Original subtitles

* Good times Any time you meet a payment *

* Good times Any time you need a friend *

* Good times *

* Any time you're Out from under *

* Not gettin' hassled Not gettin' hustled *

* Keepin' your head Above water *

* Makin' a wave when you can *

* Temporary layoffs Good times *

* Easy credit rip-offs Good times *

* Scratchin' and survivin' Good times *

* Hangin' in a chow line Good times *

* Ain't we lucky we got 'em? *

* Good times **

Hey, Ma,

how do you like Dad's birthday sign?

Not so loud, J.J.!

I don't want your daddy to hear it...

and put away the birthday sign!

This is supposed to be a surprise party tonight.

I don't know, Ma.

These surprise parties can be dangerous.

What do you mean by that?

Well, I know this one lady gave a surprise birthday

for her husband.

All the guests were there, and they heard footsteps,

so they turned out the lights.

The door opens and everybody yells, "Surprise,"

and boy, it was a surprise.

It was some other dude she been going out with.

And he was surprised a minute later

when her husband walked in.

Well, that's one thing your daddy and me

don't have to worry about.

J.J., now, I want you to go over there

and sweep the floor. Aw, Ma,

but sweeping the floor is bad for my image!

It's perfect for your image

when you're built like a broomstick.

Now, get going.

Michael, you go dust the furniture.

Oh, okay, Ma.

Ma, I'll do this housework, but I'm doing it under protest.

I mean, these are the delicate hands

of an artiste.

And these are the delicate hands

that can still blister your behind.

Okay, Ma. Sweeping the floor.

But I mean, what would happen

if one of my chicks came over here and saw me,

the "Maharajah of Love,"

sweeping the floor?

Well, if her eyesight is good, she'd say,

"You missed that spot right there."

If her eyesight's real good,

she wouldn't be one of J.J.'s chicks.

That's all I need now, getting shelled by a peanut.

Now, get on with the cleaning!

This is the first surprise party your daddy ever had.

I want everything to be just perfect.

Well, how come Thelma ain't here helping us clean?

Well, she's still working on some research

for that paper she's writing at school.

You mean, she's still working on that jive project

about our family tree?

That's not jive, J.J.

Tracing your family tree is very important.

Now, you know, there is a black writer

named Alex Haley who traced his ancestors

all the way back to the tribe he came from in Africa.

Then he wrote a book about it and called it Roots.

Hey, it's very important for black people to know

where they come from too.

You know, Michael,

it's more important to know where they going.

J.J., how do you know where you going, man,

when you don't know where you at?

What are you talking about?

I know exactly-- * Happy birthday to me *

* Happy birthday to me *

* Happy birthday * * Happy birthday *

* James Evans * * Dear Daddy *

* Happy birthday *

* To you * * To me *

Yeah!

Happy birthday, James.

Well, thank you, baby.

Let me get you some coffee.

I ain't got time, but I'll take the sugar.

Mm.

Well, you will be back tonight.

Have mercy.

[LAUGHS]

J.J.: Hey, uh, Dad. Huh?

How does it feel to be a year older,

a year closer to social security

and denture stains.

James...

you're still as handsome as the day I married you.

Well, Florida, in view of the fact

that this is my birthday, I ain't gonna lie.

I agree. Oh!

I'll see you all later, hear?

Have a nice day, honey.

All right.

Oh, by the way, uh,

what time is my surprise birthday party tonight?

[GROANING]

I'll see you all later.

FLORIDA: Okay. See you later.

I'm going to the store and get the ice cream.

Mama, I don't care what kind of ice cream you get,

as long as you get chocolate.

Michael... we always have chocolate.

I'm going to get vanilla this time.

Mama, I cannot get down if my ice cream ain't brown!

All right, young man,

then I will take your portion and barbecue it.

Ma, Ma! Guess what. What is it?

Oh, Mama! Thelma, what's up?

You'll never believe this!

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Settle down!

Your mouth is going a mile a minute.

Yeah, put your lips into park.

