Original subtitles

Hey, Rollo.

Let's do that scene again.

Let's take it from the top.

Yeah, okay.

Othello, The Moor of Venice, by William Shakespeare.

No, not that far, man.

Just do the scene.

You know, the prison scene.

Oh. Oh, man. Oh, yeah.

You shall close prisoner rest

till that nature of your fault be known

to the Venetian state.

Come.

Bring him away.

Soft, you.

A word or two before you go.

I have done the state some service,

and they know't.

No more of that.

I pray you, in your letters,

when these unlucky deeds you shall relate,

speak of me as I am, nothing extenuate,

nor set down aught in malice.

Speak of me as one that loved not wisely,

but too well.

Outta sight, dude.

Hey, move over, Laurence Olivier,

and make room for Lamont Sanford,

the new Othello.

Hey, man, you're just lying.

You're trying to make me feel good.

Hey, man, if I'm lying, I'm flying,

and my mama's home crying.

You ain't been...

You ain't been in the workshop but three weeks,

and you're almost as good as me already.

Hey, man, we're going to turn this play out.

I can feel it.

Hey, Rollo,

who knows what this might lead to, man.

I mean, from a junkyard, to a neighborhood theater,

to Broadway, to my first motion picture.

And back to the junkyard.

I thought you said I was good.

You are good, partner,

but, I mean, you ain't fantastic.

I mean, you ain't Jim Brown.

Yeah, brother.

Well, I'm going to keep working on it.

As a matter of fact, after school,

Marilyn is going to come over here,

and we're going to go

through a few scenes together.

Uh-oh.

How're you going to work that out

with your father around?

Are you kidding, man? He ain't going to be around.

How're you going to get him out of the house?

Hey, maybe I'll tell him

they're having a nudie film festival

down at the neighborhood theater.

Right on.

That ought to put wings on his old heels.

Hey, lookee, I'm going to get in the wind, my man.

Call you later.

Come, go with me apart.

I must withdraw, to furnish me

with some swift means of death

for the fair devil.

Now, art thou my lieutenant?

I am your own forever... brother.

Right on.

See you later, bro.

♪ And would I be sure ♪

♪ That this is love Beyond compare ♪

♪ Will all this be true If I didn't care ♪

♪ For you ♪♪

You... Bill Kinney used to hit that note.

Hi, son.

Hey, Pop, you're in a good mood tonight, man.

What's happening?

Yeah, it's Lena Horne weekend on the 10:00 movie.

You're not expecting company, are you?

No, I'm not going to share the Horne with nobody.

Well, if the movie don't start till 10:00,

how come you're starting so early?

Well, see, at 8:30, the creature features start,

and Bubba told me to make sure I don't miss this one,

because this is a good one.

It's all about creatures and stuff, see?

And Bubba told me not to miss it,

because it's a good one.

It's called The Day of the Nite Creeper.

See, it's all about an army of big bugs

surrounding Washington, D.C...

And, see, these bugs are crawling up the steps,

eating their way toward the President.

Yeah, that sounds terrific.

Yeah, and that takes me right on up to 10:00

when it's just me and the Horne.

Uh, you know something, Pop?

Watching all that television, man,

is bad for your eyes.

You know what you should do?

You should take a nice, long walk

out in the night air.

It'll be good for you.

Yeah, out there in that nice, healthy smog,

and those friendly muggers.

What is this all about?

Why are you trying

to get me out of the house?

Don't turn on the TV yet, Pop.

Okay, well, here's how it is.

See, um, I'm expecting some company,

in a few minutes, as a matter of fact,

and, well, I don't want nobody around,

you know what I mean?

You mean female company?

You got it.

Why, you son of a gun.

Chip off the old block.

You mean, you got some heavy action coming?

Right. Right.

So would you make yourself scarce, Pop?

Wait a minute.

Look here.

Who's the lucky girl?

Never mind who it is.

Are you going?

Is it Jessie Mae's daughter?

Is it Jackie Warnsby,

that girl with the pretty legs

and the big... Pop!

Now, look, it's not anybody that you know.

Now, would you please leave?

I'm going.

I have to have the house to myself once in a while.

Say no more. I'm going.

Thank you very much. I'll see you later.

Hey.

I ain't got nowhere to go.

Well, why don't you go down to the bar

and have a few beers and watch some TV down there?

I was thinking about that, but I ain't got no money.

All right, here's a buck.

Good night, Pop.

Well, they've got a $2.00 minimum down here.

All right, here you go. Good night.

That's just to keep the loiterers out.

Good night, Pop.

Now, listen, you want me to be gone

about two hours, don't you?

Well, this won't last but an hour.

Okay, now, good night, Pop.

