Original subtitles

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

Good times, 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 times, easy credit ripoffs.

Good times, scratching ass.

Just let me love you, oh, sweet baby.

10 % each, and I get 95%. So if anybody's going to tell him what to do,

going to tell him what to do.

Group, listen to Thelma Maloney.

That's what we call an entertainment field manager in here.

Hey, JJ, man, can we take a break? We've been rehearsing for hours.

Yeah, it's a good thing you got that contest tonight, man, because I was

ready to dump this group. Hey, JJ, man, are you sure that the winner of this

contest gets $150?

Hey, brother.

Does Reverend Ike have wheels?

It sure would be nice to win that money.

It's okay, Michael.

$150 ain't nothing but a little chunk change.

See, this gig tonight could be our launching pad to stardom. To limousines

private jets. Hey, concerts at Madison Square Garden. Seat with tuxedos.

$150 ,000 groupies tearing off my clothes.

the ghetto.

JJ, how do you expect to get out of the ghetto on one talent contest?

Through the sheer brilliance of my ebony genius management.

After tonight's contest, it's going to be goodbye ghetto, hello Hollywood.

I can just see myself lying around the pool in my bikini getting a suntan.

Yeah, if you run out of Kool -Aid, I'll have my chauffeur motor over in my gold

place.

Royce. Don't you think you're being a little unrealistic? You lying around in

bikini getting a suntan, you say he's being unrealistic?

Kids,

I don't want to put a damper on things, but just don't get your hopes up too

high. With a group like this, you can never get your hopes up too high.

Matter of fact, I haven't run through the song one more time just for you.

Well, if they can sing anything like they eat, this gang is going to be on

of the charts.

Do you want to do it? Do you want to fall in love?

Ooh, baby, do you want to do it? Do you want to fall in love?

Just let me love you.

none of the machines have the same kind of rhythm? No. The one on the right

goes... And the one on the left goes...

And the one on the left goes... And

that's where you got the idea, huh? No, it was too noisy down there, so I went

to my apartment and wrote the tune.

Hey, wait a minute.

Hey, what are we going to win for the contest tonight?

Oh, girls, that is a problem for me.

whether to wear my Gucci, my Poochie, or my Nucci.

Mom, what's a Nucci?

A dress I borrowed from Ella Mae Nucci.

Where is this contest going to be?

Oh, it's at a place called the...

said something wrong.

Well, well, well.

Yeah. Mm -hmm.

Well, take a look around, gang, because the blue frog is going to turn into a

golden goose.

Moving on.

Excuse me, miss, are you in line?

Hey, well, that's not fair. You were here first.

No, look, I know I'm going to lose, so I might as well stall it as long as

possible, right?

Go ahead. Okay. All right. Okay.

Who's next?

Forget about the rest because you're looking at the best.

Presenting the winners of the talent contest tonight.

over 18?

It is to laugh.

It is to ask, what about the little guy here?

He's only 15 and he's coming with his mama.

Who is she?

This is another one of my acts here.

One of the funniest comedians of all time.

Say something else funny.

If my uncle isn't on his way out of here by the time I count to three, he won't

be able to sit down.

That's funny enough for me, Michael.

J .J., I'll see you at home. You know Michael is too young to work in a

nightclub.

What?

Are you trying to get my club closed down?

Well, all right. J .J., man, you ain't nothing but a jive turkey.

Look, he quit. Now, you can keep your baby, baby, babies, and you know what

can do what you do was.

Hey, wait a minute, gang. What about our gold records? Secret tuxedos.

I'm J .J. Evans. I used to be a manager.

You're feeling bad, huh?

Well, I know that feeling.

The day I was born, it rained.

And it's been downhill ever since.

Man, you really have a bummer attitude.

to make it in this business, you got to have a more positive attitude, you see,

like me.

Now, see, I know I'm a great manager and will be the greatest.

If I had someone like you, then things would be different.

Tell me a little bit more about yourself.

Well, my last job, I was a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Well, that's a good start.

There ain't no place we can go but up.

guilty about you did what you had to do. JJ understands.

Selma understands.

Michael's outside playing basketball so you know he understands.

And you?

I understand.

I understand I blew my gold record.

Hey, everybody.

Don't tear up those tickets.

Our train out of the ghetto is still chugging down the track on schedule.

JJ, what are you talking about? I want y 'all to meet the future winner of

tonight's talent contest.

presenting for y 'all the singing sensation of the decade.

Everybody, this is Judith Cohen.

Judith, this is my sister, the choreographer of the group, Thelma.

Hi. And this is our best friend, songwriter, the now defunct Dynamites,

Woods. Nice to meet you.

Of course, remember my mother, duh.

