Original subtitles

Good times! Anytime you need a payment. Good times! Anytime you need a friend.

Good times! Anytime you're out for Monday.

Not getting hassled, not getting hustled.

Keeping your head up for water.

Making a way when you can.

Temporary layoffs. Good times!

Easy credit and rip -offs. Good times!

Scratching ass.

Loud, J .J. I don't want your daddy to hear it. And put away the birthday sign.

This is supposed to be a surprise party tonight.

I don't know, Ma.

These surprise parties can be dangerous.

What do you mean by that?

Well, I know this one lady gave a surprise birthday for her husband.

All the guests were there and they heard footsteps, so they turned out the

lights. Door opened and everybody yelled surprise.

And boy, it was a surprise.

It was some other dude she'd been going out with.

a minute later when her husband walked in.

Well, that's one thing your daddy and me don't have to worry about.

Sergeant, I want you to go over there and sweep the floor.

Oh, Ma, but sweeping the floor is bad for my image.

It's perfect for your image when you're built like a broomstick. Now get going.

Michael, you go dust the furniture.

Oh, okay, Ma.

Ma? I do this housework, but I'm doing it under protest.

I mean, these are the delicate hands of an artiste. And these are the delicate

hands that can still blister your behind.

Okay, Ma, sweeping the floor.

But, I mean, what would happen if one of my chicks came over here and saw me,

the Maharaja of love?

If her eyesight is good, she'd say, you missed that spot right there.

If her eyesight's real good, she wouldn't be one of JJ's chicks.

That's all I need now, getting shelled by a peanut.

Now get on with the cleaning.

This is the first surprise party your daddy ever had. I want everything to be

just perfect.

How come Thelma ain't here helping us clean?

Well, she's still working on some research for that paper she's writing in

school. You mean she's still working on that Jive project about our family tree?

That's not Jive, J .J.

Tracing your family tree is very important.

Now, you know, there is a black writer named Alex Haley who traced his

all the way back to the tribe he came from in Africa.

Then he wrote a book about it and called it Roots. Hey, it's very important for

black people to know where they come from, too.

You know, Michael, it's more important to know where they going.

J .J., how do you know where you going, man, when you don't know where you at?

What are you talking about? I know exactly where you at. Happy birthday to

Happy birthday to me.

Happy birthday, J. Daddy.

Let me get you some coffee. I ain't got time, but I'll take the sugar.

Well,

you will be back tonight.

Have mercy.

Hey, Dad.

How does it feel to be a year older?

A year closer to Social Security and denture standards.

James, you're still as handsome as the day I married you.

Well, I didn't view it as a fact that this is my birthday. I ain't gonna lie.

I agree.

I'll see you all later. Okay, have a nice day, honey. All right.

By the way, what time is my surprise birthday party tonight?

I'll see you all later.

Okay. See you later.

Well, I'm going to the store and get the ice cream.

Mama, I don't care what kind of ice cream you get as long as you get

We always have chocolate. I'm going to get vanilla this time. Mama, I cannot

down if my ice cream ain't brown.

Then I will take your portion and barbecue it.

wrapped to tape.

Tell me your story.

Well, Ma, three weeks ago, I wrote Daddy's cousins down south to get some

information on our family. They wrote me back and they said that Daddy's father

named Henry is a cook on a ship called the Meridian.

But Thelma, how can that be?

Why would your daddy say his father is dead if he's alive?

Well, Ma, let me finish and then I'll tell you. I read that the Meridian was

scheduled to pull into Chicago today and then I got down to the pier as soon as

I could.

Hey, listen, you on the pier? The girl with the face that sank a thousand

JJ, will you be quiet, please?

What happened next, honey? Well, next they asked if Henry Evans was aboard.

said he wasn't. I found him.

Thelma, he may have been Henry Evans, but how do you know he was Daddy's

Well, from all the things he told me about the family and everything.

And Ma, he even had a picture of Daddy when he was a little boy.

Why would your father say his daddy is dead when he is alive?

Ma, he explained that.

He said he hadn't been in touch with daddy in so long, anybody would think he

was dead.

You mean after all these years I got myself a grandfather?

He owes me 19 years worth of birthday presents.

Mama, how come you didn't bring him home with you?

Doesn't he want to meet us too?

Oh, yeah, he wants to meet everybody.

So I invited him to daddy's birthday party tonight. Hey, that's great.

here would be the greatest present Daddy could ever have from all of us. Oh, my,

that is beautiful.

Now we got the surprise back in the surprise party.

Right. And this is even a greater surprise than I could have hoped for.

Oh, my, isn't it wonderful? This is great.

And just think how excited Daddy's going to be when he sees he has a father.

That's right. Hey, wait a minute. I just thought of something.

We're going to need a place to hide him. Yeah, and where can we keep it a

secret? Hi, y 'all.

