Original subtitles

Good times, anytime you need a payment. Good times, anytime you need a friend.

Good times, anytime you're up and under.

Not getting hassled, not getting hustled. Keeping your head up for water.

Making a way when you can.

Temporary layoffs.

Good times, easy credit ripoffs.

Good times.

I know you like it so much. Are you kidding? I love it.

I like it better every time you make it.

My favorite meal.

What is it?

Now, James, you know what this is.

It's the three -course inflation dinner.

Course it ain't beef, course it ain't lamb, and course it ain't pork.

Well, I ain't eating these seconds till I hear you say, course it ain't horse.

Good job, baby. Thanks for keeping it warm, huh?

Well, I knew you'd be in late.

Yeah, you know, I figured overtime I'm making tonight ought to just about cover

Junior's trip to St. Louis.

Oh, James, you know I worry when J .J.'s gone.

You think he's going to be all right?

Oh, for the hundredth time, Florida, yes.

Well, you know, it's cold in St. Louis, and I only packed him one leather

jacket, two sweaters, and two pairs of long johns.

Maybe the boy's only going to art show, not to win Olympics.

I know you, James. You're just as worried about him as I am. Sure I am,

least I didn't make no scene when he left last night.

I didn't make no scene.

You didn't, huh?

That's the first time I ever seen anybody trying to store away on a

bus.

Yeah, you took my record. You know you broke it. Grandma, I did not break your

record. You pushed me into the record player.

I did not. Couldn't you see I was dancing?

Oh, is that what you were doing? I thought you backed into an open fuse

That's enough.

Ma, he owes me $4 .95 for a new Gladys Knight and the Pips album. Thelma, you

still have your album.

Here's Gladys Knight.

And here's the Pips.

They just ain't singing together no more.

Thelma, you're going to pay for this. Thelma, I'm not going to give you one

penny for that album.

Sister dear, how much did you say?

And I thought we were going to have a night. Nice, quiet weekend with J .J.

Goss. Hi, y 'all.

Wait till you hear.

There goes a nice, quiet weekend.

Oh, J .J.

That's right, James. Pick on somebody who just was involved in a hold -up. A

hold -up? What? Hold -up? Let me tell you what happened. I was working late at

the boutique tonight because of our dollar annual sale.

You know, it used to be a penny sale, but with the inflation, everything's

up. Come on, Mona. What about the hold -up?

Well, anyway, I was selling the last of those jumpsuits.

No, you should have came in and got one of those that would look bad on you.

matching sweaters and the faux pockets on the front? Oh, no.

Well, I told you to put one away for me. It would have gone perfect with that

new purse I got from, you know... She's talking about a hold -up, not handbags.

I'm sorry. What happened, Maloney? Anyway, I was just getting ready to

and this dude walked in and pulled out a gun.

It says, give me all the cash you got.

Maloney, you did what he said, right? You driving?

When a dude points a gun at me, honey, I'll gift wrap the cash ready.

I'm scared to death.

I'm going to make you a cup of tea.

Tell me, what'd the dude look like? Tall, white dude with an afro.

I'll get it.

Hello?

Oh, you want to speak to J .J.? Hold on a minute.

Hey, what's going on? I thought J .J. was in St. Louis.

Well, look, he is. But while he's out of town, he doesn't want any of his chick

to know that he's out of circulation.

Hello. Yes, this is the doctor of love speaking, ready to fill your

prescription.

Say what?

Yeah, baby, of course our date is on for Monday night.

Well, Mom, just make sure you're dressed for the test, and I will do my best to

take care of the rest.

All right, baby, till Monday.

Nobody called for the janitor.

You know, you just don't appreciate me, Evans.

As a matter of fact, your wife called about a leaky pipe, so naturally I

right up here.

Well, you must have come by way of covered wagon, because I called you six

ago.

Anyway, James already fixed that pipe.

Oh, that's bad, Evans. You know, I hate this, but I'm going to have to report

you. It clearly states in your leaf, tennis ain't supposed to touch the...

Yeah, I can imagine.

Probably took about four weeks to drag that lard up the stairs.

Round rascal.

Hey, a little snack. Don't mind if I do.

Baby,

you don't, but I do.

Now, is that any way to treat the head janitor? Listen, Mr. Booger.

Bookman, Bookman.

Booger, Booger.

The last gentleman's never told you I got a broken light switch in my living

room. What you gonna do about it?

Yeah, well, I'll try to squeeze it into my schedule. Well, why don't you see,

can you squeeze your hocks through that doorway?

nice to you people. You people? Get out of here, Buffalo Buck.

Hey,

Miss Williams, you know I was just on my way up to your place.

Good, cause I ain't there.

You better be careful how you

treat that janitor.

Someday you may need him for something.

Well, I don't think so, Florida. You know, I know...

Oh, I came down to borrow a couple of candles if you got any. Well, sure.

Thelma, you know where the candles are. Yeah, ma 'am.

Miss Williams, what are you going to do with candles?

Oh, I have a date tonight for dinner, and I want to be romantic.

You still go out on dates?

Just because the game is in the fourth quarter don't mean it's over, huh?

Right on there, brother.

Here you are, Ms. Williams. Oh, thank you, Flora. You're welcome, Wanda. See

all later. Okay, bye. See you later, Wanda.

Oh,

that Wanda sure is something.

Always joking, always in just great spirits.

She fooled you too, huh, Flora?

I heard all the laundromat this morning. She is broke.

Well, Lorna, that's a disease we all got.

Yeah, but you ain't heard the worst of it, honey.

