Original subtitles

Good time, anytime you need a payment. Good time, anytime you need a break.

Good time, anytime you're up and under.

Not getting hassled, not getting hustled. Keeping your head up above

Making a way when you can.

Temporary layoffs. Good time, easy credit ripoffs.

Good time, just practice.

What are you sitting there for, J .J.? Breakfast is finished.

I'm waiting for dessert.

J .J., there ain't no such thing as dessert with breakfast.

How about a Twinkie dipped in oatmeal?

Well, it's not in the Gallop and Gourmet's recipe book. Now get ready for

school. Oh, Mom, but my stomach's really empty.

With you, an empty stomach only means that the rest of your body is catching

to your head.

The sun's come up and the big mouth is open.

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

Hey, J .J., don't you know what's going on? The defender said that there's a big

food price crunch in the country.

Yeah, and folks like us are the crunchies.

Well, the president has a solution for it. He says we've just got to bite the

bullet. Bite the bullet? We're already down to the powder.

Now, food may not be fancy, but it's nutritious and filling.

Yeah, I had enough to eat. So did I. I can't help it if y 'all easy to fill up.

Me, I'm like a Cadillac.

I need a lot of fuel before my luxury body can move out of park and

glide down the freeway of life.

Well, yes, it's a notion for your little fuel problem.

you're gliding down the freeway of life, get up at the exit marked part -time

job.

I've been out there looking, but there ain't nothing out there part -time,

time, or no time at all.

The defendant says that the average unemployment figure for black teenagers

35%, and the government's unemployment figure for all blacks is 11%. Well,

getting up in the world.

Two years ago, we were 10 %

Now we're 11 % of the unemployed.

Here's some good news.

It says here, stock market's down 15 points.

Well, what's good about that?

We don't own no stocks.

Well, we may be taking that plunge on the stock market soon if everything

out all right.

Your daddy is up for a big job in that department store, and I may be up for

something big, too.

You are? Really? What?

Well, I didn't want to say nothing about it, but...

Well, Anna told her boss that I was good at sewing, and I might get a job

altering clothes in her boutique. Right on. When it comes to altering clothes,

Ma, you're the best.

Because my blue turtleneck, every time I wear it, people give me compliments on

it. And little will they ever know that that's half a thumbless old gym shorts.

And the other half is my shorts.

Hello,

Evans residence.

Oh, hi.

No.

No. No.

Yeah, bye.

What was that all about?

That was that old ugly Charlotte McDaniel.

I told her, no, I wouldn't walk her to school this morning. No, I wouldn't play

with her at recess. No, I wouldn't walk her home after school. And yeah, if she

calls here again, I'm not going to talk to her.

Girls, yuck. I ain't got time for none of that mushy stuff.

The 12 -year -old mind, a thing of pure...

Except when it's trapped in an 18 -year -old body.

Mom, I'm going to school early, so I'm going to have to bump into that dumb

Charlotte. Later, y 'all. Hi, bye, Wilona.

She just set a new world record for the least time, but that's between hi and

bye.

Morning, everybody.

Hi, Wilona.

Well, I'm all ready to go down to the boutique to see about that job.

I got up real early and did my hair. May not look like much now.

But wait till you see it when I go outside and let it blow in the breeze.

Oh, I remember the last time I let my hair blow in the breeze, it blew off.

The last thing I know, some dude was driving around with a hairy hubcap.

Well, honey, you made that up.

Yeah, just a little joke to soften the blow.

What are you talking about?

Flo, honey, I don't know how to tell you this, but my boss just called.

About my job.

He couldn't afford to hire nobody, so he got somebody to work free. His mama.

Damn.

Ma!

Not in front of the child.

Flo, I tell you, it's impossible to get work today.

You know, things are so bad, the newspapers are putting it. The wall adds

with the obituaries, which means employment.

is dead since it's dead i think i'll give it a little service hey yes

and sisters the opportunity to get work so dearly beloved has gone it's no

longer with us i say it's no longer with us the other day i was walking down the

street past the unemployment office and there was a lot

I'll sure let you know.

I'll see you kids later. Okay.

What you going to do now, Mom?

The only thing I can do, go see what's out there.

Hey, baby, we got any Band -Aids? What's wrong, honey?

