Original subtitles

ANNOUNCER: From Television City in Hollywood:

ANNOUNCER: From Television City in Hollywood:

* Good Times *

* Any time you meet A payment *

* Good Times *

* Any time You meet a friend *

* Good Times *

* Any time You're out from under *

* Not getting hassled Not getting hustled *

* Keeping your head Above water *

* Making a wave When you can *

* Temporary layoffs *

* Good Times *

* Easy credit rip-offs *

* Good Times *

* Scratching and surviving *

* Good Times *

* Hanging In a chow line *

* Good Times *

* Ain't we lucky We got 'em *

* Good Times *

* Yeah *

Where is that JJ?

My face cream is gone, and I know he took it.

When I see him, I'm going to knock him right upside his head!

Thelma, I took your face cream.

You, James?

Yeah, I had two pipes under the kitchen sink

to screw together, and I run out of plumber's grease.

Daddy!

Oh, don't worry, baby. First thing in the morning

I'll buy you a nice, big jar of plumber's grease.

James, you shouldn't tease her.

Mom, what Daddy's talking about?

Nothing. He heard that Flip Wilson

won't be back next year, so he's bucking for the job.

Hi, gorgeous family.

Hello, pretty sister!

Hello, lovely Mama.

Hello, handsome Papa.

Get out your wallet, James.

That's a "Can I borrow $5?" greeting if I ever heard one.

You can forget that, Junior.

My wallet's so empty, make a mugger cry.

Oh, Mama, Daddy, I say these happy things

'cause I'm a happy person.

Today my joy is overflowing

like a garbage can in the ghetto.

JJ, what you so happy about?

Did they remove the "Condemned" sign from your great body?

Don't worry, Mama. I feel so good today

I won't even bother to tell her

that I hope her hot comb has a short-circuit.

Junior, what is happening?

You're happier than a rooster in a henhouse.

Family, are y'all ready for this?

Marcy Jones is crazy about me!

Well, that's nice, JJ.

But what are we supposed to do, fire a 21-gun salute?

Come on, JJ. Stop fooling yourself.

Marcy Jones is the most popular chick in school.

She won the class beauty contest this year.

Now how did a girl like that ever notice you?

Simple. When you're on top of the heap,

all you notice is top of the other heap.

And the minute our eyes heaped,

I knew she was Gladys Knight and I was the Pips.

Boy, Junior, you are something else with them chicks.

I tell you, I can't keep up with you without a scorecard.

You don't have to worry about that, Dad.

My motto used to be, "A chick a day keeps Dullsville away."

But ever since I met Marcy Jones,

it's "El Permanente."

I don't believe what I'm hearing.

Marcy Jones wouldn't give you the time of day.

Well, for you information, little sister,

she not only gave me the time of day,

she will be here in approximately 10 minutes.

What's she coming here for?

She heard about my ebony genius on canvas.

And she asked me to paint her portrait.

Oh, that's a nice idea. Yeah.

And you know how them models and artists work.

Paint 15 minutes, rest 15 minutes.

Paint 15 minutes, rest 15 minutes.

And you'd be surprised

how much I can squeeze in those rest stops.

Oh, Dad, could I borrow your aftershave lotion?

For what? This ain't your week to shave.

Well, when you're taking out a girl like Marcy,

you even shave on your off-weeks.

Well, take it easy on that stuff.

You got to give Marcy a fighting chance.

Thelma...

what is this Marcy like?

Beats me, Ma.

Every time she passes me in school, she never speaks.

All I know is that she can have her pick of any dude in school.

And she picked JJ? This I can't believe.

It don't surprise me none. Look who his daddy is.

Boy, Junior reminds me of myself when I was his age.

A kid back on that farm in Mississippi.

There wasn't one girl who didn't want to--

Didn't want to what,James?

Didn't...didn't like me.

Well, why not, baby? I was young and handsome and muscular.

And modest.

That too.

Oh, you know what I mean, baby.

Any kid his age has got to sow some wild oats.

From the way you talking, you sound like

you worked the whole farm by yourself.

Baby, that was a long time ago.

Once I met you, my whole life changed.

