Original subtitles

Tennis is the only sport

where the uniform is what you would wear

under your clothes in any other sport.

You're actually out there in your underwear.

Unless in the old days, you know, they would wear

those long pants and the big heavy sweaters.

How long did it take them to get over that?

We're out here in the hot sun, running around after a ball.

What exactly are we all dressed up for?

Maybe that's why they started keeping score like that.

Point? You know what?

Make it 15.

I'm dying in this sweater here.

Oh, another one got by me?

Take another 10 points.

Take another 10 points.

Let's just get this over with.

JERRY: Come on, let's go.

No, wait. I gotta go in here.

I gotta pick up Mr. Pitts' racket.

What's it doing here?

He wanted to have it restrung.

Here, I need to pick that up.

Hello.

Oh, hi.

Jocelyn Landis from Doubleday.

Yes.

I interviewed you for a position

a couple of months ago.

Yes, yes. The one I didn't get.

I was watching you play.

Oh, I'm not very good.

No, you exhibited a lot of grace out there.

Really? Grace? Yes.

Really? Grace? Yes.

So have you found anything yet?

Uh, no. Not really.

You know, you should keep in touch.

Something may be opening up in a few weeks.

Oh.

Is that a Bruline?

Oh, Bruline.

Hey, Newman's got the same one.

Newman plays tennis?

He's fantastic.

Would you mind if I tried this out?

Uh, no.

Take it.

How will you get it back?

Um, well, I could come by your office

Um, well, I could come by your office

and pick it up tomorrow.

That's so generous of you.

Well... Thanks.

You loaned her Pitts's racket?

What could I do?

She said there might be

something for me at Doubleday.

Oh, wouldn't that be great?

I wouldn't have to work for Mr. Pitt anymore.

I gotta get going.

Oh, okay. Next time let's play ping-pong.

It's easier to jump over the net.

Yeah.

Bye. Bye-bye.

Have you noticed that she never laughs?

Hm, really?

Hm, really?

Yeah. Think about it.

You're not gonna believe this.

Yeah, let me see.

There she is. Check that out.

Whoa.

You're dating this woman?

That's right.

Well, George,

you're becoming one of the glitterati.

What's that?

You know, people who glitter.

This is a slim gal. Yeah.

And the amazing thing is,

she eats like there's no tomorrow.

I mean, I've never seen

an appetite like this. Desserts, everything.

an appetite like this. Desserts, everything.

I don't know how she does it.

Maybe she's bulimic.

What?

Bulimic, you know.

Kramer, she's a model.

Exactly.

Well, I have noticed she does tend

to go to the bathroom right after we finish eating.

Yeah?

There you go, monkey boy.

Come on.

Mm, mm.

Oh, oh, so good.

Mm.

Aren't you hungry?

Just enjoying watching you.

So did you like the movie?

Yeah, it was okay.

Frankenstein didn't seem quite right to me.

I missed the sport jacket.

Not that it was that nice of a jacket.

I mean, it didn't fit him that well,

but to me there's just something about

a monster in a blazer.

I mean, shows at least he's making an effort.

That's funny.

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Mm.

Oh, I'm so full.

Yes. Full.

Love to be full. Love to just sit back,

loosen the old belt and digest away for hours.

Let those enzymes do their work.

Will you excuse me?

Where you goin'?

I just need to freshen up.

Uh, you're fresh.

You're very fresh.

You seem very fresh to me.

You're very vital.

I-I couldn't take you any fresher.

I-I couldn't take you any fresher.

George, I need to freshen.

George?

George! George!

JERRY: It was unbelievable.

You were right. The jokes kept

bouncing off her like Superman.

See, what did I tell you?

And even when she did like something,

she doesn't laugh. She says, "That's funny."

That's funny!

Oh, I gotta call that woman at Doubleday.

See when I can pick up Mr. Pitts's racket.

I mean, how can I be with someone that doesn't laugh?

It's like... Well, it's like something.

It's like... Well, it's like something.

Hello? Yeah, hi.

Uh, is Ms. Landis there, please?

What?

Oh, gosh.

Uh, okay.

She'll be in later?

Okay, thank you.

Ugh.

This guy said she hurt her arm playing tennis.

It's pretty bad.

Well, I heard a noise.

What noise?

What noise?

You know, uh, blah.

What blah?

From the bathroom.

