Original subtitles

Well, we're moving on up, moving on up, too deep down, moving on up, to a

deep...

Tuesday. See you later. I have a little present for you. It's to celebrate

a very special time in our lives.

What time?

Well, I'll give you a hint.

It was a warm summer night.

The lights were low.

The moon was bright and you were young.

Oh, yeah, I remember that.

Today is the anniversary of our first date.

Oh, well, give me my present.

Let me see here.

A book.

A book of poems, huh?

A book of dumb poems.

One snowy day in deep December, I'll see a bright spring flower just by sitting

to remember how you looked this hour. This is sick that we... Who wrote this

joke?

You did, George.

Not bad.

What'd you find out?

Well, a few weeks ago, I was looking through some old things, and I ran

these poems tucked in with your love letters.

Oh. And I couldn't believe how beautiful they were.

Well, consider the source.

That's why I couldn't believe it.

Anyhow, I decided to have them printed up.

I thought it would make a perfect gift.

Yeah, but I didn't get a gift for you.

Oh, you've given me enough.

Oh, good. Let's eat.

Wait, George.

I want to read something to you. Oh, please.

Okay, read.

I want to take your hand in mine and make our footsteps intertwine.

And it was because of this poem.

I let you hold my hand for the first time.

And it was because of this poem on page 8 that I let you kiss me for the first

time.

What do you mean you let me? You begged me.

And it was because of this poem on page 13 that I almost let you...

Never mind.

all the bigger that time.

At least that was all a long time ago. It's all so personal. It's embarrassing.

Oh, why should it be embarrassing about these poems?

They were written during a period of love, passion, ecstasy.

I know, but we passed all that now.

Didn't you mean all those things?

Yeah, everything that led up to page 13.

I will always treasure it, and now I'm going to put it someplace where I won't

lose it.

Oh, George!

Why are you so ashamed of these poems?

They reveal what a sweet, caring, vulnerable man you are.

Yeah, I know. It's okay for me and you to look at, but I don't want anybody

to see it.

I hope this is the only book.

Well, almost.

Well, you see, in order to get it printed, I had to order a minimum of 12.

There are 11 other copies.

Well, I'll kill myself.

After I change my will and leave you penniless.

Don't worry, George. I'm sure nobody else will read them.

There you are.

Who'd believe there was such a great big heart in that itty -bitty body?

Where you wrote such beautiful poetry?

Penniless, Weas.

Oh, come on, George.

I didn't think it would hurt to let Florence take a peek.

After all, she's almost a member of the family.

Yeah, she looks like your grandmother.

Oh, it won't work, Mr. Jefferson. I know now that beneath all those insults

stands a man with true sensitivity.

You see what you've done, Weas? Florence likes me.

blushing.

Ain't that cute?

You know, Miss Jefferson, I always wondered what made a wonderful woman

marry a man like that.

Now I know.

Just one question.

What in the world made you stay with him?

Look, you better not show that book to nobody.

Oh, George, don't worry. Florence knows about the poems. You know about them,

and I know about them, and that's it. Good. Let's keep it that way.

Loved your poems, Mr. Jefferson.

Don't tell me you read them, too. Oh, no, sir. I had the book, but I was

unfortunate enough to be without my reading glasses at the time. Oh, thank

So I got Mrs.

Goldman from 8C to read them aloud for me in the laundry room.

Please. I didn't give it to him. Who did? I don't...

Now, George, don't get so excited.

It was only Ralph and Mrs. Goldman, and I'm sure they can be trusted not to tell

anyone else. Right, Ralph? Right, ma 'am. Absolutely.

It's Mrs. Siegel I'd be concerned about.

Who's she?

She was the one passing out the tissues to the 47 other weeping women in the

laundry room.

Most of them were too moved to fold.

I want my book back, and I want it now.

Why, I'd be happy to return your book to you, sir, but it's at home with my

collection of great works of the Western world. Let me see. I think it's either

next to Voltaire or T .S. Eliot.

Hi, George. Hi, Louise.

Oh, Ralph, thanks for that book of poetry.

Or I loaned it to Mr.

Willis. Get out, Ralph.

I, uh...

Suppose this is an inopportune moment to ask for a gratuity.

Gratuity for what? For humiliating me? For ruining me? For making my whole life

miserable? Whatever you can spare, sir.

Tell me you didn't read the book.

I wept, Jordan.

Oh, did you weep?

I wept, too. Oh, of course you did.

They were beautiful.

Inspirational. I couldn't believe it.

Ah, the soul of the man.

I would say the size of the man.

But after reading your poems, I can't.

Willis, give me my book back.

Why, George, you're blushing. I want my book, Willis. Oh, you're cute when

you're angry.

And you're fat all the time. Now give me the book.

