All language subtitles for Good Times s01e03 Getting Up the Rent

From Television City in Hollywood.

And where's that big string bean brother
of yours? He was supposed to help me

set the table, make the beds, and clean
up.

There you are.

Something's burning.

Ah.

It's only the breakfast again.

You look like an eel with the teeth of a
shark.

Cool it, Thelma. I just bent down 17
floors for the mail.

I got some dispensing here to do.

Here's something for Michael.

Bulletin from the NAACP.

Corp.

SNCC. And the Pan -African Council.
Thank you, sir.

And here's a free sample for little
sister.

Afroglo face cream for the look of
beauty.

Miracles?

Look who's talking.

If you were born in Detroit, you'd have
been recalled for being dangerously

ugly. J .J., like that? J .J., you give
it a face, you're crazy. Not till she

shuts her mouth, because if her BP brain
falls out, we ain't never going to be

able to find it.

only took out my appendix, not my mouth
nor my fist.

What's going on?

She called me ugly.

That could reduce a less beautiful
person to tears.

I think they're both beautiful, don't
you, Mama? I mean, they're different.

Thelma, she's got that real beautiful
beauty. And JJ?

a question like that.

This is a Christian house. I put it as
biblical as I could.

Michael may have a point there, Mama.

Maybe he and Thumb look the way they do.
You know, all that nice, quiet beauty

because they was born out of an act of
love.

And maybe I got all this wild, restless
kind of beauty because I was born out of

an act of passion.

Or you're going to have me believing you
was born out of an act of madness.

Now, let me see the rest of the mail you
got there.

Oh, ain't nothing, Mama. Just bills,
bills, and... Uh -oh.

I guess you want to see the bills, huh,
Mama?

That's right.

And I want a little peek at that uh -oh.

This is an eviction notice.

Who are you talking about? They say
they're going to throw us out today.

Didn't we get any warnings?

A couple of notices when you were in the
hospital, but Daddy didn't want to

worry you. He said it'd be okay anyway.

See, Mom, he's got this friend named
Monty who works in a project, and he

Daddy everything was going to be okay.

That's the same Monty that said Nixon
was going to be poor folks' best friend.

Come on, Mom, let's have breakfast.

I can't eat on no evicted stomach.

How much money we got in that shoebox?

About $32.

It's about some $72 short.

I got a hundred ways I can get $70. And
I got a hundred ways to warm your butt

if you do.

I don't want you stealing, James Jr.

I wouldn't do that, Mama. I may just
find $70.

Yeah.

But I don't want you finding it before
it gets lost.

I hope I'm coming through to you, boy.

Mama, boy is a white racist word.

Michael, this ain't no time to be black.

Mama demands silence.

J .J., say grace.

Oh, Lord, just help us through all this
oatmeal, and we promise we'll never ask

for anything else again. Amen.

James Jr., that is blasphemous.

the door, woman. I'm frozen up.

If you wanted somebody fast, you should
have married O .J. Simpson.

Come on, James.

Sit down, James, and get some hot
oatmeal into your stomach.

And in between, you could tell me what
we're going to do about this little

of mail that James Jr. got from the
mailbox this morning. What is it?

eviction notice?

Well, it ain't no Valentine card.

Oh, baby, we got two of those while you
was in the hospital.

But my friend Monty, who works down at
the project, he said, don't worry about

it. Because they know I'm a hard
-working man. They'll extend me. Yeah,

extend you right out into the street.

Your friend Monty don't know shellac
from Shinola.

Now, Floyd, you want to worry your head
about nothing, go on and do it. But we

got $32 in the shoebox, and I got
another $6 right here in my pocket.

You worked all night, and all they paid
you was $6?

Mm -mm.

They paid me a lot more.

But after they got Trinity taken out,
the federal withholding, the state

withholding, the unemployment
compensation, the state disability

then this extra goody they slipped on me
at the last minute, a $2 charge for

getting my dishwashing uniform cleaned.

You know something, baby? If I'd work
for them a few more hours, I'd end up

owing them 10 bucks.

All we need now is $70.

Which we had before I went to the
hospital.

Oh, James, I'm so sorry.

For what, baby? For needing your
appendix out? But it took every cent we

Now you work all day and then you take
an extra job working all night.

Oh, James, I'm sorry.

Now, baby, you say you're sorry one more
time, I'm going to give you something

to be sorry about here. Now, I'm telling
you, we're going to be just fine. But

we still have this piece of paper. Keep
her here. And Monty told me don't worry

about it. He said everything's going to
be all right. Anybody home?

Ooh -wee, the hawk is really biting out
there this morning.

It's so cold in that hallway, I rub my
face and cut my finger on my eyelashes.

I can get a warm welcome at a Klan
meeting.

Florida, what's the problem today?

An eviction notice that says final.

Oh, Lord.

Which don't mean a thing.

Now, let's talk about something else.
How was that date you had last night,

Wilona? Yeah.

That's what I'm going to tell you.

Six foot two.

Shoulders out to here.

And a smile that lit up the night.

And he mugged me.