Threw away all of my farming tools.

You just made me change my mind.

About what?

About burning your dinner.

Hi!

Sorry, I didn't know the movie already started.

Willona, sometimes I think you wait outside that door

till it's the worst minute to come in here.

From what I just saw, it's one of the bettertimes.

Okay, Willona, what has the roving reporter

got to say today?

No news, just one question-- what is happening with JJ?

I passed him in the hallway a little while ago,

and I spoke, you know.

He just walked by singing.

* Let's get it on *

Girl, JJ has got himself another girl.

Well, she must have his nose wide open.

'Cause he was pushing the down button on the elevator,

and he was in the basement at the time.

Yeah, JJ says, "This is the biggie."

Oh! "El Permanente."

Whoo! 17, what a great age.

I'd give anything to be able to buy back

the last 10 years and be 17 again.

Well, I hope you got heavy cash, Willona,

'cause you got a whole lot of buying back to do.

That's cold.

And you supposed to be my best friend.

All right. Remember when we was 17 years old, Florida?

And we double-dated.

And there wasn't a dude who didn't--

Didn't what?

Uh...didn't want to date us.

I kind of played the field myself.

Florida was sweet on some dude. Willona.

What's his name? Fred Thompson.

Let's hear some more about this what's-his-name Fred Thompson.

Oh, I could tell you a whole lot about him and Florida.

Willona.

He was the finest, sharpest dude you ever laid your eyes on.

Florida just melted every time he walked into the room.

Hey, you just cool it on that stroll down memory lane.

Since I met you, honey, I never even gave

Fred Thompson a thought until she mentioned it just now.

Well, good enough.

That's why in the morning, I'm going right in there

and tear up that picture of him that's hidden in my drawer.

You can tear his picture up now!

Well, I'm going to, uh, leave this movie.

This is where I came in.

You two are the mushiest, kissing old folks

I ever seen in my life.

Kissing, kissing, kissing, kissing.

[DOOR CLOSES]

You know, this here is crazy.

Junior's the one that's supposed to be in love.

We doing all the kissing.

"Thanks! I needed that."

Hey, Junior, you all finished shaving and lotioning?

Also under-armed.

That green deodorant of yours is right on, Daddy.

Green deodorant? That was my mouthwash, fool!

Well, I guess I'll just put my arms

around her a lot, and postpone the kissing.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

That's her. Now take it easy.

When a fox like that is calling, she deserves the honor

of having her own very special, private wolf answer the door.

Hi, JJ!

Hi. JJ?

[DAZED VOICE] Hi, Marcy. Come in.

I'm right on time.

I mean, you're right on time.

Oh, I can't wait to get started, JJ.

Brought my baddest dress to pose in.

Hope it's all right with you, JJ.

Anything you wear is all right with me.

Even if you didn't wear anything,

it would be all right with me.

I mean-- Uh, uh, uh...

I want you to meet my mother and my father.

Okay.

Uh, this one's my mother.

Hi, Marcy. Hello, Mrs. Evans.

And this one's my father.

Oh, hi, Marcy.

How do you do, Mr. Evans?

Oh, now I can see where JJ gets all his charm.

Well, thanks.

I must say, it's hard to believe you're JJ's father.

You look so young.

Marcy, I'm going to make you immortal on canvas.

When I get through with that painting,

you going to make the Mona Lisa

look like Moms Mabley without her teeth in.

Aw, JJ, you too much.

I know!

Oh, uh, Marcy, I want you to meet my kid sister, Thelma.

You don't have to introduce me to Thelma.

We talk in school all the time. Hey, girl, how you doing?

Oh, fine, Marcy.

Um...JJ, where can I change?

Right in Thelma's room, baby. Right through there.

Oh, thank you, Mr. Evans.

If you need anything else, just holler, hear?

Oh, I sure will. [JAMES CHUCKLES]

Oh, JJ, I'm going to change my clothes.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I thought you said she hardly speaks to you in school.

She doesn't, Ma. I don't get her.

Well, wasn't she everything I told you she was?

She seemed like a real nice girl.

Real sweet, well-behaved and respectful to her elders.