Nothing. It's just that I'm dressed so sharp, I'm liable to cut myself to

You do look mighty fine, James. Oh, thank you. So I do, Daddy.

Well, thank you, baby girl. You know they say clothes make the man.

Yeah, them French designers would sure delight in calling you, monsieur, a

dynamite!

Well, Junior, from now on, this is gonna be my uniform of the day. No more

breaking my back and coming home dirty for chump change.

Tomorrow, I'm starting me a prestige gig.

Chance to go to work clean, do a lot of smooth talking, and make grand theft

dough.

You know something, baby girl? You are right.

Come on, James. You ain't got that job yet.

Are you kidding, baby? I got a grip on that gig like a vice.

The woman in personnel told me I passed all the tests, and as far as this

interview goes, now it's just a formality. Hell, she thinks I'm the

thing since red beans and rice.

Too bad soul food ain't a hit on everybody's menu.

I don't follow you.

Forget about that job with Bologna. It's dead.

Yeah, we just had the services.

There's no reason to get upset.

Baby, that could be a blessing in disguise.

Now, I don't follow.

Well, look, now you can go down to the department store and get a job with me.

James, honey, you haven't been hired yet.

Are you kidding, baby? I got it made in the shade.

Do you know how many cats applied for that job? Over 50. Over 50.

And I came away leading the pack.

You know why?

Why?

Because, Junior, when it comes to doing the do, your father can do it to death.

Me, I just real cool like laid a little bit of the James Evans charm on and

proceeded to charm the pants off that woman.

Figuratively speaking, baby, what I mean is I just turn on what they call a male

charisma. You know, before I left that office, I knew I could get anything out

of that woman I wanted. You got it.

I mean, like, favors, baby. Like getting you a job. One of them good women's

jobs. What do you mean, women's job?

Well, you know, like wrapping packages and putting stuff away. You know, all

them good things that women groove on.

What do you mean, things women groove on? Why do they always want to offer us

the crummy jobs?

Now, Thelma, you and your mother got to realize that men are cut out for certain

work just because of the way we're built.

Now, wait a minute, James.

that Title VII says.

What's Title VII?

It's a part of a federal law that I've seen tacked up everywhere I went to look

for work.

And it forbids job discrimination on account of sex.

For participants or non -participants?

Look,

suppose you two go and get ready for school.

Hey, where's the military measure?

Oh, you cut out early to avoid being a victim of the hormone revolution.

You gonna come on down to that job with me and get it while it's getting as

good? James, honey, you're gonna feel foolish if you ain't reading that woman

right. Yeah, Daddy, maybe it's her job to be super nice to everybody.

Thelma, being super nice is one thing, but when you are bitten by the James

Evans charm, it leaves an unmistakable mark.

It's called the hickey, right, Dad?

I better split before I get... It's split.

Bye, Daddy.

All right. Ma.

Bye, love. Good luck. Okay, thank you. Straight on from school now. James, you

really think you could get me a job? Baby, I am so positive that you're going

come away from that place with a gig that if you don't, I will push a needle

down State Street in 10 degree below zero weather using my nose.

Now, is that confident enough for you? That's just fine, James.

But I hope you're right.

And cracks in the sidewalks will kill you.

Will you stop fidgeting and fussing? You're about to give that chair a fit.

I can't relax, James. I'm worried.

About what, baby?

I don't want to be embarrassed.

And I don't want to see you embarrassed.

Ain't nobody going to be embarrassed. I told you I got a lock on the home. Mr.

Evans, come in. Come in.

Mrs. Rogers.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

How are you, Mrs. Rogers?

And how are you? How are... we today, Mr. Evans? Mrs. Rogers, we are like a

microwave oven. We are turned on and ready to radiate.

That's very funny.

This is Mrs. Evans, my wife.

Well, how do you do, Mrs. Evans?

Sit down, please.

Thank you.

Well...

Mrs. Rogers, before we begin, my wife is also looking for work, so I thought you

might want to lay a nice job on her before we got started with my interview,

know. Sorry, Mr. Evans, but I don't believe we have any other openings.

don't have to be nothing as good as my job.

Maybe something in the package wrapping department. You know, you're looking at

the last of the red -hot package wrappers.