I tell you, the way my luck is running,
I'm thinking of joining a monastery.

A convent, Wilona. Only men go to
monasteries. Quiet, Thelma.

know what she's saying.

Okay, Eddie, you clear off that desk
over there.

Oh, hi, folks.

We thought you might have been gone
already.

Gone? What the hell you think you're
doing here? And take your hats off in my

house.

We're here to remove the contents of
this apartment.

Due to non -payment of rent and pursuant
to Article 5 of the lease agreement

between the family name Evans and the
project.

Yeah, well, unless both of you are out
of here in six seconds, the only thing

you're going to be removing is some
knuckles from your face, which is

to the end of my fist.

Well, why don't you call your friend
Monty? He said he'll take care of it,

didn't he?

Oh, Florida?

Monty is a wino, James, and nobody knows
that better than you.

What was I going to do, baby? I took two
jobs to try and pull the money

together. That didn't work out. I had to
have something to hang my hopes on.

Damn. You jive, dude.

You got some job for a brother, putting
other brothers out on the street.

Well, I know it ain't as classy as
Secretary of State, but that job was

took.

Well, I'll bet folks are always telling
you how much you look like that fine

Billy Dee Williams.

Oh, yeah, that happens.

But usually only at... fiction time.

You may also tell you look like, uh,
Sidney Poitier.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, they do.

Folks lie to you a lot, don't they?

Look, folks, I got 15 bucks I've been
saving for a rainy day. It's yours.

Well, thanks, Malona, but I ain't taking
no money from friends.

Then make an enemy then, a buck's a
buck.

And old man Sweeney says he'll give me
$10 for this painting. You can have

And I'll give the $2 I've been saving
for law school.

But you can't let J .J. give away the
first painting he ever painted. It's

Michael. I'll pay another one.

Michael, you give that back. No.

The only way anybody gets this painting
is over my dead body.

I appreciate y 'all offering to help
like that, but Thelma, you keep saving

the fro, here.

And J .J., you put the painting back,
son.

And boy...

I believe you can skip lawyer and go
right on to president. Thank you, Daddy.

But boy, is a white racist word.

Michael.

Well, I'm sorry, folks, but we're going
to have to move your stuff on out of

here. Oh, now, come on, man. Give me a
little play. All I need is some time.

Well, what if we was to juggle and move
two of our afternoon invitations up to

the morning? Now, that way you'd have
until 5 o 'clock. Thanks. That's all the

time I need, man. Thank you. 5 o 'clock.

Well, thanks, brother. Thanks.

Well, baby, I got to 5 o 'clock to get
us $72.

I don't know but one way to get it.

James, don't you dare go into that
closet.

What's he going to do, Mama? He's
getting his pool cue.

Dino Mike.

It's been years since I used this thing,
but I still shoot a pretty good stick.

James, I don't want you hustling no
pool. You promised.

I also promised to take care of my
family. Now, if anybody here knows

way I can raise the rent by 5 o 'clock,
I'll lay this up.

And Thelma can follow a couple of simple
moves. I got this department store so

we can run. We can have the money like
that.

Let's talk about pulling a hustle one
more time, James Jr., and I'm going to

a knot in your tongue.

I know they got emergency funds down at
the welfare, Florida. No good, Malona. I

ain't taking no handouts.

James, the Lord don't want you hustling
no pool.

Yeah, well, I'm going to have to work
out an understanding with the Lord some

other time, Florida. Now, move on.

And man always could move.

Well, Anna, don't all the magazines say
that our women are supposed

to be heads of the house? They sure do.

Somebody ought to tell James.

I tell you, Mama, give me and Thelma
three hours. One stop down at Marshall

Fields and one stop down at...

in that child's tongue and he's still
got two yards left over for flapping.

Now, you're not to leave the apartment
and that's that.

Well, you come on. I'm going to take you
down to the welfare.

Come on.

What a day.

James Jr.

hassling me to go out and do something
illegal.

James Sr.

out hustling pool, which is immoral.

You trying to drag me off to the welfare
office, which is embarrassing.

You know what my horoscope said this
morning? What?

Let a smile be your umbrella.

Suppose Daddy don't get the money at the
pool hall and Mama don't get the money

at welfare.

I tell you, we got to do something.

I don't want to have nothing to do with
none of your lame hustles. I'm too fine

for that.

Look, stupid.

We got to do something before they throw
you out on the sidewalk.

We're going to freeze your fine right
off.

Now, I told you all the plan.

All we got to do is eke out a little
sympathy from some strangers. And while

we're eking out the sympathy, the
sympathy will be eking out the money.

You see, Thelma, it's not dealing.

It's eking.

Come on, Thelma. Let's try it. Yeah, try
it, Thelma. I'll show you all how easy

the hustle is.

Here we are at Marshall Fields
Department Store, going through evolving

Michael, you go over there. You play the
floor manager.

I'll pretend like I'm a shopper. Dumber,
do your thing.

Do it, too, Dumber.

Oh, my.

I think I'm going to faint. Oh!

Holy cow.