Well, it's not quite as simple as that. You see, I was having this meeting with

a publisher friend of mine. Willis, the book. His name is Graham Gregory, and

he's very prominent in the publishing industry. Just give me the book.

Well, I left the book open on my desk, and I went out to get another donut.

And, uh, well, he probably saw it and, uh, picked it up.

You mean you don't have the book? Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you. I

took the book with him.

George, you seem a little miffed. Oh, yeah, well, how would you like it if I

told everybody all the personal things you say to Helen?

Helen, I ate too much. Helen, I ate too fast. Give me an ultrasound.

No, better yet, give me a drumstick.

George, I... I can't believe you are carrying on like this. Okay, okay,

I'll calm down.

I just want to tell you one thing.

What? Not only am I going to leave you penniless, but I also want you to pay me

back for everything I ever bought you.

Hi, George, guess what? I know, I know. You read my poems, you loved them, and

you think I'm a sensitive genius.

Well, no.

I haven't read any of your poems.

And I'm sure I'd hate them if I had.

And I think you're an insensitive bull.

Oh,

but I do have a message for you. A publishing friend of Tom's, a Mr.

called. Here's his number. He wants you to call him as soon as you can. For

what? All he said was that he wants to talk with you about your work. His work?

Hey.

That could be very exciting.

You know, I told him you weren't a professional poet, that you were a dry

cleaner. But he still seemed interested.

Call him, George. Are you kidding?

It's sickening enough I got everybody in the building calling me a genius.

Well, it is an improvement over what they usually call genius.

Hey, you could be missing an opportunity.

You know, the last poet he published is on the bestseller list. Who cares?

He's made a lot of money. Who cares?

He's on Johnny Carson almost every other week. Give me the number.

Wait a minute. I thought you didn't want anybody to see your poems. Johnny

Carson ain't just anybody. I'm talking about everyday morons laying eyes on

them. Now, hold it.

Now, George, I never intended for those poems to go public. They're personal.

Weezy, it's just about you and me and our love life. What's so personal about

that? Hello?

Yeah, George Jefferson here. Uh, yeah. Uh, Willis said you like my work.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I am one of the great ones.

Say, why don't we get together tonight at my place?

The same building Tom Willis lives in. Right.

Apartment 12D.

Okay. See you soon. Oh, by the way, ciao for now.

That's the last poem he gets for free.

He's coming over tonight?

That's right. He wants to publish my poems.

But you don't have enough poems for a real book.

I got all afternoon. I could knock out a whole volume of classics and still have

time to watch the Flintstones tonight.

Are you sure you know what you're doing? Trust me, Will. Look, oh, remember one

thing. You made me what I am.

I love you.

Oh, let me see what you write. No.

You're not going to hear these poems until Mr. Gregory gets here. A true

never reveals incomplete works. Oh, come on. God revealed you.

Okay, you can read this one.

Well, what do you think?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

So picture this.

This stuff ain't the same as the other stuff you wrote. I know. See, that was

mushy period.

I've decided to go contemporary.

Well, you better hope that guy decides to go deaf.

What do you know? You ain't got no taste. You don't even know how to dress.

Anyway, look.

I want you to give an introduction for me tonight.

I got an introduction for you, all right.

Mr. Jefferson, this is Bellevue.

Bellevue, this is Mr. Jefferson.

You're wrong already. The man's name is Gregory.

Anyway, I wrote my own introduction. I just want you to present it.

In that case, I have a little poem for you, too.

No way, Jose.

I gave you 50 bucks.

It says there I have to call you a genius. That's worth at least 100.

Okay.

I'll make it brilliant for 75.

I'll pay you 20 and call you goofy.

I mean, you can't do me one little favor?

Oh, okay, okay. I've been working here a long time, and you have been nice to me

along the way.

So because of my warm, generous Christian heart, I'll do it. Thank you.

150? Okay, but you better make him believe it.

If he believes this, you better give him the 150.

Imagine our own George Jefferson, a poet.

Can you tell us anything about his new work?

Well, he wouldn't show them to me. He'd want them to be fresh when he reads them

to Mr. Gregory tonight.

But Florence did read one.

Oh, what'd she say?

Ah, refreshments. I'm sorry, but these are not for eating.

Well, what are they for, then?

Throwing.

You mean the poems are that bad?

Let me put it this way. I spent my own money for this route.

Where's George anyway?

Oh, he said he won't come out until Mr. Gregory gets here.

Oh,

I'll get it.

Yes,

Graham Gregory. To see George Jefferson, please.

Graham Gregory.

To see Mr. Jefferson. Oh, thanks, Rob.

Mr. Gregory, how nice to meet you. I'm Louise Jefferson.

George will be right out. Well, thank you. I am looking forward to meeting

husband. Fruit?

Uh, maybe later. I'm sure.

Uh,

Mr. Gregory, you know Tom Willis. Tom?