Well,

it's really nice to meet you, Judith. Why?

See, you got to understand, Judith, she has a little lack of confidence, see?

So I'm learning a little mind to pick up the slack.

So just make yourself comfortable.

Yeah, right.

I'm telling you, Ma, you got to hear this young lady sing.

I tell you, we hitched our wagon to a star.

We hitched your wagon to a wagon.

Oh, come on, Judy. Now, you don't have to have a great figure to be a star

days. Look at Kate Smith.

Oh, I envy her shape. She's so...

Judy, honey, since Jacob has so

much confidence in you, have I got a song for you.

Ooh, and have I... and choreography.

Can you move?

Can I move?

Well, I run up to the microphone, you know, and I make a dead stop. Well, my

feet, they stay where they are, but the rest of me just keeps on moving.

Well, Judy, you know, you gotta have hopes, you know?

Well, I used to hope that I could be paid a dollar a pound.

But then I met J .J., and he believes in me. You know, that's a lot more than I

can say for myself.

Well, Judy, I hope everything is going to turn out all right, but you know,

business is hard, and I just don't know exactly what J .J. can do for you.

Yeah? I'll show you what I can do.

Talk to one of the top managers in the business here. I'll get right on the

case. I'm a full -service agency.

Hello? Chez Pierre?

Yeah, let me speak to the owner.

Watch this top managerial move.

Hello, Mr. Shea.

Yeah, Mr. James Evans Jr. III.

Esquire. Shea James.

Look here, man. I think you ought to do yourself a favor and make a hop, skip,

and a jump down to the Blue Frog tonight.

Yeah, I got the same sensation of the nation down there.

Yeah, you've heard of Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole.

Well, tonight I proudly present Miss Judith Co...

you nervous about?

Every once in a while in the annals of showbiz, there comes a singer of a fine

lyrialtist. A fine versality.

And we have to be present on one of these occasions when a great millennium

taken place.

The final contestant, ladies and gentlemen, Judith Cohen.

They'll be glad when you're dead.

You'll get a bigger hand cause you can stand on your head.

Be a clown, be a clown, be a clown.

Isn't it rich?

And are we a pair?

Me here at last.

Send in the clouds.

Quick, send in the clouds.

And isn't it rich?

And isn't it queer?

In my career But where are

the clouds?

We have to have clouds

No, don't bother

May I have your attention, please?

The winner is... Miss Judith Cohen!

Excuse me, Judith, but I'm Marty Mitchell from the

Chapier.

Do you mind parting us? This is a... high -level business conference here.

Hey there, Marty, baby.

I'm Judy's manager.

Didn't I tell you she was great? Hey, she's sensational.

Hey, listen, next week's opening act canceled out, and I'd like Judith to

in. Really?

Oh, come on. Wow, we got the shape here.

Wait a minute there.

Got to see if we can work this thing out here. Check it out.

Sit down, Marty. I'm going to buy you a drink. Right.

Pardon me.

Judith?

Judith, my name is Jack Simmons, and I'd like to represent you. You're going to

go places.

Sounds good to me, Jackie, baby.

Let's take a walk.

Wait a minute.

That's my manager.

Who?

Me.

I'm James Evans, Jr., but you can call me JJ, baby.

You skinny little kid.

Judith, what can he get you, a gig and a rib joint?

This skinny little kid got me a week's engagement at the Chez Pierre.

Wasn't nothing, Jack.

Chez Pierre.

Lots of luck, kid. Hooray.

Man, who's that turkey think he is anyway?

Ain't nothing but little gobble gobbles.

is confab.

I'm afraid you're going to have to forget about the Chez Pierre engagement.

What? I'm sorry, kid, but Simmons wants Judith Cone.

If I book her, I'll never get another one of his exes. You don't need another

one of his exes. You'll have Judith.

Won't work.

Oh, hey, we don't need the Chez Pierre.

You can always take her to the night hour room.

Simmons has got that locked up, too.

He ain't got every room in town.

I'll take her to the Mayfair room.

Simmons.

The Blue Knight?

J .J., let me give you a little tip.

Simmons got a lot of power in this town. Got an awful lot of muscle.

If he doesn't sign Judith Cone, she'll never work again.

I'm really sorry, kid.

Girl, things happen. No, they happen.

Hey,

what's going on, J .J.? Hey, Judy, I was just talking over your career with

Marty over there, and we made a decision.

We think that you should go with Jack Simmons.

Oh, come on, JJ. It's you and me working together.

Hey, Judy, this is a great opportunity.

like streetcars, you know?

If you miss one, another one will be along in about a hundred years.

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

thinking how it all looks and it dies.

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

making a way when you can, temporary layoffs, good times.

Good times is videotape in front of a studio audience.