Original subtitles

Good times. Any time you need a payment. Good times.

Any time you feel free.

Good times. Any time you have a Monday.

Not getting hassled. Not getting hustled.

Keeping your head above water.

Making a way when you can.

Temporary layoffs. Good times.

Self -portrait.

I'm putting my ebony beauty on canvas.

Are you ready to be bedazzled?

Ta -da!

Hey, J .J., it looks just like you.

Thank you.

That's why if I were you, I'd burn it.

Oh, now, hold on there, girl. You look at that face that'll make the foxes

fight. Because what you see here is kid...

that to my designers it's an original jc penny you know

this is the first time in years i didn't make my own dress but i figured this

was going to be an uptown wedding so i thought i'd wear an uptown dress

And I take after you.

Lighten up the place.

In your case, there is a power failure.

What are you talking about, a power failure? The girl that turned her face

a hundred -watt mouth.

All right, kids, that's enough. That's enough.

Where's the wedding at, Ma?

Oh, only at the Empire Room.

Wow! Oh, wee!

I took Henrietta there to eat one time, and all we could afford... was the tip.

I'm surprised you could afford that.

Hey, baby, ain't Michael back with my suit yet? Not yet, honey.

That was some party you guys gave Eddie last night.

Yeah. You know, I could have gotten the stains out of your lapels, but how in

the world did you get barbecue sauce on the back of your pants?

I don't remember.

I asked Eddie and he don't remember.

Matter of fact, don't none of the guys seem to remember.

But one thing is for sure, baby, it was a night to remember.

Boy, there was some party.

Hey, Dad, when I get married, you gonna throw me one of those parties, too, huh?

Oh, yeah, Junior, we gonna have a big one for you. Gonna be lights, cameras,

plenty of action.

Kid Dynamite gonna be the main attraction.

As soon as he gets a job.

Dwayne and Eddie sure waited a long time to get married.

How long were they going together?

Oh, about 18 years.

But Lorraine finally put it to him.

She said, if you want to keep on eating chicken here every Sunday, you're going

to have to stick around for the rest of the week for leftovers.

Well, looks like all your old friends are married now, huh?

Yeah, well, except Wilona. How come Wilona ain't married?

Well, maybe it's because she was married before, and she don't want to get into

that again.

But, you know, I think if she goes to this wedding today, she just might give

some thought.

You know what the problem with Melona's baby? She's too picky.

Oh, Daddy, she's got a right to be picky. She's a beautiful woman. Yeah,

Papa, she ought not to stay picky, because women that play hard to get

got.

Well, James, how could you say that?

I played hard to get, and I got got.

In some cases, getting us that, she'll get.

You know, you had a lot of tricks working for you, though.

Mm -hmm. Only reason I give up smoking cigarettes is because every time I blew

smoke ring, you kept putting your finger through it. Oh, Jay, how you caught it?

Daddy, Mama's always told me how much you caught it, huh?

Yeah, well, I might have did the courting, but your mother here did the

navigating. What?

Yeah, you did.

Boy, she had a lot of stuff working for her.

Every time I asked her if she wanted to go to the movies, she'd pick out a

picture like seven brides for seven brothers, honeymoon hotel, member of the

wedding, bride of Frankenstein.

Bride of Frankenstein?

Yeah, I guess Ma figured if Frankenstein get married, so could Dad.

I feel a sudden urge to go to the bathroom.

Hi, Daddy. I got your suit.

Yeah, it's looking fine, too.

I'm not expecting a big tip, but it sure will be a nice surprise.

No surprise, huh?

Uh -uh.

Hello? Just a minute. James!

Yeah? It's for you.

All right.

Thank you.

Hello?

last night. Nothing.

Huh?

I forgot about that.

Oh, yeah, we'll be ready. We appreciate it, too.

Okay.

Dwayne's gonna drive by and pick us up, baby, take us to the wedding. Oh, that's

nice. Then we wouldn't have to take the L and 2 buses. Yeah. Hey, Daddy, you

know I read in the magazine where James Brown used to shine shoes in front of

the radio station that he now owns.

Well, I ain't got no radio station.