Hi, Graham. Good to see you again. And this is my wife, Helen. This is Willis.

How do you do?

Oh, George, really appreciate your coming over here on such short notice.

Well, the fact is that he's doing me the favor.

You must be a lonely man.

Well, why don't we all sit down?

Oh, yes.

Mr.

Gregory, Tom tells us that you're quite a successful publisher.

Well, let's just say that I have good instincts. Not only have I discovered a

lot of talented writers, but I also predicted that leg warmers would be the

in 1982.

George's poems.

Poems? Oh, yeah, yeah. He's obviously an extremely thoughtful and sensitive man.

Flora, get your budding deer.

Well,

I guess that's my cue.

Ladies and gentlemen, Webster defines greatness as eminent...

Renowned, distinguished.

But he left out two other words. George Jefferson.

I think Webster left out two other words.

Bo -bo.

So, without further ado, let me introduce your friend, not mine.

like we do every night, you play while I read my poems.

Oh, those.

Gosh, George, give someone else a chance.

What? Not on your life.

Helen? Not on a bet.

Willis? Gladly.

Oh, don't worry, Helen. I know how to play these things. Why, I accompanied

Bam Mahoney when she did her specialty act at our frat house.

She had those tassels going in every direction.

She actually hit me in the eye with one.

Now,

you know, there's poetry everywhere.

Not now.

As I was saying, there is poetry everywhere.

In the subway, the trash chutes, in...

Only we just observe.

Thus.

Ode to esteem, press.

were a mess.

Their fabric called out, where or where the hell is the steam press?

I think we're ready for this.

Well, how about that, everybody?

Mrs.

Willis, you've been here before and you came back?

My husband had fun here.

Don't take this as criticism, but you know what I miss?

That heartfelt emotion that we all saw in your first poems.

Heartfelt emotion you what?

Heartfelt emotion you got.

Oh, boy. When I wrote this one, I was wracked with pain.

It was a dark, dark day.

The only way I could get the anguish out of my system was to put it down on

paper.

It's called Ode to the Cancellation.

Of Hawaii Five -0.

George, please. No, wheeze. I've got to get it out.

Ready?

Lord, oh, Lord.

What's happened to Jack?

Of course, your price.

I was hoping you'd quote me one.

You mean I could write my own ticket for my poems?

Poems? No, I was wondering how much you'd charge to clean 25 Little League

baseball uniforms.

$5 .75 plus tax, $5 off of the coupon. Why do you want to know that?

Well, Tom told me you're an excellent dry cleaner, and you see, I manage a

Little League team, and a lot of our sponsors donate services, so I was

you might donate yours.

Oh, yeah, sure. Anything, anything you want. Okay, now, back to my poems.

How soon do you want to publish them?

Publish them?

Yeah, you're a publisher, right? Yes.

Well, Willard said you like my work. Your work.

Oh.

Oh.

I see what this is all about. I mean... Oh, Mr. Jefferson, I'm sorry.

You see, I came here looking for a dry cleaner to sponsor my team, and you

thought I was interested in your poetry.

Oh, no, I mean, I read your little book, and I think they're very nice.

They're sincere, and they're from the heart, but I just don't think they'd

any mass appeal.

Well, Willis liked them.

He's a mess.

Lawrence, bring me that fruit bowl.

about the mix -up, but I really do have to be going.

Thank you very much, Mr. Jefferson.

I'll send the uniforms off to you tomorrow, and listen, I really am very

Oh, no, no, that's okay, Steve.

Poetry is just my hobby. I mean, dry cleaning is my life.

Well, on the bright side, not every man has a sensitive soul, but everybody gets

dirty.

Come on, Helen. Let's walk Graham out.

Good night, Louise, Florence.

Tom, you really like those poems we just heard?

Well, I don't know about the poetry, but I knew that if I played the bongos,

they'd give me fruit.

What does he know? He's only one publisher.

I noticed a lot of publishers in this town would die for these poems. Right,

Florence? If they read them, they'd probably die laughing.

Are these poems really that lousy, Willis?

Now, George, lousy is a pretty harsh word.

But, yes.

I don't understand it. I thought everybody said they were so great.

George, they were.

But there was something different about tonight.

Well, maybe you were a little rushed.

Maybe you weren't in the mood.

Or maybe you were distracted by the bongos.

The bongos? You see.

No, come on.

We both know what the difference was. I mean, let's face it. These poems were

all about dumb things.

Well, except for Hawaii Five -0.

Now, see, my other poems, they were about something that really matters to

What? You?

Oh, George, that's more beautiful to me than all the poetry in the world.

Really?

Really.

George, why don't you read?

A little something out of your first volume to me.

Okay. Which one do you want to hear?

Oh, how about something from page 13?

Page 13? You got it.

Oh, wait a minute. Let me get the book.