Especially the male elder,

who looks too young to have a son.

She is pure dy-no-mite!

That's how come I made up my mind.

About what?

When I finish that painting, I'm going to pop the question.

What?!

I'm going to ask her to go steady.

Changing her clothes in that room right now

could be the future Mrs. James Evans Jr.

And standing right here, having a fit,

is the present Mrs. James Evans Sr.

Baby, Junior must be in love.

This is the first girl he ever painted

that wasn't 8-feet tall and shooting a basketball.

Well, James, I don't like it. I been watching this Marcy.

I been watching her too.

Aw, no, no. I mean,

I been watching how nice a girl she is, baby.

I don't understand why you keep putting her down.

Well, there's just something wrong

with the two of them going together.

But why? They're both the same age. They're 17.

Yeah. Marcy is 17 going on 30.

JJ is 17, looks 15 and acts 12.

Baby, they're just two kids that dig each other.

Ain't nothing wrong with that.

I think you're getting upset about nothing.

Why don't you just flap your wings

over to the refrigerator and get me a beer, hear?

Careful, James. Them ain't my wings.

I know!

Come on, JJ, you been in there a half-hour now.

What you doing?

I'm taking a bubble bath!

Stop yelling! You just busted one of my bubbles!

Ma, tell him to get out of there.

Now, honey, you can't complain,

all the time you spend in the bathroom.

That's right, Thelma.

This is a big moment in your brother's life.

He's in love. He should look good.

Ma, this whole thing with him and Marcy is getting ridiculous.

I don't know what she wants with him, anyway.

Now wait a minute, Thelma.

Don't go putting your brother down now.

Junior's got a lot on the ball. Got a good sense of humor,

he's bright, he can be charming when he wants to be.

Of course, he's got that gift with the girls

that he inherited from his old man.

I think you're working the farm again.

Hi, everybody. Where's Romeo the Casanova?

He's in there gussying up for Marcy.

You know, this girl just might be Miss El Permanente,

'cause JJ came to my boutique last night,

and he bought this slave key for Marcy.

He did? Mm-hm.

And I had it engraved just like he wanted, see?

"To M. with eternal love, JJ."

James, this is getting out of hand.

Aw, now, baby, calm down.

You know, the thing I can't figure out, though,

is how could he afford this?

This thing looks expensive.

Well, we sell 'em for $10.

But I gave it to him at the wholesale price.

Eighty-three cents.

Eighty-three cents?

Yeah, and with the 50 cents I loaned him, he just made it.

Whoo! Florida,

the way kids move these days,

it won't be long before you'll be a grandmother.

And I just had a horrible thought.

What?

A girl my age is much too young

to be the best friend of a grandmother.

Oh, you!

Well, I got to go, but I'll be back later

to see if Romeo made it up to Juliet's balcony, dig?

James, this ain't funny. Now it's a slave key.

Baby, kids always giving them things to each other.

That don't mean they tied together.

Ma, JJ must be crazy, thinking about getting serious.

I don't intend to get serious for at least another six months.

Junior, you are clean to the bone!

Don't I know it!

Well, we got more than 200 days to Christmas,

but already we got ourselves a decorated tree.

JJ, where'd you get the threads?

Don't touch. Just look. Touching is reserved for Marcy.

Here is your slave key. Willona brought it over.

Hey, thanks, Mama. Now that's class.

Mmm.

Now when I hang this gold chain around Marcy's neck,

she got to say yeah.

You better hurry,

or else that fake gold is going to turn her neck green.

Oh, Ma.

[SNIFFS] Hey, JJ, you got on my perfume!

Yeah. It didn't say how many drops to use,

so I just emptied the bottle.

Emptied the bottle? It cost $2.95 for six ounces!

When you're in love, money doesn't matter.

Yeah, but it's my money!

That's why it doesn't matter.

JJ, I want to talk to you serious for a minute.

Don't you think you're rushing things?

Mama, I'm 17. She's 17. Together that makes us 34.

We're way over the legal age limit.

We may even get married.

Married? Oh, JJ, don't talk crazy.

Where would the two of you live?

Easy, Mama. We'll figure someplace close to home,

like Thelma's room.