What happened?

Ma, listen.

While I was tracing our family tree,

I discovered something so fantastic,

I can hardly believe it myself! Hey, we got a grandfather!

I found Daddy's father!

We got a grandfather?

Thelma, what are you talking about?

Your grandfather died a long time ago.

But it's not true. I just left Daddy's father!

Now, let me tell you what happened!

Yeah, we know what happened.

Your head ain't wrapped too tight.

Tell me your story.

Well, Ma, three weeks ago,

I wrote Daddy's cousins down South

to get some information on our family.

They wrote me back, and they said

that Daddy's father, named Henry,

is a cook on a ship called the Meridian.

But Thelma, how can that be?

Why would your Daddy say his father is dead

if he's alive?

Oh, Ma, let me finish, and then I'll tell you.

I read that the Meridian was scheduled

to pull into Chicago today,

and then I got down to the pier as soon as I could.

They let you on the pier,

the girl with the face that sank a thousand ships?

J.J., will you be quiet, please.

What happened next, honey?

Well, next, I asked if Henry Evans was aboard.

They said he was, and I found him!

Thelma, he may have been Henry Evans,

but how do you know he was Daddy's father?

Well, from all the things

he told me about the family and everything.

And Ma, he even had a picture of Daddy

when he was a little boy.

Oh, he's Daddy's father, all right!

Why would your father say his daddy is dead

when he is alive?

Ma, he explained that.

He said he hadn't been in touch with Daddy in so long,

anybody would think he was dead.

You mean, after all these years, I got myself a grandfather.

He owes me 19 years' worth of birthday presents.

Thelma, how come you didn't bring him home with you?

Doesn't he want to meet us too?

Oh, yeah, he wants to meet everybody,

so I invited him

to Daddy's birthday party tonight.

Hey, that's great! All right.

J.J.: Hey, that's too much.

I figured his being here would be the greatest present

Daddy could ever have from all of us.

Thelma, that is beautiful.

Now we got the surprise back in the surprise party.

Right!

And this is even a greater surprise

than I could've hoped for.

Oh, Ma, isn't it wonderful?

Oh, sweetheart. This is terrific!

It's just great! Hey!

And just think how excited Daddy's gonna be

when he sees he has a father.

MICHAEL: Right on! Hey, hey, hey.

Wait a minute. I just thought of something.

We gonna need a place to hide him.

Yeah, where can we keep it a secret?

Hi, y'all.

I think we just found ourselves

a safe deposit box.

Girl, what you talking about? What's going on?

Willona... Huh?

Can you keep a secret?

Flo, I'm surprised at you. Can I keep a secret?

[SCOFFS]

I love keeping secrets.

Ain't but one thing I like better than keeping a secret.

What's that?

Blabbing it out. Oh, come on.

Come on. Okay, okay.

What is the big news?

[SIGHS]

Are you ready for this? Mm-hmm.

Thelma found out...

that James's father is alive.

Oh, you jiving.

No, I'm not.

Ooh, this is too hot to sit on.

How do I--

How do I contact Walter Cronkite?

Oh, now, don't--

Okay, okay.

Now, look, this is where you come in.

We would like to hide James' father in your apartment

until the big moment.

Oh, that's cool with me.

Good.

Ooh, child!

This is gonna be a night to remember!

[CHUCKLES]

Well, I want to thank y'all

for the presents.

I got the greatest family in the whole world.

Well, you know how-- [LAUGHS]

Hey, speaking of family,

James, we got a surprise for you.

Yeah, what now?

There's going to be an addition.

Oh, James!

[LAUGHS]

Willona.

Oh, Willona Woods carrying out the orders.

Where's Willona going?

MICHAEL: Don't worry, Daddy, you'll see.

James, all the presents you got before

ain't nothing to the one you fixing to get now.

I got it.

Junior's gonna take a vow of silence.

Oh!

No? No, Dad.

It's an even better present than that!

Yeah, Dad, now the Waltons ain't gonna be

the only poor family with a grandfather.