Say, uh, give me another buck and it's a deal.

You see, I tips.

Look, son, I'll be back at 10:00,

so make sure that the premises have been vacated.

Good night, Pop.

Good night.

Is it Crazy Herbert's daughter, Evelyn?

Would you get out of here?

Nah, nee, nah, noo.

Loo, loo, loo, nah, nee.

La, la, la, la, la...

Nah, nee, noo, noo, noo, nah, nah, nah, nah.

Oh, hello, Marilyn. Come on in.

Hi, Lamont.

Hey, I parked my car across the street.

Is it all right?

This will be a first for this neighborhood.

You mean, my being in your house?

No, your car being

the first one on the block with hubcaps.

Uh, come on in.

Make yourself at home.

Thank you.

Say, Marilyn, I really appreciate

you coming over like this.

Teaching school during the day,

and the workshop at night.

You must be awfully tired.

Oh, no, this is the fun part. I enjoy it.

Oh, good.

Say, would you like some refreshments?

Potato chips or pretzels?

Father set this up for us and then he had to split.

Most likely, he's at the club.

No, thank you.

Hey, uh, you have quite a collection here.

Yeah, Pop and I

have been working at it for a long time,

but you know something, Marilyn?

My heart's not really in the business.

I mean, I've always felt

that I was cut out for something in the arts.

You mean acting?

Acting, directing, tap-dancing...

Something better than what I'm doing now.

Marilyn, do you think,

if I really stuck with it and applied myself,

that I might become an actor?

Oh, Lamont, it's a very tough business.

You know, I mean, it's one thing doing it like we're doing it,

as a hobby,

but to depend on it for a living...

I don't know.

I've got the talent. I mean, you said so yourself...

Yeah, you do.

And I'm tall enough,

I'm intelligent, I'm good-looking...

You're modest.

Right, right.

You want to get started?

Come, Desdemona.

I have but an hour of love,

of worldly matters, to spend with thee.

We must obey the time.

Oh, very good, my lord. Very good.

Of course that's very good.

That's because I'm talented and I'm sharp and I'm cool.

What's the matter with you, Bubba?

We've got to be quiet.

If Lamont knows we're out here,

he'll think we're spying on him.

But we are spying.

No, we're not.

We just want to find out who the mystery woman is.

I'll bet it's that Jackie Warnsby.

It better not be.

She just married Al Hughes' nephew last week.

That explains why she's the mystery woman.

Weepest thou for him to my face?

Oh, banish me, my lord, but kill me not.

Down, strumpet.

But half an hour.

Being done, there is no pause.

But while I say one prayer.

It's too late.

Lamont. Lamont. Lamont!

Wait a minute.

You're supposed to be choking me.

Yeah, I know,

but I didn't want to hurt you.

Oh, don't worry about that. I'm not fragile. I won't break.

Well, I mean, don't actually strangle me,

but act as though you might.

All right.

Let's try it again.

Whenever you're ready, my lord.

See what they're doing there, Fred.

Will you be quiet, Bubba?

Be quiet.

I that am cruel am yet merciful.

I would not have thee linger in thy pain.

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

What did you see?

This is the big one.

This is the big one.

My son is choking a white woman in my house.

You hear that, Elizabeth?

I'm coming to join you, honey...

with a fat friend.

Don't do that, boy!

Don't do that.

Hold him, Bubba.

You can't do this!

Hold him, Bubba.

Run, lady, while you have the chance!

Run! Run!

He has these spells, and he's not responsible.

Please... Bubba, get off of me!

Would you just stop for a minute and let me explain something?

Now, can't you tell the difference

between the real thing and a rehearsal?

A what?

A rehearsal.

Something that you practice for a play.

A play?

That's right, a play.

Marilyn is the director

in this workshop that I've been attending,

and we're going to put on a play.

Oh, and I hope you'll come and be in the audience.

You have an audience?

Of course there's going to be an audience.

Well, you'd better have

the National Guard standing by.

I'm going to go, Fred.

I'm going back to the bar

to get me something to drink

to calm my nerves.

Wait a minute, Bubba. Wait a minute.

You don't have to go back.

You can have a drink here.

You ain't got enough here in this house to drink

for me to calm my nerves.

Lamont, didn't you tell your father

about our drama workshop?

He didn't tell me nothing.

Now, about this play...

Didn't you know Jack the Ripper was a white man?

That shows you how much you know.

This is one of Shakespeare's

most important plays, Othello.

If you ever took the time to read it,

you'd know that Othello was a black man.

Othello?

That's right. Othello.

A black man with an Italian name?

He was a Moor.

A Moor?

A Moor.

I know Archie Moore.

Yeah, but see,

Othello Moore sounds like he might have been...