Oh, you think she was, uh, refunding?

Every time we go out to eat, the minute we're done eating,

she's running for the bathroom.

So you're concerned?

Elaine, of course I'm concerned.

I'm paying for those meals.

It's like throwing money down the toilet.

In a manner of speaking.

In a manner of speaking.

Right.

I mean, digest it.

Let me get my money's worth.

What would be good is if there was someone else

in the bathroom that could tell me.

Hey, here's your scrubber back, pal.

Oh, thanks.

Hey, maybe I could, uh, bribe one of those women

that hand out the towels in the powder room.

A matron? Yeah.

Uh, well, I can't help you there.

What?

Nothing.

You know a matron?

Me? You.

No. Kramer.

What? Now, look. Just leave me alone.

What? Now, look. Just leave me alone.

Well, what is it? Tell me.

No, no. Don't make me.

What? No, I can't, all right?

I can't. Who?

My mother's a matron.

Babs?

Yeah. There, all right?

I said it. You satisfied?

Anything else you wanna know?

Kramer, Kramer!

I need to know if Nina is refunding.

Look, George, I can't help you, all right?

Well, why not? Why not?

Let go!

Because I haven't talked to my mother in five years.

We just don't see eye to eye.

I don't even wanna get into my childhood.

I'm still carrying a lot of pain.

I'm still carrying a lot of pain.

A lot of pain.

Come on, you could really help me.

I can't, I can't.

Kramer, you're gonna have to face her sometime.

[MUTTERS]

Hello?

Oh.

Oh, my goodness.

What-- What happened?

I tore my humeral epicondylitis.

Oh.

The doctor said it may never fully heal.

I may never play again.

Oh, you'll be playing before--

Oh, you'll be playing before--

If I can't play tennis, I don't know what I'll do.

There are plenty of things you can do.

There's, uh-- There's chess,

and, um, uh...mahjong.

You don't know how lucky you are to be healthy.

And biking and hiking...

What am I going to do?

[SOBS]

Could I--

If I can't play tennis, I have no reason to live.

If I can't play tennis, I have no reason to live.

You know, it's-- It's not important.

I'm, uh, gonna--

Okay, well, you know, take care of that condylitis.

Ma?

Cosmo!

Cosmo!

Cosmo?

JERRY: Why didn't you just ask her for it?

I told you, I couldn't.

The woman was crying

about how she might never play tennis again.

[DOORBELL BUZZES]

Yeah.

GEORGE: Hidee-ho.

Come on up.

Well, when do you have to get the racket back to Mr. Pitt?

Oh, he's got a big match tomorrow

with Ethel Kennedy.

He needs a $300 Bruline to beat Ethel Kennedy?

He'll only play with his racket.

Well, why don't you wait till she's not there

on her lunch hour and just take it.

That's stealing.

Stealing? You loaned her the racket.

I know.

Hey-oh.

Hey. Hey.

So, what happened with Kramer's mother?

Oh, it's all worked out.

Nina and I are gonna have dinner Thursday

at the restaurant where Babs works.

What's she like?

Oh, she's a Kramer.

Oh, she's a Kramer.

And, uh, while I was there,

I, uh, happened to pick up

another juicy little nugget about our friend.

Oh, I'm ready. What?

Yeah, come on. What is it?

I, uh... got the first name.

What?

You found out Kramer's first name?

That's right. You ready?

Yes, I'm ready.

I been trying to get it out of him for ten years.

What is it? What?

Cosmo.

Cosmo? Cosmo?

Cosmo.

Cosmo. Cosmo.

[LAUGHING]

Cosmo! Cosmo!

Well, what's so funny?

What?

Cosmo!

[LAUGHING]

[LAUGHING]

All right, all right, okay.

So you know the name now, huh?

The cat--Meow!--is out of the bag.

Well, I gotta hand it to you.

You did a hell of a job

keeping it a secret all these years.

It's not such a bad name.

Well, you know,

all my life I've been running away from that name?

That's why I wouldn't tell anybody.

But I've been thinking about it.

All this time I'm trying not to be me.

I'm afraid to face who I was.

But I'm Cosmo, Jerry.

I'm Cosmo Kramer,

and that's who I'm gonna be.

and that's who I'm gonna be.

From now on, I'm Cosmo.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Yes?

Hi, is Sandi here?