How about a quarter? All right.

Personally, I don't believe in those fancy weddings like Lorraine and Eddie

having. When I get married, it's just going to be my husband and me up on a

lonely hilltop saying our vows to each other.

Well, there better be a preacher up on that lonely hilltop.

Oh, you better not come back to the valley.

Oh, Ma.

Hi, Flo.

You're looking good. Thank you.

Why aren't you dressed for the wedding?

if you don't show up? Honey, she'll only be heartbroken if Eddie don't show up.

Come on, Flo. You know what a drag weddings are. A drag?

Seeing all our old friends again?

Now, that's the part that's a drag.

You know, because they always pull the same old jive routine.

Well, Lona, darling, it's been years, and you know you don't look a day older.

And then I say, honey, you know that's the truth. You don't look a day older.

either. And inside, we're both thinking the same thing.

That chick is ready for Medicare.

Oh, well, Lorna, you know you look great.

Something else must be bugging you. Yeah. Okay, I'll tell you what's

me. What is it? Now, practically everybody gonna be there is gonna be

right?

Yeah. Okay, and the minute I walk in the door, I know exactly what they all

gonna say.

Well, Lorna, when you gonna be next?

And to make sure I'm next, they're going to try to unload any dude who's single

and wearing a pair of pants.

Now, I'm liable to wind up dancing with a little old bald -headed sucker who's

breathing onion dip directly up into my face.

Or maybe, yes, a 290 -pound monster who thinks he's romantic, singing

in my ear.

Good -looking one. Oh, now, Leona, you know it's not as bad as all that.

Then, oh, my happy, helpful girlfriend.

Honey, somehow they forced me in the corner, and out comes all the baby

pictures. Then I got to go, ooh, ooh, ooh, honey, she's beautiful.

Oh, hold on, he is adorable.

Then I find out that he's the she and she's the he.

Well, oh, no.

People don't go around showing pictures of their kids anymore.

Oh, no.

No. Flo, is this the purse you taken to the wedding? Yeah.

What we got in here?

Well, I just took them along in case somebody asked.

Well, at least you can tell J .J. from film.

I sure hope so.

So, it's murder.

Everybody is trying to get me married.

Well, I ain't gonna put myself through those.

unnecessary changes on my only day of rest. I ain't going.

But, Bologna, everybody's expecting you. Lord, there ain't no way I'm going to

that wedding. A single woman at that wedding is like a ham hock at a bar

mitzvah.

Hey, I thought I heard Bologna's voice out here. Ain't she here?

Not right.

Well, is she ready to go?

She ain't going, James.

Thanks, Judy.

Well, what's the matter with her?

I don't know. No, it's just not like Walona. She going through a change, huh?

Michael. He reads, Ma. He reads.

Yeah, he reads things I don't understand.

Michael, go outside and play. This is no conversation for a little boy.

Okay.

I'm a member of this family, and I don't even get a chance to sit down and rap.

Later.

Honey, you know, the trouble with Lona is she's not married. And she don't like

going places where people bring up the subject. She's sensitive and unhappy

about it. What you talking about? You know what Lona's happy. She's always

cracking jokes.

Oh, that just could be to cover up how she really feels. You know, she spends

awful lot of time alone in that apartment.

Yeah, maybe we ought to get her a pair of goldfish.

They don't talk much, but you don't have to housebreak them.

Hey, I bet you that's Dwayne now, baby. I get it.

Hey, Dwayne, how you doing, man?

Hey, James. Hi, Florida. Hi, kids. Hi, Dwayne. Dwayne, it has been a long time,

but you look just great.

Thanks, I feel great.

I don't know when I've seen you look better.

Your wife must be taking good care of you.

Real good. She divorced me six months ago.

You never told me.

Never came up.

Single, huh?

Right.

My, my.

You do look good.

You going with anybody now? No, I'm kind of playing it loose now.

Oh, now that's interesting.

Well, I must say again, I can't get over how good you look.

Try.

I'll be down there in a minute. Yeah, sure. Hey, 19, you kids.

I'll see you later. All right.

Now, Florida, come on now. I promise you're going to cool it here. No

matchmaking here. Cool what?