Look, do you want to hear about this or not?

Othello was a black man,

and he was married to this white woman

that he suspected of cheating on him,

so he choked her to death.

And you call that a play?

Mr. Sanford, may I say something?

Lamont has been working very hard at this,

and I'll bet you're not aware

of how good he is.

Have you ever seen him act?

I've been watching him act all his life...

like a dummy.

Then I don't have to...

Wait a minute, Lamont. Would you do something?

Would you do something from the play for your father?

Well, bye.

Wait. Wait, Mr. Sanford.

No, I'm not going to do anything for him.

He'd just laugh.

Lamont, you have to get used to this.

I mean, your friends and your family

are your worst critics,

and if you please them, you can please anybody.

How about it?

Well, all right.

Good.

Mr. Sanford,

I think you're in for a little surprise.

I think I'm in for a little nausea.

Now, come on over here, sit down, and just watch.

I'll watch, but I don't want to.

Hey, uh, Othello?

Will you take your foot off my Chippendale?

I pray you, in your letters,

when you shall these unlucky deeds relate,

speak of me as I am, nothing extenuate.

And say besides that in Aleppo once,

where a malignant and turbaned Turk

beat a Venetian and traduced the State,

I took by the throat the circumcised dog,

and smote him thus.

What kind of dog was that?

Circumcised.

Listen here.

Was this play written by a Jewish fellow?

What difference does that make, Pop?

Well, because, I mean, they go for that kind of stuff,

you know what I mean?

But we can take it or leave it, like we did when you were born.

The doctor said...

Pop, what are you talking about?

You take one little word out of the whole speech

and you make a big deal about it.

What about the way I did it? What about my acting?

I ain't going to say nothing about that

if you're going to be in a play

that uses that kind of word.

You don't hear those kinds of words

on television.

I'm going to get me a glass of Ripple.

Hey, Marilyn,

let's just forget about the rehearsal.

I'm sorry.

We'll have to pick another time

and another place to rehearse.

What about her place?

What?

If she can come over here,

how come you can't go over there?

Pop, Marilyn comes here

because the workshop is close by.

I mean, it's easier for her to come here

than to go all the way home.

What's the matter with you, man?

Marilyn's all right.

You live alone?

No, I live with my parents.

See, that's why you can't go.

You're wrong, Mr. Sanford.

Where do you live? Beverly Hills.

Case closed.

I'm sorry, Mr. Sanford, but you're wrong.

Listen, Lamont is welcome at my house any time.

Well, tonight,

right now, in fact, if he wants to go.

Hey, Marilyn, you don't have to prove nothing to him.

Yes, I think that I do,

and I'd like to prove it to you, Mr. Sanford.

I'd like for both of you to come to my house, right now.

Marilyn, he'd only mess up

the rehearsal there just like he did here.

The only way that I'll go

is if he sits and waits out in the truck.

Lamont, you can't have your father

wait out in the street.

Yes, I can.

Hey, listen, it's okay.

I don't mind sitting in the truck,

as long as you give me a camera,

so I can take the expression

off that Beverly Hills policeman's face

when I tell him I'm sitting in the truck

waiting on my son,

who's inside, choking a white woman to death.

Let's go.

Okay, listen... You sure my truck's

going to be safe out there?

What's the matter with you, Pop? This is Beverly Hills, man.

So what? They steal in Beverly Hills.

Now, listen, just make yourselves at home.

This sure is a nice place you've got here, Marilyn.

Thank you.

First, can I get you anything? Something to drink?

First, you may get your mother and father,

because all of us might need a drink.

Oh, they're away for the weekend.

They're not here.

I know what you're thinking, Mr. Sanford,

and I want you to come back when they are here,

because I'd really like for you to meet them.

Excuse me. I'm going to see what's in the refrigerator,

and then we can get started.

Listen, I don't want you to go to any bother.

Hey, you go do some bothering, honey.

Go ahead and bother.

Okay, I'll be right back.

You know what's wrong with this house?

Ain't got no smell.

You know what I mean?

It don't smell like our house smells.

You can say that again.

No, no, I'm talking about the smell of frying

coming out the kitchen, you know what I mean?

Smell that.

Pure white. Smells like lettuce.

I found some fruit.

Would you like some, Mr. Sanford?

Yeah, I'll take one.

Yeah, I'll take it all.

Lamont, should we get started?

Uh, yeah, you ready?

Hey, wait a minute, son.

You're not going to do that play

about the dog that had the operation?

That's right, and if you don't want to hear it,

you can go take a walk.

Oh, Mr. Sanford, listen, uh...

Maybe you'd like to watch some television.

There's a set down the hall,

or there's one out in the kitchen.

Just help yourself.