I think we just found ourselves a safe deposit box.

Well, what are you talking about? What's going on?

Well, owner.

Huh? Can you keep a secret?

No, I'm surprised at you. Can I keep a secret?

I love keeping secrets. Ain't but one thing I like better than keeping a

What's that?

Blabbing it out. Oh.

Okay, okay. What is the big news?

Are you ready for this? Uh -huh.

Thelma found out...

That James's father is alive.

Are you jiving? No, I'm not.

This is too hot to sit on.

How do I contact Walter Cronkite?

Now,

look, this is where you come in.

We would like to hide James's father in your apartment until the big moment.

Oh, that's cool with me. Good.

Ooh, child, this is going to be a night to remember.

Well, I want to thank you all for the presents.

I got the greatest family in the whole world.

You know how it is.

Hey, speaking of family, James, we got a surprise for you.

Yeah, what now?

There's going to be an audition.

Oh, James.

Oh,

Wilona. Oh, Wilona Woods carrying out the audition.

Where's Wilona going? Don't worry, Daddy. You'll see.

James, all the presents you got before ain't nothing to the one you used to get

now. I got it.

Junior's going to take a vow of silence.

No, Dad, it's an even better present than that.

Yeah, Dad. Now the Wallens ain't going to be the only poor family with a

grandfather. What did you say, Junior?

Uh, nothing, Dad.

No, you said grandfather.

No, Dad.

Yes, Junior.

Hey, hey, hey.

You said father, but any chance we can talk about my father? Well, now that the

cat is out of the bag, I might as well tell you.

James, Thoma found out that your daddy is alive.

Yeah, Daddy's at Walona's and he'll be here in a minute. Oh, Daddy, isn't that

exciting? Even though that J .J. blew it, it still got to be the biggest

surprise in your life, right?

I got a big surprise for all of you.

I don't want to see the man. I don't never want to see him.

Why are

you staring at me?

I'm not staring at you. I'm thinking.

Why are you thinking at me?

James, I'm not thinking at you. I'm thinking about you.

Oh, James.

Honey, we all thought you were going to be so happy to find out your daddy is

alive.

Florida, I've always known he was alive.

What?

And you didn't tell me?

James, we're husband and wife.

We never kept anything from each other.

Florida, this happened before we got married. It ain't in your jurisdiction.

Well...

Sometimes it's good to talk about these things.

Uh -uh.

Not this, Florida.

I've been keeping it up inside me because it just hurt too much to tell

about it, even you.

I mean, what could he have done that's hurting you so all these years?

Well, Florida, over 35 years ago, we had a whole family just like you and me got

right now.

Then this man, my beloved father, walked out on us.

You mean...

He just up and left, just like that?

No. One day he said he was going out to the store for a loaf of bread and he'd

never come back.

I guess after everybody else had given up on him, I couldn't. I mean, I just

kept sitting there waiting, hoping he'd come back.

I must have loved him more than all the rest of them because I never stopped

waiting for him.

You don't have to wait for him anymore, James.

He's here now.

You can see him.

I don't want to see him, Florida.

I mean, I love him, but I hate him for what he did.

I might... I don't know how I'd act. I mean, I might break down crying. I might

throw him out on his butt.

One way or the other, it's better that he leave.

He won't mind.

He's done it before.

Oh, now, come on, y 'all. Get off my back.

It just kind of slipped out. The size of your mouth, your whole body could just

slip out.

I know your brains left ages ago.

Yeah, that's right.

But I still don't understand why Daddy doesn't want to see his own father.

Ready for the surprise of the century?

Introducing Henry Evans. Hi,

Grandpa.

Hi. Hello, children.

How are you?

Fine.

Uh, well, uh, I brought him the surprise. Where is the surprise -y? Uh,

uh, J .J. gave it away, and Daddy was so overwhelmed, he went into his room, and

he's probably crying for joy.

Uh, where is your mother? Uh, she's supplying the Kleenex.

Kleenex? Uh, Grandpa, this is your youngest grandson, Michael. Hi, Grandpa.

Michael.

Uh, saying Grandpa sounds kind of strange. I'm not used to it yet.

Well, Michael saying grandson is something I always wanted to do.

And this is JJ.

I'm afraid he's your grandson, too.

Well, that suits me just fine.

Grandpa Henry, you look just like I thought you was going to look.

Big with muscles. Must run an Evans family.

You started it off with the big muscles. Then Dad came along with the big

muscles. Then...

they're going to be in there. Oh, Daddy's so happy.

He's probably trying to get himself together. Yeah, but I want to...

how long were you a cook on the ship?

Thelma, there are some dudes would swear that I made meals for John Paul Jones.

Well,

then maybe you can give Thelma some advice.

Around here, we call her Old Salt.

Everything she cooks tastes old and salty.