J.J.! J.J.!

[MUTTERS INDISTINCTLY]

What did you say, Junior?

Uh, nothing, Dad.

No, you said, "grandfather."

No, Dad. Heh-heh-heh.

Yes, Junior. Heh-heh-heh.

Now, you said, "father."

By any chance, were you talking about my father?

Well, now that the cat is out of the bag,

I might as well tell you. James...

Thelma found out that your daddy is alive!

Yeah, Dad, he's at Willona's,

and he'll be here in a minute.

Oh, Daddy isn't that exciting?

Yeah, ain't that great? Honey, even--

Even though that J. J. blew it,

it still got to be the biggest surprise

in your life, right?

Isn't that, Daddy? Isn't that great?

Well, I got a big surprise for all of you.

I don't wanna see the man. I don't ever wanna see him.

[DOOR SLAMS]

[SIGHS]

Why you staring at me?

I'm not staring at you. I'm thinking.

Why you thinking at me?

James, I'm not thinking at you.

I'm thinking about you.

Oh, James.

Honey, we all thought you were gonna be so happy

to find out your daddy is alive.

Florida, I've always known he was alive.

What?

And you didn't tell me?

James, we're husband and wife.

We never kept anything from each other.

Florida, this happened before we got married.

It ain't in your jurisdiction.

Well, sometimes it's good

to talk about these things.

Uh-uh. Not this, Florida.

I been keeping it up inside me

because it just hurt too much to tell anybody about it,

even you!

Honey... what could he have done

that's hurting you so all these years?

Well, Florida, over 35 years ago,

we had a whole family just like you and me got

right now.

Then this man, my beloved father,

walked out on us.

You mean, he just up and left,

just like that?

No, one day he said he was going out to the store

for a loaf of bread, and he never come back.

I guess after everybody else had give up on him...

I couldn't. I mean, I just kept sitting there

waiting... hoping he'd come back.

I must have loved him more than all the rest of them,

because I never stopped waiting for him.

You don't have to wait for him anymore, James.

He's here now.

You can see him.

I don't wanna see him, Florida.

I mean, I love him, but I hate him for what he did.

I might-- I don't know how I'd act.

I might break down crying.

I might throw him out on his butt.

One way or the other, it's better that he leave.

He won't mind. He's done it before.

Oh, now, come on, y'all! Get off my back!

It just kind of slipped out.

The size of your mouth,

your whole body could just slip out.

I know your brains left ages ago.

Yeah, that's right... but I still don't understand

why Daddy doesn't wanna see his own father.

Ready with the surprise of the century?

Introducing Henry Evans! Ta-dah!

[THELMA LAUGHS]

Hi, Grandpa!

Hi. Hi.

Hello, children. How are you?

Fine! Fine, sir, thanks.

Uh, well, I brought in the surprise.

Where is the surprisee? THELMA: Uh...

Uh, J.J. gave it away,

and Daddy was so overwhelmed, he went into his room,

and he's probably crying for joy.

Uh, where is your mother?

Uh, she's supplying the Kleenex.

Kleenex?

Uh, Grandpa,

this is your youngest grandson, Michael.

Hi, Grandpa. Michael.

[CHUCKLES]

Uh, saying "Grandpa" sounds kind of strange.

I'm not used to it yet.

Well, Michael, saying "grandson"

is something I always wanted to do.

[THELMA LAUGHS]

And this is J.J.

I'm afraid he's your grandson too.

Well, that suits me just fine.

Grandpa Henry, you look just like

I thought you was gonna look:

Big, with muscles.

Must run in the Evans family.

You started off with the big muscles,

then Dad came along with the big muscles,

then--

Came bones!

Thelma, how long are they gonna be in there?

Uh, oh, Daddy's so happy, he's probably trying

to get himself together.

Yeah, but I want to-- Uh!

Grandpa, uh, how long were you a cook on the ship?

Thelma, there is some dudes would swear

that I made meals for John Paul Jones.

