' about?

Man, it's 2 o'clock in the morning.

What difference does that make? We can't keep him here.

Yeah, but I'm not getting out there in the morning.

Fellas, fellas!

- What do you want? - Don't argue.

I'm four years ahead. I don't mind.

Hey, where do you think you're going?

- Tijuana is that way. - I'm gonna get some sleep.

Watching you fish makes me tired.

Yeah, well, you can't sleep here.

Okay. Then I'll sleep over here.

Oh, no, you won't, you can sleep here either.

- You're illegal. - I am not!

My mother and father were married.

What do we do now?

Well, it's a little too late to do anything now, Ed,

so you might as well let the kid sleep here tonight.

If you like him so much, why don't you let him sleep

at your place?

- Oh, man. - Where you going?

The kid's got the right idea.

I'm going home and get me some sleep, too.

Now, wait a minute. How am I gonna sleep with that kid in here?

Hey, what if he's a thief?

What if the kid's honest?

You kidding? How many honest people

come across the border in the trunk of a car?

Oh, about 2,000 a week.

Louie, come back here.

Don't leave me alone with a fugitive.

I'll give you a big fish.

I'll give you two big fishes.

I-I'll even have them stuffed and mounted.

I'll have them cleaned and pressed.

Louie, don't go.

Louie, don't leave me alone.

Louie... Hey, Louie.

Your trunk is up.

Don't start with me, Margaret.

He goes home in the morning.

Hey! Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.

I can't sell no dirty donuts.

Oh, señora, I'm sorry.

I don't mean to mess up your nice food.

Wait just a minute. Just a minute. Just a minute.

Who are you?

My name is Raul. I work in the garage.

You work in the garage?

Oh, for a long time now.

That's really nice food you got.

- You want something to eat? - Oh, no, not me.

I ain't hungry.

But maybe my boss would like something.

Really? Like what, for instance?

He's gonna be very hungry.

I fix him a good breakfast.

Potato chips.

A candy bar.

A burrito.

A soda.

And chewing gum.

Yeah.

That's what Ed always has for breakfast.

Oh, yeah, I know him like a book.

Muchas gracias.

Hold it.

Don't you owe me some money?

Okay.

Here.

What is that?

That's an ancient Mayan rock.

Very hard to find.

All the museums want that.

How much is this worth?

How much was breakfast?

Two and a quarter.

That's what it's worth! Two and a quarter.

You sure know your rocks, lady.

Well, I'm glad I do

because these are very hard to make change for.

I'm gonna have to talk to you later, Raul.

- What are you doing? - I'm taking up your offer.

- What offer? - To work here.

I never made you any offer.

You were very tired last night. You forgot.

Come on.

Eat your breakfast.

Potato chips?

Go ahead. You eat it.

I'll wait till later.

Go on, get your bedroll.

You're checking out.

What do you mean?

- I'm calling immigration. - Señor.

I don't think you better do that.

- Why not? - You could get in bad trouble.

You're the one who's in bad trouble.

But, Señor, please, listen to me.

They're not gonna like it when I tell them

how you forced me into your car.

What are you talking about?

You snuck into the trunk of that car.

I'm gonna tell them, "Officer, these two gringos grab me

"and put a gun in my back," and they say, "You come with us.

We want cheap labor."

"I don't wanna go."

"I want my mama! I want my mama!"

Knock it off. Knock it off.

- Ed? Ed? - What do you want? What?

Good morning, Ed. How did you enjoy your breakfast?

What breakfast? I haven't had anything.

Wait just a moment, Raul.

You know him?

Sure, he's been working for you for years.

Señora, please. You didn't understand me.

I meant I'm going to work for him for years.

Oh, no, you're not.

This is a garage, not a taco stand.

Señora, my family is very poor, so I make a plan.

I go to Tijuana, work, and make lots of money.

It not my fault he locked me in the trunk with a fish.

What? You locked this child in the trunk with a fish?

Oh, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Tell her how the gringo stuck a gun in your back.

And tell her how much you love your mama.

"I want my mama! I want my mama!"

[indistinct chatter]

Raul, you can't stay here.

It's okay. Me and him make a deal.

Oh, no. We don't have a deal.

Well, it doesn't matter if you do have a deal.

If you stay here, baby, Ed could go to jail.

For how long?

Twenty years.

And if that doesn't mean anything to you,

I'll put it in Spanish.

San Quentin.

Honey, you're gonna have to go back.

- No! - Oh, yes, yes.

Oh, you'll love Tijuana.

They stay open all night.

If you work hard, maybe somebody will name a car wash after you.

But I wanna become American citizen.

I know, but you can't do it this way.

If immigration picks you up, they'll never let you back in.

Now wait a minute, hold it, hold it, hold it.

If I can't call immigration, how he's gonna get back home?

- I know. - Who asked you?

Please, señor, you let me work here.

I earn the money to go on the good bus.

The one with the toilet.

Well, it is a good idea, Ed. How much is it, Raul?

Yeah. How much is it?

- To get back to my village? - Yes.

Thirty dollars.

No, señor, I don't take no money I don't work for.

Well, you worked for it.

You watched the fish. You swept the garage.

You brought me breakfast. Here.

Señor, I don't take no charity.

- But I tell you what I do. - Yeah.

Excuse me. You come over here. This is private.

I sell you this.

What's that?

An ancient Mayan rock.

Very hard to find.

All the museums want that.

Yeah?

- How much is it? - $30.

Same as the bus fare, huh?

Okay. Here.

Ten...20...30.

Look what I got.

I see, you know your rocks, too.

Okay, come on.

We got to catch a bus. Let's go.