Poor little girl has fainted here.

and Marshall Fields Department Store.

All right, folks, let me through here.
I'm Michael, the floor manager of

Marshall Fields Department Store, so
step aside.

Poor little girl has fainted.

Looks like she hasn't had a meal in
weeks.

Look, floor manager, this is the first
time you've ever seen her, so you don't

know she ain't had a meal. Stop padding
your path.

I'll get to him, Thelma.

You tried.

Imagine being turned down because James
made $100 too much last year.

I didn't know $4 ,200 was the limit for
a family with three kids.

Now, I got a great idea.

If you just had one more kid... Thanks a
lot, Wilona.

But I'll need at least nine months'
notice.

You know, if we were rich and needed
some emergency funds, we'd get it just

that. But rich folks don't take welfare,
do they? No, they call it subsidy.

Come to pick up some of that long green,
huh?

Yeah, but they didn't give me none of
that long green.

So maybe you better get lost, long
black.

That's cold, Mama.

That's cold. You might as well stop
wasting your breath.

Which, from the size of your chest,
looks like it's in short supply anyway.

But your name... Ain't you got nothing
better to do than hang around bothering

poor innocent women?

Nope.

Hey there, foxy mama.

My name is Wes.

You messin' with Wes, you messin' with
the best. Yeah?

Well, if you're the best, I pity the
rest.

ever seen whoever marries you going to
forget about the better and settle for

the worse why don't you two stop fussing
can't we have a little unity around

here hey man you guys said

five o 'clock it ain't but a little bit
after four yeah i'm sorry but two

families came up with the rent and
messed up our whole day come on

Poor child ain't had nothing to eat in
two weeks but some bad oatmeal.

Michael, I think she's going fast.

Where am I?

Marshall Fields.

Yeah, Marshall Fields. You hear that?
Poor child's delirious. Think she's at

Marshall Fields.

I was saving for a new watch. And I got
$4 .60 I was just holding on to for my

retirement. Thank you, brothers.

On behalf of my sick sister and us, we'd
like to say thank you for your kindness

and generosity.

What's going on here?

What you two got Thelma laid out like
that for?

She fainted from lack of food.

The hell you say.

If that girl waved like she eat, it'll
take six of you to lift her.

What kind of hustle you got going on
here? Ain't no hustle, Mama.

Don't listen to herself.

All the blood rushed right out of her
head. Yeah, and all that sense is

right out of yours.

Get up from there.

Did you get that money from them?

He sure did.

I never seen three more jive kids in my
life.

Dishonorable, disrespectful, unlawful.
Hold on there, Buster.

Nobody puts my kids down around here but
me.

Tell the Lord you're sorry, kids.

Sorry, Lord.

Now, if that's good enough for him, it
better be good enough for you.

Come on, Eddie.

Don't you touch a thing.

You waited this long. You can wait a
minute longer. You gonna make him wait

Daddy, Mama?

Not the father you're thinking about.

Lord, I know it ain't right to ask for
selfish things, but

we need help bad, and we need it fast.

I know you don't want to see this family
out in the street.

Lord, you gotta help us.

I'm asking for my children.

Dad, I know you do, but you got the...
You better believe I got the money.

How'd you do it, Daddy?

How did I do it? Son, I just made the
greatest three -cushion shot in the

history of Elmo's pool emporium.

But Mama ain't gonna like the rent money
coming from the pool.

Yeah, and I got that all figured out.
Now, what your Mama don't know won't

her, huh? Go on back over there.

Come on.

Monty, you ready?

Here you go.

Hello, James.

How did it go?

Oh, not so good, baby. I guess the Lord
didn't intend for me to come by the

money that way.

Well, I guess we better get on with what
we're here for.

Wait a minute, man. Do I hear a knock at
the door?

I said, do I hear a knock at the door?

Yeah, that's right, sir.

Hey, Marty, come on in, man.

What you doing here?

I failed you once, James, when I told
you I could stop the eviction.

But couldn't fail you twice, so I come
with the full...

$104 .50.

Well, Monty, that's wonderful.

Did you hear that, Florida? My friend
Monty has saved the day.

Monty, are you all

right, man?

Yeah.

See, Florida?

I told you it was going to be all right.
It's like a miracle, James.

Well, baby, you always did say the Lord
moves in mysterious ways.

Well, gang, what a day. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you that we still got a roof over
our heads.

Thank you that the children didn't have
to do nothing illegal.

And thank you that we didn't have to go
on welfare.

And, Lord, I thank you, too, for that
great three -cushion shot.

It sure is nice having all the family
together like this.

Yeah, it's even nicer that we're indoors
instead of out in the street.

And I want to watch a real good flick
tonight.

And I want to watch an all -black show
for a change.

Well, where are you going to find one?
Here's one. The Los Angeles Lakers

against the Milwaukee Bulls.

Just looking out of the window, watching
the asphalt grow,

thinking how it all looks when we die.

Good times, good times, keeping your
head above water,

making a way when you can.

Temporary layoffs. Good times. Good
times is recorded on tape before a live

audience.