Now, J .J., I can't believe that Thelma's a bad cook. I'm not. I'm not.

always teasing each other.

I wish they would come out.

Henry is dying to see his son.

Michael, Grandpa, why don't you tell us some of the places you've been to?

Oh, Michael, I've been to a lot of different places.

Africa, Europe, Asia, South America.

I bet with all the sights you've seen, you've never seen a sight like J .J.

You got some nerve talking about sights.

The Leon Tower of Pisa seeing you, it would have straightened up.

Come on, don't argue in front of your grandfather. No, no, no, let him alone.

I'm enjoying it. I finally got a chance to meet my grandchildren.

And that means a lot to someone when they reach my age. I can understand

think I'm going to go in there and get them out.

They'll be out in a minute, Malone. Yeah, I don't think Dad's got to the

of the Kleenex yet.

Don't your father want to see me?

What would make you ask a question like that? Florida?

Picked him one fine wife, I can tell you that.

Thank you.

Flo, where is James? Is anything wrong?

Oh, no, no, no, no. He was just thinking, and he said he wanted to look

for the occasion, so he's changing into his other suit.

But Dad's only got one suit.

You don't have to put me on. I know what you're doing, and I know what the kids

are doing. Well, I don't know what they're doing.

James, don't want to see me, right?

I'm sorry, Henry.

But give him a little time. Maybe he'll change his mind.

Yeah, well, I was hoping after all these years, Hurt would disappear.

Yes, it's too deep.

And anyway, it don't make sense after all this time I come barging into your

lives. So I'll just say goodbye.

Henry. Yeah?

He's right in there.

Maybe he's really waiting to see you.

There may never be another chance.

I come this far.

Wish me luck.

Daughter. Oh, I do.

I do.

Jimmy?

Jimmy?

Why, you've really grown.

Grown?

Well, what you expect, man? It's been over 35 years.

No, no.

No, I mean you're a big man.

Yeah, well, I've had to be a big man ever since a big man in our house walked

out. Well, I guess you haven't recognized that I've changed a little.

Well, I mean quite a bit.

I put on a little weight.

I guess when you only got one mouth to feed, it's easy to eat good, ain't it?

May I sit down?

Yeah, you can sit down if you can find a chair.

Well, that might not be too easy for you.

Seems to me you once misplaced a house and a whole family.

Son, I know how you feel.

Don't you want to hear my side of the story?

Oh, man.

Jimmy, my walking out on your mother and my little children was the hardest

thing I ever did.

Hard? All you had to do was put one foot in the front of the other and keep

walking. That's real hard.

Jimmy, it couldn't be helped.

I wasn't making enough money sharecropping to feed a tick.

There was no jobs anywhere.

So my leaving only meant...

One less mouth to feed.

And you think that was a good enough reason to split?

Huh? I thought so at the time.

Well, I got you to think for one thing.

I tell you, there's a lot of days around here we know whether he's going to make

it or not.

I must inherit your stubbornness.

Because there's one thought that never crossed my mind. That was walking out.

See, because I knew how my family was going to feel.

So I stayed, man.

I stayed.

I guess you're right.

Maybe I should have stuck it out.

But that's been over 35 years.

I'm a different man now.

When I left Mississippi, I bummed around for a long time looking for work. A

long time.

A long time before I went to sea.

And when I was able to send some money home, you all had gone.

Yeah.

Oh, man, how come you never tried to find me?

I ain't never got a postcard or a phone call, nothing.

Where you been, man?

I tried to find you at first.

But then nobody knew where you went.

If it wasn't for film, I still wouldn't know where you were.

Well, that don't cut no ice with me.

I really used to look up to you.

I swore the sun rose and set on you.

We sure missed out on a lot of fun together.

Jimmy, I missed over 35 years without a son.

And me without a father.

Well, it's too late now.

Can't neither one of us ever get it back.

Yes, I know.

And this is a hell of a time to admit a mistake.

Yes, I've been stubborn and full of foolish pride.

And after all this time, I had some gall coming in here and calling you son.

So I, maybe I gave that right a long, long time ago.

So I guess I best be shoving off.

But, Jimmy, you've got to understand this.

My leaving wasn't because I didn't love you.

It was because I did.

Oh, man.

Bye, Jimmy.

Uh, look here.

We got some birthday cake and stuff.

You here, you might as well stay for the party.

You sure you want me to stay?

You was always one thing. Don't ever waste no food, wasn't you?

Yes. Yes, I did.

Y 'all can get on with your birthday business.

My, uh... He, uh... We got company.

Oh, that's wonderful.

Hey, I knew everything would be all right between the granddad and dad of

Dynamite.

Have mercy.

That's Jamie.

Don't forget to make a wish.

Oh, thank you.

Honey, where'd you wish?

All right.

I guess I wish for another hundred years to make up for the ones that me and Pop

lost.

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

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.