Wait a minute, Ed, you're not sending him

out there by himself?

It's okay, señora, I find the bus fine.

No, no, maybe you got something there.

I better take him myself. I'll go get the keys.

Wait. Raul, Raul, Ed, he's running away!

- Raul, come back here. - Hey, come back here.

- Come here. Raul! - Raul!

Well, there goes my 30 bucks.

I knew that kid was a crook.

Well, think about the bright side, Ed.

At least we got a piece of the rock.

[Ed] Boy, I get ripped off by a 12-year-old kid

for 30 bucks, that's really something.

What kind of an idiot can you be?

Ed Brown, what are you grumbling about?

I just wanted to find my 30 bucks.

Well, think about that poor kid out there

in a strange town alone.

Where is he going to sleep?

With my money, he's probably got a penthouse

at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Well, I sure hope we find him.

Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?

You weren't too crazy about him last night.

That was before I found out how smart he really was.

Conning you out of $30.

Come on, Louie. Let's go. It's all gassed up.

Wait a minute. Hold everything. Where's the money for the gas?

Are you kidding?

We're out doing all the looking.

The least you can do is pay for the gas.

- That's right. - Here I go, out 30 bucks.

Every time somebody mentions that kid, I lose money.

[engine revs]

♪♪

Ah!

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la-la, la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la-la, la-la-la ♪

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

♪ Oh... ♪♪

Where is, uh, where is Ed Brown?

Right here. What can I do for you?

Do you know this kid?

You bet I know him.

I caught him trying to hotwire a candy machine.

I didn't do nothing.

The machine got stuck.

- Is this your kid? - Why?

If he isn't, I'll take him downtown.

If he's yours, you better keep an eye on him.

Oh, don't worry. I'll take good care of him.

Come over here.

Now, why did you steal? You have 30 bucks.

No more. I sent them home to my mother, Uncle Ed.

Don't call me Uncle Ed, you rotten kid!

You were probably raised by wolves.

If you thought I was so rotten,

why didn't you turn me over to the cop?

Because I'm not crazy about cops, either.

Look, señor, you just helped me out.

I'd like to help you out.

Oh, you want to help me out?

Try leaving.

You'll be on that 7 o'clock bus.

Okay, if that's the way you want it.

But I could be a big help around here.

Oh, you wanna be a big help? I'll tell you what.

Put both hands on this broom and keep 'em there

where I can see 'em.

Go ahead, start working.

You can start with the rocks over there.

Hey, we got a customer!

- "We" got a customer? - It's okay. I'll take them.

I'll bet you will.

How you doing, Ed?

Yes, sir. What can I do for you?

Uh, give me $2 worth.

Regular or Supreme?

Supreme.

You got it.

- Hey, mister. - What?

You want me to keep an eye on your car?

- What for? - For 50 cents.

Oh.

- Some kid you got here, Ed. - Yeah...

[chuckles] Come here, you wicked...

We don't do that around here.

How you make money?

We work for our money.

Oh, you got so much to teach me, Uncle Ed.

Don't call me Uncle Ed!

Go ahead. Take care of the windshield.

- What are you doing? - I'm doing what you told me.

I'm cleaning the windshield.

Yeah, but you're dirtying the hood.

Get off of there.

Come on, hurry it up.

- Oh, she all ready? - Yeah.

Okay. Here's your money. $2, right?

- Yeah. - Okay.

Thanks a lot, kid. See you later, Ed.

Okay, give me that.

I did a good job, huh?

You were okay.

Go on. Get ready. We got to catch a bus.

You said we had lots of time.

I don't wanna miss it.

Go on.

Don't worry about the bus, Margaret.

I'll get him a window seat.

[clanking]

Hey! Hey!

What are you doing?

I figured while you get ready, I fix this carburetor.

It's gonna be like new when I'm finished.

I'm sorry, señor.

That's alright. Try it again.

I don't think I better, I'll just make it worse.

Yeah, here. I'll show you how to do it.

There you are, see.

Put the set screw in here...

...turn it...

...tighten it up a little bit...

See, then you work the butterfly like this. See?

No problem. There, you did it.

- You helped me. - Yeah.

Well, uh...

Now look what you did. You made me miss my bus.

No, I didn't. We still have 20 minutes.

Yeah, but we won't get there in time.

We can drive.

Yeah, well, I gotta find my keys.

I'll help you look.

I don't have the money. I gave you my last 30 bucks.

It's okay, I got it.

Why, you little sneak.

You told me you sent this to your mother.

I lied.

Face it, señor, you can't put me on the bus.

It's okay. I couldn't do it to you either.

[Ed] Hey... where you going?

- I'm going to bed. - Bed?

Working on carburetors makes me tired.

Oh, well, how do you think I feel?

Chasing you all over town. Trying to get my 30 bucks back.

Arguing with cops.

We'll talk about it in the morning.

Yeah.

Hey, wait a minute.

That's my room.

I know. You better lock up.

This is a rough neighborhood.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

You sleeping on the floor?

Sure. Didn't you never have a puppy?

Of course I had a puppy.

But he always slept on the bed with me.

You're in my bed.

Thanks for inviting me.

I didn't invite you. And you're not staying.

You're going home tomorrow.

[speaking Spanish]

Move over.

[groans]

- You comfortable? - Yeah.

Okay.

Goodnight, Chico.

My name's Raul.

By me, all you kids are named Chico.

Okay with me.

Gringo.

- Uncle Ed. - Don't call me Uncle Ed!

What is it?

I forgot to tell you something.

What?

I wet the bed.

[male 1] "Chico And The Man" was recorded live

before a studio audience at NBC studios,

Burbank, California.

♪ 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 ♪♪