Hey, Marilyn, don't worry about him.

Let's just get started, okay?

Okay.

Ready?

Yeah.

Who's there? Othello?

Ay, Desdemona.

Will you come to bed, my lord?

Don't do that.

I'm trying to do the scene.

Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?

Ay, my lord.

If you bethink yourself of any crime

unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,

solicit for it straight.

Alas, my lord, what may thou mean by that?

Wait, wait.

Let me go back.

"Have you..."

Do this.

Desdemona, I have but an hour

of love of worldly matters

to spend with you You must obey...

This is where the TV is.

Say, uh... I thought you folks

were going to be away for the weekend,

so I just came for the TV.

Take it.

Take the television. Take anything you want.

Catherine, give him your rings.

Just don't harm us.

Don't harm you?

These people must be crazy.

I that am cruel am yet merciful,

I would not have thee linger in thy pain, so...

I... I'm doing a scene on choking her.

I left the hall here, and this girl's folks...

Take your hands off the woman's throat.

Marilyn!

Mother, Mother, wait a minute!

Please!

Help! Get the police! Marilyn, get the police!

Don't stand there.

Just get the police.

We were rehearsing!

Rehearsing?

Yeah, don't you know the difference

between the real thing and a rehearsal?

I had no idea you were going to be home.

I thought you were going to Palm Springs

for the weekend.

We were, but we decided to leave in the morning.

Rehearsing?

Oh, Mother,

this is my friend, Lamont Sanford,

and he's in my drama workshop.

Hello, Mrs. O'Neill, Mr. O'Neill.

Uh, I'm sorry we scared you like that.

And this is his father, Mr. Fred Sanford.

Yeah, I met in the bedroom.

Marilyn, don't ever do that to us again.

You scared the life out of us.

Oh, Mother, really.

You should have understood that it was just play-acting.

Play-acting?

How can we tell

he wasn't really stealing the TV?

First, a strange man walks into our bedroom,

and then this out here?

What is this you're talking about,

a strange man?

Who's a strange man? I'm not a strange man.

Hey, Pop, he didn't mean nothing by that.

To him, you are a strange man.

Yeah, and if he comes to Watts,

he'll be a strange man.

I'll bet you anything he's a bigot.

Well, he certainly is not a bigot.

We both belong to the Urban League.

I'm getting out of here.

Oh, wait, wait. Please, Mr. Sanford.

Dad, I know why Mr. Sanford was offended.

When you found him and his son in your house,

you overreacted.

What are we supposed to do

when a strange man walks into our bedroom?

There you go again with that strange talk...

Wait... Dad... Dad!

What I'm trying to say is that in the case of Mr. Sanford,

you overreacted simply because he is a...

Wait a minute, honey.

Let me explain to him what happened.

See, now, you've had other people make a mistake

and come into your bedroom before?

Say, like your daughter's friends?

Yes, it's happened.

It's happened before when I've had people in the house.

And did you say that they were thieves and crooks

and were going to do you some harm?

I can't recall what I said.

No, no, you didn't,

but as soon as you saw me, who you call a strange man,

right away, you think the worst.

Yes, I suppose I did.

And that's why Mr. Sanford was insulted.

When you saw him,

you immediately assumed that he was after something.

Yeah.

Ain't nothing in your bedroom I want.

See, the trouble with you is you're prejudiced.

Maybe I did overreact a little.

Yeah, you admit it now, don't you?

Yeah.

Yeah, you admit it.

See, you found out something about yourself tonight.

Yes, I suppose I did.

Sure you did,

and the next time you find a black man in your bedroom

looking for the TV, don't get uptight.

Don't do that.

And another thing...

Get some smell in this house.

Come on, son.

Now, wait a minute.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Mr. Sanford?

Why don't we all

finish this off with a nightcap?

Yes, please, stay and have something.

Would you, Mr. Sanford? Lamont?

Well, it's okay with me

if it's all right with Pop.

As long as you don't call me a strange man.

That's all forgotten.

All forgotten.

Come on, Sanford.

Name your poison. What'll you have?

Give me a glass of Ripple.

Uh, Ripple? What's that?

That's the national wine of Watts.

Well, I don't have any Ripple,

but why don't you try a little of this special sherry?

This is Sercial Madeira from the estate Blande 1860.

Oh, man, that tastes like shoe polish.

What do you mean, shoe polish?

Shoe polish. Griffin, Kiwi, Esquire.

This stuff costs $30 a bottle.

Well, you ought to go back and get $29,

and get you some real wine.

See, you people don't know what's good.

You people?

What do you mean, you people?

You're prejudiced.

You're the one who's a bigot.

Who's a bigot, bigot?

Sanford and Son is recorded on tape

before a live studio audience.