Myroom?

And where am I supposed to sleep?

In the bathroom.

You live in there.

You might as well sleep in there.

Now, Mama, Marcy's going to be here in a few minutes,

and we'd like to be alone.

Now, JJ-- Now thanks, Mama!

Y'all excuse me. I got to go chill the Kool-Aid.

James, I ain't leaving this house.

Me neither!

Baby, we can't blame the boy for wanting to be alone.

Maybe he's entitled to some privacy.

You know how it was when we was going together.

We was doing all that heavy courting.

That night I talked your mother and father

into leaving the house so we could be alone and we--

Hell, no. We ain't going nowhere.

Y'all ain't gone yet?

We ain't going, JJ.

But, Mama-- [KNOCK ON DOOR]

Now that's her now. This is a big occasion in my life,

and we'd like a little privacy.

We going to give you all the privacy you need.

Thanks, Ma!

Come on, Thelma, y'all, let's go in the kitchen.

Some privacy.

I might as well pop the question at Wrigley Field.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

Hey, JJ! Hey, Marcy.

Oo-ee! You mighty sharp.

Heh-heh. Just a little something I...

threw on.

Why don't you come and sit down, my dear?

Okay.

Hi, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans, Thelma.

Marcy.

To put us in the mood for what I'm about to say...

Ahem.

I wrote this little poem especially for you.

Y'all folks can't hear me, can you?

Mnh-mnh. Uh-uh.

Good.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

I love you For your skin's pure sheen,

For your two sweet lips With teeth in between

I love you For your gorgeous bod

And for your hair That is strictly mod

I love you In all kinds of weather

'Cause, baby, You is all together.

Aw, JJ, that's... that's pretty.

Just a little something I wrote while I was bubble-bathing.

Oh, JJ, I just love sitting here talking,

but don't you think we should work on the painting?

Ooh, I can't wait to get it finished.

Marcy, baby, it isfinished.

It is? It is.

I put the finishing touches on it yesterday after you left.

Oh, JJ, it's out of sight!

I'm glad you like it, Marcy. It's yours.

Oh, I love it!

Ooh, and George is going to really love it.

George?

Yes. He my boyfriend. My main man.

And he's graduating high school.

I'm giving him this painting for his graduation present.

But, Marcy, I thought me and you were, uh...

Oh, JJ, you are a great artist. Ohh!

I don't know how to thank you.

Wait till George sees this painting.

Oh, bye, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans.

Be talking to you in school, Thelma.

[DOOR SHUTS]

Oh, JJ, baby. I am so sorry.

And I was going to give her this.

Oh, Junior, don't let it get you down, son.

Someday you'll meet a girl like your mother,

and you'll be just fine.

JJ, it's not the end of the world.

It is. I'm just going to sit here

and drink myself into a Kool-Aid coma.

Now, JJ...

she's just one girl.

There'll be a lot of other girls before you're through.

No, Mama. I'm finished with women.

Oh, now come on, Junior.

There's more than one fish in the sea, man.

No, I mean it. That's it.

Finito.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

JJ the Hermit speaking.

Oh, hi, Charlotte!

How you doing, baby?

Oh, yeah, well, I'm usually busy

around this time of the day, but if you got an extra ticket,

I'll be happy to go along with you.

Uh, can I have a little privacy, please?

Uh, Charlotte,

I wrote this little poem especially for you.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

I love you For your skin's pure sheen

[SOUND DROPS OUT]

Hi, Ma. Hi, Dad.

Hey, Junior. How'd your date go?

Hi, son. Did you have a nice time?

Sure did. The concert was groovy,

and I gave Charlotte my slave key.

She liked it so much,

she spent a half-hour kissing me a thank-you note.

You know, Florida, that's some boy you brought into this world.

I know!

* Mmmm *

* Just looking out Of the window *

* Watching the asphalt grow *

* Thinking how it all looks Hand-me-down *

* Good Times Good Times *

* Keeping your head Above water *

* Making a wave When you can *

* Temporary layoffs *

* Good Times *

NARRATOR: Good Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

* Ain't we lucky We got 'em *

* Good Times *