She's behind three months in the rent. She just got a notice this morning. If

she don't pay it all up by the end of this week, she's going to be evicted.

That's awful.

You know the real reason why she wanted those candles?

What? They turned her lights off this morning.

How could that be? She gets Social Security.

Florida, that ain't enough to live on. It's just enough to die on.

This is awful.

There must be something we can do.

Honey, don't look at me.

The banks don't cash my checks no more. They just look at them and laugh.

James, what about us? You paid our bills last night. What have we got left over?

More bills.

Daddy, there must be something we can do. We just can't let them put her out

the street like that. Hey, wait a minute.

Maybe there is something we can do.

James, you remember what we used to do for folks who got in trouble with their

rent? A rent party! Right, right.

Yeah, what's a rent party, Daddy? Well, that's where you have a party and you

provide food and entertainment and you charge all the people that come and you

give the money to the person that's in trouble. Hey, that's a great idea. I

could help with the cooking.

Oh, no, then we're going to all be in trouble.

We can do it, James. I just know we can.

The only problem is, how are we going to let everybody know about it? Honey,

that ain't no problem.

Give me ten minutes on that telephone. I'll have you standing room only.

Hey, and I know we can get the recreation room.

Yeah, it's a good idea, Florida, but you're forgetting one problem.

What's that, James?

Wanda's pride.

Now, Stan's the reason. She didn't tell you what you really need them candles

for. She sure ain't gonna let you give her no rent party, huh?

Hey, who says Wanda has to know the party is for her?

Yeah, that's right. We could just kind of spring it on her, couldn't we?

All we got to do is get the food and the entertainment. And the adhesive tape.

Adhesive tape?

Mm -hmm.

To put over one owner's mouth so she don't tell Wanda about the party. Hold

That's too little.

All right.

All right.

I'm glad you could make it. I know you're going to enjoy yourself. Now get

and get some of that chicken.

Get some of that food. How you doing, my man? Good.

Get over and get some of that bird now. How you doing, homie?

All right, here you go.

And thank you very, very much.

How's it going, Milona? I can't keep up.

Neither can I.

Did you ever see chicken move so fast?

How come Michael won't let me pay to come to this party like everybody else?

Well, Wanda, see, it's the kind of party where senior citizens get in for free.

Come on. No, no, no.

It's a rent party, and I want to pay my own way.

Who is the party for, anyway?

Well, you see...

I'd answer that, but I've got to make this introduction. Excuse me, Wiley.

Excuse me.

Folks, could you quiet down, please?

Have a seat.

Please have a seat.

Please. Please have a seat. I've got a special announcement to make.

Under no circumstances must you stop eating or drinking. Please.

Because the ladies over at the refreshment bar have told me that

busy enough.

Now, the next act, I know you're going to enjoy him because he's talented,

he's bright, and he's my son. So I know you're going to enjoy him.

The pride of the project's Michael Evans!

Life seems to be a world of...

against the law either, Bookman.

It is if you charge money, and that do appear to be the coin of the realm.

You just can't stop breaking that lease, can you? Well, I can think of a couple

other things I'd like to break.

You know, it hurts. I hate to have to do this, but I'm going to have to shut the

party down. Now, come on, Bookman. You know it's a rent party, man. Ain't you

got no heart underneath all that blubber?

You know, there's one way you might be able to persuade me to forget all this.

I understand you have a little entertainment going on.

Hey, man, why don't you put me on the show?

Uh -uh.

No animal acts.

Suit yourself.

The party's as good as closed. Now, come on, Bookman. All right, you in, but

what else can you do besides eat?

You kidding?

Dig this.

You put me on your show, otherwise you got trouble, you dirty rat, you.

Uh -huh. All right.

Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please?

We have an extra added attraction tonight which proves that you can find

anywhere you look.

Jim Navis. Where are you, boy?

Golly! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Surprise, surprise, surprise.

I couldn't get any transportation over here to the show, so I called up my good

friend, Wolfman Jack.

He said, I'll give you a lift if you let the Midnight Special shine.

you're asking me over for a cup of coffee.

So this thing you ask of me, I cannot do.

Stop

the

music! Stop the music!

Everybody wants to get into the act! It's given already!

weight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali.

Well, Muhammad, you're not the shell of the man you used to be.

You're not the fighter you were 15 years ago.

What about the foreman fight?

Well, I'll tell you how. I beat them

all,

you know, and you're not the same as you were with your wife 15 short years ago.

where I throw all the drive -homes safe. Good night!

Hey, Daddy, we made all that?

That's right, Michael. There's a lot of kind people living in the projects, and

all of them care about one thing. When are we going to give her the money?

Oh, now, not so soon. Son, the show ain't over yet.

Oh, here, Michael, you watch your stuff.

All right. I got to introduce the last act.

Ladies and gentlemen, as we promised you, we'd be providing you with first

-class, top -notch entertainment tonight. May I present a group of stars

have come here specifically for this purpose, the world -famous,

renowned Supremes!

Where you go, each time you leave my door, I feel you walking up and down,

knowing that you're the love of my life.

to pay your rent for the last few months and next month, too.

Hey, hey!

All right!

No,

I can't. I couldn't. I won't accept it.

Oh, Wanda.

We knew that. That's why we ain't gonna give the money to you.

We're gonna give it to Florida. She'll take it down to the housing office first

thing in the morning and give it to them for you. Right.

about to let you move from this project. Right?

All the way.

Because we love you.

That's right.

Thank you.

Thank all of you. Oh, Wanda.

Excuse me, may I?

Oh, James, that's nice.

Hit it, Willie.

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.