Oh, it must be sheer heaven

living with such an amusing man.

Sorry, no openings.

Well, how about something in the stock clerk department for her? Because that

don't take no skill. She'd be real good at it.

My husband's always putting me on a pedestal.

Excuse me, Miss Rogers, may I speak with you for a moment, please? Of course.

My boss.

Will you excuse me, please?

Oh, sure. Hope your nose is in good shape for pushing that needle down State

Street.

Oh, you can do it. It don't need no skill.

What's the interview for?

Well, I'm just hiring for that sales job in appliances.

Good. She's just what we need.

Oh, no, no, no. That woman is his wife. I'm hiring the man.

Wrong. You're hiring the woman.

But, but, but I practically promised Mr.

Evans. Miss Rogers, I promised myself, my wife, and my four children that I'd

keep my job.

The head of this store has promised to fire me if we did not comply with the

government regulations regarding the hiring of minorities.

Well, then what's the problem? He's black. She's black, too.

She's also a woman.

Therefore, when we hire a black woman... we are capturing two minority

butterflies with one neck.

The government is happy, the head of the store is happy, I'm happy, you're

happy, and she's happy.

But what about him?

We can't all be happy.

Mr. Bridges, I all but told Mr.

Evans that job is his.

But I just can't tell him he doesn't have it anymore.

I just can't.

You can't? No.

All right, then you don't have to.

Good. I'll tell him.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Lynn Bridge and Miss Rogers' supervisor.

Mr. and Mrs.

Evans, boy, have I got news for you.

What the hell you mean you're going to give the job to my wife instead

of me? That's crazy.

What's crazy about it?

Is there a better way to sell housewares than with a housewife? Yeah, Jack, with

a househusband.

Mr. Evans, I sense that you're about ready to explode. Yes, Lord.

I can understand how a man might feel when he thinks he's got a job and it's

offered to his wife instead.

But I can see where it'd make you feel frustrated and betrayed and angry,

uptight. Keep going, man. You ain't even done at the list yet.

I won't take a job from my husband.

Well, Mrs. Evans, if you don't take the job, I'll just have to offer it to

somebody else. You mean to say if my wife don't take the job, you're going to

give it to somebody else besides me?

Another woman.

Well, Mrs. Evans, it's up to you. The job is yours if you want it. If not...

excuse us a minute, will you please?

Uh, baby, let me speak to you over here.

Come on.

Florida, take the job.

Baby, take the job. I can always get back on at the car wash. Take the job,

baby. James, you know what you're saying?

Yeah, I know what I'm saying.

Damn if it's what I'm feeling.

Look, we done run into a roadblock, baby. Ain't nothing to do but either go

to where we come from or keep on pushing. Now, take the job, Florida.

Please.

Florida Evans, saleswoman.

Florida Evans.

Salesperson.

You know, it sure does seem weird with Mama working at days and her not being

here when we come home from school.

Yeah, and it's a shame Daddy had to go back to the car wash.

But at least he has someplace to go.

The real shame of it is, is that we gotta eat Thelma's ghetto garbage.

JJ's not too smart to scream when somebody's cooking you're about to eat.

might put something bad in it. Hmm, good. Your cooking can use all the help

can get.

I definitely ain't saying nothing to this old chef boy out here to get old

stuff.

Hey, Thelma, y 'all better cool it. Daddy's going to be home soon, and he

in a good mood these days.

Hmm, you telling me. The other day, a mugger tried to attack Dad. Dad gave one

of his mean looks, and the mugger gave Dad a dollar.

JJ, you're making that up.

Ha ha, just a little joke.

If Dad is down, we should try and cheer him up. The man comes home to two lovely

children.

You're not going to count yourself, J .J.? As

I was saying, it's our job to cheer Daddy up. How?

With love, warmth, and a little humor.

I don't think Dad's in a laughing mood.

But at least Ma is proving a woman can do a man's work.

I hope that don't go too far.

Someday some dude's going to walk up to me and say, what does your mother do for

a living?

I'm going to say she plays linebacker for Chicago Bears.

All right, y 'all. Let's lay on the warmth and love. Hi,

Daddy. Hi,

Daddy dear.

Hi, Dad.

How'd the day go?