Oh, hi. You must be Jerry.

Sandi's in the shower. You wanna come in?

Well, I would, except I forgot to bring a towel.

[LAUGHS]

[LAUGHING]

So the roommate laughed at everything I said.

Wow.

It was a great sounding laugh too.

Kind of lilting and feminine.

None of those big, coarse "ha's."

You know those? Oh, yeah.

"Ha! Ha!" Yeah.

Hate the big, coarse "ha." Hate those.

And the worst part, of course,

is that she also possessed many of the other qualities

prized by the superficial man.

I see.

So as you can see,

I've got a bit of a problem here.

I've got a bit of a problem here.

Well, if I hear you correctly,

and I think that I do...

my advice to you is to finish your meal,

pay your check, leave here

and never mention this to anyone again.

Can't be done, huh?

The switch?

The switch.

Can't be done.

I wonder...

Do you realize in the entire history

of Western civilization

no one has successfully

no one has successfully

accomplished the roommate switch.

In the Middle Ages you could get locked up

for even suggesting it.

They didn't have roommates in the Middle Ages.

How do you know?

Well, for one thing, they didn't have apartments.

Well, I'm sure at some point between the years 800 and 1200,

somewhere there were two women living together.

The point is, I intend to undertake this.

And I'll do it with or without you.

So if you're scared,

if you haven't got the stomach for this,

let's get it out right now, and I'll go on my own.

let's get it out right now, and I'll go on my own.

If not, you can get on board, and we can get to work.

Now, what's it gonna be?

All right, damn it, I'm in.

I couldn't do it without you.

All right.

Let's get to work.

[♪]

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

All right.

That's enough for today.

You're tired. Get some sleep.

I'll see you first thing in the morning.

Oh, we can't do it. Who are we kidding?

It's impossible. It's true.

You can't do the switch. Nobody can do the switch.

You can't do the switch. Nobody can do the switch.

It was a stupid idea to begin with.

Let's face it.

I'm stuck with the non-laugher, and that's that.

We'll come up with something.

Yeah, sure we will.

All right.

See you tomorrow.

I got it!

All right.

Let's go over it again.

One more time.

All right.

So I tell Sandi that I wanna have

a ménage à trois with her and her roommate.

That's right.

And you believe this course of action

will have a two-pronged effect.

Firstly,

the very mention of the idea

will cause Sandi to recoil in disgust.

Whereupon, she will insist

that I remove myself from the premises.

that I remove myself from the premises.

Keep going.

At this point, it is inevitable

that she will seek out the roommate.

To apprise her of this abhorrent turn of events.

Continue.

The roommate will then offer her friend

the requisite sympathy...

Even as part of her cannot help but feel somewhat flattered

by her inclusion

in the unusual request.

A few days go by,

and a call is placed at a time when Sandi

is known to be busy at work.

is known to be busy at work.

Once the initial awkwardness is relieved

with a little playful humor,

which she, of course cannot resist,

an invitation

to a friendly dinner is proffered.

Well, it all sounds pretty good.

There's only one flaw in it.

They're roommates.

She'd have to go out with me behind Sandi's back.

She's not gonna do that.

You disappoint me, my friend.

Sandi wants nothing to do with you.

She tells Laura,

"If you wanna waste your time with that pervert,

that's your problem."

It's a perfect plan.

So inspired, so devious, yet so simple.

This is what I do.

Can I help you?

Uh, no. I'm okay.

Well, then what are you doing with that racket?

Um, it's mine.

Ms. Landis borrowed it.

Well, I'm sorry. You can't take that.

No, no, no.

No, no, no. I can, I can.

It's mine. It's my racket.

Look, sweetheart, I don't know who you are,

I don't know what you're doing here, but--

Okay, I'm going. I'm going.

Well, not with that racket.

Well, not with that racket.

Give that to me.

You give it! Give it to me.

All right, all right. Forget it.

But you don't have to mention any of this

to Ms. Landis, do you?

I don't have to, but I will.

[WHISTLING]

Hi, Cosmo. Hi, Mr. Clotworthy.

How are you today?

Ah, couldn't be better.

Hi, Lorraine. Hi, Cosmo.

My mom, Babs. Hi, Mrs. Kramer.

Lorraine.

Yes, it's a fine day.

MAN: What do you say, Cosmo?