You know I can see that arithmetic going on in your head. You think with Lona

plus Dwayne equal Mr. and Mrs. Poole.

Well, what's wrong with that?

Oh, the thought never entered my mind.

Never entered?

Baby's occupying every nook and cranny.

Come on, Florida. I promise you ain't going to do no matchmaking here. I

now. No matchmaking, baby.

All right.

I promise.

Okay, let's go.

Bye, Daddy.

Bye, Mom. Have a good time.

Bye, kids.

Now, you all behave yourself, huh? Okay, Mom, we will.

Well, James, wait here by the elevator. I want to tell Wilona something.

In Florida?

Now, you promised now. No matchmaking here.

I just want to stop by and ask her to drop in and look on the kids while we're

gone.

Forgive me for breaking this promise.

But if I remember my Adam and Eve correctly, it was you who started this

matchmaking business.

Oh, she was great, and they did it up fancy.

She had something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

How come she didn't have something black?

She did, honey.

200 of us.

Morning. Good morning, James.

Is that carpet ready in Florida?

Not quite.

I know it's Sunday morning.

Damn.

What's bothering you, Daddy? There's nothing bothering your father.

Well, how can you stand there and say it was nothing?

Well, it was nothing.

What happened?

Nothing. Nothing? Boy, if this is the way Dad acts when nothing happens, I

to be around when something happens.

Junior, you was the firstborn, wasn't you?

You bucking to be the first to go?

to be sent out to play again.

I bet I play more basketball than Walt Frazier.

Daddy, what happened?

All right, Thelma. I'm about to give you the latest episode in the continuing

series called Broken Promise, starring Florida Evans.

to go to the wedding, she said, James, wait here by the elevator while I go in

and tell Walona to look in on the kids.

So I waited.

Meanwhile, Dwayne is downstairs waiting.

So who comes walking out of the house all dressed up and ready to go to the

wedding with your mother?

Walona. Oh, my, you got Walona to go.

How'd you do it?

Well, I promised I wouldn't let nobody at the wedding keep hassling her by

getting a man.

Yeah, and that's one promise she kept.

Well, couldn't nobody get close to Walona because your mother was doing all

hassling.

And then when we got to the wedding, She found out Walona was sitting with us at

table three, and Dwayne was sitting way down at table eight. Well, tell me, your

mother got downright hysterical. Boy, she must have moved everybody in that

building around until she finally got Walona and Dwayne sitting next to each

other.

James, you know you're exaggerating. I only asked one couple to move.

Yeah, baby, but the bride and groom?

Oh.

You know I'm on the TV.

But then all through then, she kept yakking in Dwayne's ear, talking about,

Dwayne, ain't Walona beautiful?

Dwayne, ain't Walona cute?

Dwayne, ain't Walona charming?

Boy, the way she was hitting at the man, you thought it was a gold line, and she

was Mercury Mars.

James, it wasn't that obvious.

It was, too.

You know, I told you, Floyd, this matchmaking is dangerous business.

Now, you throw two people together, you'll never know what's going to

Mostly trouble.

Oh, I don't know about that, James.

When my Uncle Harry and my Aunt Charlotte got married, that was

He must have been happy. They had 12 children.

Maybe he's trying to lose your Aunt Charlotte in the crowd.

But you didn't say what happened with Lola and Dwayne. Did they dig each

Are you kidding? Your mother come on so strong, Dwayne got up in the middle of

the dinner, excused herself, and got the hell out of there.

James, now you know he left because he wasn't feeling well.

Now, baby, that was just a polite way of saying all that talk was driving him

crazy. Then a half hour later, Walona left. Her excuse was a splitting

But you know why she left.

All right, so I messed up, I admit it. But I was only trying to get two nice

people together. I didn't mean no harm.

Oh, I know that, baby.

I hope you learned your lesson, too.

See, buttoning other people's business, it can't cause nothing but trouble.

Hi, y 'all. Hi, folks.

Dwayne just picked me up to go out for the afternoon, so we thought we'd stop

and say hello.

Dwayne, you didn't tell me. Where are we going?