Rotten.

There's a great new joke going around.

Did you hear the one about... Yeah, I heard it. It ain't funny, and shut up.

Well, now that I got them all cheered up, you take over, Thelma.

Daddy, we know things are rough right now, but it'll get better.

I don't know, baby girl. They're laying off all over the place.

They laid off Willie Washington, lunch meet Mumford down at the car wash, or

they're laying off thousands...

The president said he was going to bring us all together.

None of us knew the meeting place was going to be the bread line.

Hey, Dad, you want me to turn on the 6 o 'clock news?

I'll see what the government is calling it today.

Stagflation, recession, depression, or nostalgic look at hunger.

Is that all you got to say to me?

Aren't you glad to see me?

One thing about Dad's kind of joy, he'll never get you busted for disturbing the

peace.

Can't we set the table, Chief Running Mouth?

All right.

Okay, James, something's wrong. What is it? Nothing.

Now, James, something is bothering you, so let's talk about it. I don't want to

talk about it. But I think we should talk about it. I said I don't want to

about it. Okay, then we won't talk about it.

You want to talk about it, huh?

Well, I don't want to talk about it.

James, let me tell you why I bought the cake. I don't want to hear about no

cake. At least let me tell you why I bought it. Well, that's it. I don't want

hear about no jive cake.

Oh, you want to hear about this cake.

Well, you just got to rub it in, don't you?

I just got to rub it in. It ain't enough that you're going to be the

breadwinner. Now you got to show off by being the cake winner, too, huh?

Jim, you're still mad because you didn't get that job.

I am not mad.

That's why I didn't want to take that job, why I had second thoughts about it.

But no, you insisted. I didn't insist. You did, too.

Well, you ain't got to listen to everything I say.

And I won't, I won't, if that's the way you feel about it.

Well, Florida, how do you expect me to feel?

I've been beat out of more jobs for more reasons than you can imagine.

life. Wrong paint job.

Overqualified. Underqualified. Too much of this. Not enough of that.

Boy, they found every reason in the book to keep me down. And just when I think

I got it made, they come up with a new one. Do you realize I'm the first man in

America to lose his job to his wife?

It wasn't my fault, honey. The whole thing was an accident.

Yeah, the flying foot of fate done caught me in the same place as usual.

Honey, The flying foot of faith don't play no favorites.

That's why I bought the cake.

Oh, look, you can take that cake and eat it, do whatever you want it. Just get

it out of my life now. I am not going to eat it, and you're going to listen to

what I have to say about it.

You want to have some more conversation about cakes? You have it with Betty

Crocker.

I ain't going through no more changes about no damn cake.

So you don't have to go through any changes. I've gone through enough

for both of us.

James.

I was laid off. Now, I said I didn't want to hear no more about it. I don't

to talk about it no more here. James, you haven't heard a thing I said. I said

don't want to talk about it no more here. James!

I was fired.

I mean, you just start working there, three little people just not spending as

much money as they used to, and the stores had to cut back.

Yeah, and while they was cutting back, they was playing our song, huh?

Last hired, first fired blues.

It all happened so quick.

By the time I got over the shock of it, I went out and bought that cake. I

thought it would bring a little joy into the house.

After we sang the blues.

That was a wonderful thought, baby.

Just wonderful.

I'm sorry I did all that hollering and screaming. Oh, you had to get it off

chest. Yeah, but I didn't have to put it on your back. It's all right. Forget

about it, James.

Cake winner.

Breadwinner? Baby, you're just a plain winner.

Oh.

Thanks, honey.

But I gotta tell you, I'm worried.

About what?

With you just having a part -time job.

I wonder how we gonna make it.

Oh, relax, babe. We'll make it the same way we always have.

Somehow.

I couldn't get a job in my life depending on it. That's right. The only

can get is modeling popsicle sticks.

If your brain was as big as your mouth, you'd need a head like a Goodyear blimp.

Yeah, we'll make it all right. We got all

the ingredients.

Family love and togetherness.

Watching the asphalt grow.

Thinking how it all looks. Can we die?

Sometimes. Sometimes.

Keeping your head up for water.

Making a wave when you can.

Temporary layoffs. Sometimes.

Good Times is recorded on tape before a live audience.

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