MAN: What do you say, Cosmo?

Hey, everything, my man.

SANDI: What?

You know, I don't know the exact pronunciation,

but I believe it's...

"ménage à trois."

Ooh, that is a wild idea.

Huh?

KRAMER: You know, Ma, I've been thinkin'.

Hm?

I want you to quit that matron job.

Yes, well, isn't that just easy for you to say.

What the hell you think I'm gonna do with myself?

What the hell you think I'm gonna do with myself?

Well, maybe we can go into business together.

If you're clean.

I been clean for two years.

Anyway, what would we do together?

Oh, I got plenty of ideas.

I always believed in you, Cosmo.

You know that.

So I want you to call that place today

and tell them that you're through.

Huh?

All right, I'll do it. Yeah.

Mm, mm.

So good.

So glad.

Will you excuse me? I've gotta freshen up.

Will you excuse me? I've gotta freshen up.

And why shouldn't you?

Be fresh. Stay fresh.

I'll be back.

I'm really not feeling very well.

Care to see our dessert menu?

Uh, yeah.

Uh, do you know Babs?

Oh, yeah.

I was sorry to hear she left.

Babs left?

Yeah.

She quit today.

[WOMAN RETCHING]

Aha!

What are you doing in here, George?

I was just wondering what it was you wanted for dessert.

How you feeling?

[♪]

Hi, Newman.

Hi, Babs.

What are you doin'?

Minding my own business.

You can't get into trouble that way.

What makes you think I'm looking for trouble?

From what I hear, you postmen

don't have to look too far.

[LAUGHS]

Well, you know, sometimes it just...

has a way of finding you.

has a way of finding you.

Cigarette?

Don't mind if I do.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

GEORGE: Kramer.

[KNOCKS]

GEORGE: Kramer!

Hey.

Oh, what happened to Babs?

She never showed up last night.

The whole thing blew up in my face.

Oh, that's a shame.

Hey, what happened with Sandi?

I forgot all about it.

Did you call her?

Yeah, I did.

Yeah, I did.

In fact, I went over there.

So, what happened?

Did she throw you out, huh?

No, actually, she took it pretty well.

So, what happened?

She's into it.

Into what?

The ménage.

And not only that, she just called me.

She told me she spoke with the roommate,

and the roommate's into the ménage too.

That's unbelievable!

Oh, it's a scene, man.

Do you ever just get down on your knees

and thank God that you know me and have access to my dementia?

What are you talking about? I'm not gonna do it.

You're not gonna do it?

What do you mean, you're not gonna do it?

I can't. I'm not an orgy guy.

Are you crazy?!

This is like discovering plutonium by accident!

Don't you know what it means

to become an orgy guy?

to become an orgy guy?

It changes everything.

I'd have to dress different.

I'd have to act different.

I'd have to grow a mustache

and get all kinds of robes and lotions and...

I'd-- I'd need a new bedspread, new curtains.

I'd have to get thick carpeting

and weirdo lighting.

Of course, I'd have to get new friends.

I'd have to get orgy friends.

No, I'm not ready for it.

If only something like that could happen to me.

Oh, shut up.

You couldn't do it either.

I know.

Hey, what happened? Did you get your racket?

No. I got caught.

What do you mean, you got caught?

Her assistant caught me.

And now I'm probably not gonna get a job.

He's gonna tell Landis that I was

sneaking around her office.

I still don't understand how you can get in trouble

for taking your own racket.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pitt's got this match

Meanwhile, Mr. Pitt's got this match

with Ethel Kennedy this afternoon.

Hey.

Hey, Cosmo. Hi, Cosmo.

Thanks, buddy.

Hey, doesn't Newman have a Bruline racket?

Uh, yeah, yeah.

But he's on vacation.

Went to Baltimore.

Hm, but you got the key to his place, right?

Yeah.

Elaine needs to borrow his racket, just for today.

All right, all right.

Come on. I'll take you over to Newman's.

Hey, Cosmo, what happened to your mother last night?

She hung me out to dry.

KRAMER: She quit.

Well, you know, it would have been nice

if somebody told me about it.

if somebody told me about it.

I just think she could have

said something, that's all.

Well, don't talk to me, George. Talk to her.

Well, where is she? I don't know.

[WOMAN MOANING]

Ma!

Cosmo!

We were-- We-- We--

Cosmo?