Well, I... I thought we'd take a drive. I know a nice place to have lunch down

by the shore. You're going to like it. I'm sure I will if it's half as nice as

the place we went to last night. Oh, yeah.

You two were together last night?

Oh, yeah.

After the wedding, we went for a little late dinner.

I don't understand.

Wayne, you said you weren't feeling well, and, Maloney, you said you had a

headache. Florida, the minute I saw Maloney...

I tried to talk to her, but I didn't have a chance.

We're just sitting right next to each other. Yeah, I know, but no hard

Florida. But you were talking so much, I didn't have a chance to get a word with

you.

So you two like each other?

We are together like white on rice. Well,

James, what were you saying about making trouble?

No, you misunderstood me, baby.

What I said was, the minute they saw each other, I knew they was going to hit

off.

But, Dad, you said... That's what you said. You didn't say

that.

Can I talk to you in private for just one minute? Oh, sure, sure, sure.

have a seat. I'll be right up. Okay, honey. Hey, you want a beer or something

while we wait? No, man, we're going to have lunch pretty soon. Okay.

Well, Lona, I'm just so happy for you. I don't know what to do. I just knew it

the minute I laid eyes on you. We're going to make a nice couple and go live

good, happy life. Lona, wait, what?

Listen to me. What?

I got a strong feeling you are counting on a wedding.

What do you mean? You say you like each other. Sure we like each other. And

what's all this talk about me starting a new life?

You make it seem like the life I have is so bad.

Florida, this may come as a shock to you, honey, but I got a good life and

enjoying myself.

I was only trying to help. Florida, where is it written that every woman has

to be married or she's a nobody?

Huh?

You know, it's really funny.

A man over 30 who's unmarried, the world calls him a swinger.

A woman over 30... who's unmarried, they call her an old maid.

Now, I am not knocking families and kids, but that is just not my bag.

Oh, well, Lorna, how could you say that the way you feel about our kids?

Florida, I love those three characters, honey. But if I had to raise them, I'd

be climbing the walls.

Florida, you know, when I was married, I figured I might be pregnant one day. So

I went down to one of those Red Cross schools to try to learn about raising

babies. Now, would you believe I flunked talcum powder?

Oh, come on, Meloda. No, not a less faith fact.

There are different strokes for different folks, that's all.

Now, you take my cooking as an example.

You know my cooking is so bad that the alley cats pick it, the garbage pails.

All right, I shouldn't have interfered. I should have known better. That's okay,

honey, because I know where you were coming from.

But you got to promise me something. What?

Please don't worry about me because I am fine.

Hey, honey, I know I'm alone sometimes.

But there's a big difference between being alone and being lonely.

And the one thing I ain't is lonely.

Well, I know you understand, honey.

Now, Alona got a dude waiting on her, so come on.

Come on, man.

Dwayne, dear, I'm ready whenever you are. Okay, honey, I'm ready, too.

What's going on in there?

Oh, nothing, James.

Just a little girl talk.

I'll see you later. Have a good time.

Have a nice time.

Well, James, you were right and I was wrong.

Do me a favor.

The next time I open my mouth and try to do any matchmaking, shut it up real

fast.

All this time, I haven't found but one way to shut your mouth.

Hey.

I got some big news for you. I just left with Lorna's and she told me that she

and Dwayne were out again last night.

Oh, Ma, that's not big news. They've been out six times already.

The big news is Dwayne proposed.

Now, that's big news.

Florida, I hope you're satisfied now that you don't finally fricassee

chicken. His chicken is still in the pot.

Well, Lorna didn't turn on the flame. She said no.

She turned him down?

Oh, now, I guess you realize she married me. She said she didn't want to get

married again.

We'll only get off being so high and mighty, turning down a good solid dude

Dwayne. Well, baby, he ain't got nothing to worry about. If he's serious about

getting married, there's this nice girl down at the car wash, got a good steady

job, good looking. She'd appreciate somebody like Dwayne, too.

I'm going to see that they get together.

What you

doing? Shutting your mouth,

matchmaker. Takes one to know one.

Amen.

Well, shut my mouth.

Thank

you.

Times is recorded on tape before a live audience.

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