WILLONA: Oh!

[CHUCKLES]

Well, then maybe you can give Thelma some advice.

Around here we call her "Old Salt."

Everything she cooks tastes old and salty.

Now, J.J., I can't believe

that Thelma's a bad cook.

J.J.: Wanna bet? I'm not. I'm not.

They're always teasing each other.

I wish they would come out. Henry is dying to see his son.

Michael-- Um, Grandpa, um, um...

Why don't you tell us some of the places you've been.

Oh, Michael, I've been to a lot of different places:

Africa, Europe, Asia, South America--

I bet with all the sights you've seen,

you've never seen a sight like J.J.

You got some nerve talking about sights.

If the Leaning Tower of Pisa seen you,

it would've...straightened up.

Oh, come on. Don't get carried away now.

Kids, kids, come on.

Don't argue in front of your grandfather.

Oh, no, no, let them alone. I'm enjoying it.

I finally got a chance to meet my grandchildren,

and that means a lot to someone when they reach my age.

WILLONA: I can understand that.

I think I'm gonna go in there

and get them out.

Oh, wait, don't do that, Willona.

Uh, they'll be out in a minute, Willona.

Yeah, I don't think Dad's got to the bottom

of the Kleenex yet.

Don't your father want to see me?

[LAUGHS]

Uh, what would make you ask a question like that?

Flo.

[SIGHS]

Florida?

Hello, Henry.

Well...

Oh!

[CHUCKLES] [CRIES]

James picked him one fine wife, I can tell you that.

Thank you.

Flo, where is James. Is anything wrong?

Oh, no, no, no, no.

He was just thinking,

and he said he wanted to look right

for the occasion,

so he's changing into his other suit.

But Dad's only got one suit.

J.J.!

Well, look, Florida,

you don't have to put me on.

I know what you're doing,

and I know what the kids are doing.

Well, I don't know what they're doing!

Florida.

James don't want to see me, right?

I'm sorry, Henry...

but give him a little time.

Maybe he'll change his mind.

Yeah, well, I was hoping after all these years

the hurt would disappear.

I...guess it's too deep.

And anyway, it don't make sense after all this time,

I come barging into your lives.

So I'll just... I'll just say goodbye.

Henry?

Yeah?

He's right in there.

Maybe he's really waiting to see you.

There may never be another chance.

Well, I've come this far.

Wish me luck...daughter.

Oh...I do. I do.

Jimmy?

Jimmy?

Um...hi.

You've really grown.

Grown. Well, what you expect, man?

It's been over 35 years.

No, no... No, I mean, you're a big man.

I've had to be a big man

ever since the big man in our house walked out.

Well, I guess you... haven't recognized

that I've changed a little.

I mean, quite a bit... I put on a little weight.

I guess when you only got one mouth to feed,

it's easy to eat good, ain't it?

May I sit down?

Yeah, you can sit down if you can find a chair.

'Course, that might not be too easy for you.

Seems to me you once misplaced a house and a whole family.

Son, I know how you feel,

but don't you want to hear my side of the story?

Oh, man.

Jimmy, my walking out on your mother

and my little children was the hardest thing I ever did.

Hard? All you had to do

was put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.

That's real hard, ain't it?

Jimmy, it couldn't be helped.

I wasn't making enough money sharecropping to feed a tick.

There was no jobs anywhere.

So...my leaving only meant one less mouth to feed.

And you think that was a good enough reason

to split?

Huh?

I thought so at the time.

Well, I got you to thank for one thing.

I tell you, there's a lot of days around here

we don't know whether we's gonna make it or not.

I must've inherited your stubbornness,

because there's one thought that never crossed my mind,

and that was walking out.

See, because I knew how my family was gonna feel.

So I stayed, man. I stayed!

I-- I guess you're right.

Maybe I should have stuck it out...

but that's been over 35 years.

I'm a different man now.

When I left Mississippi,

I bummed around for a long time looking for work.

A long time... A long time before I went to sea.

And when I was able to send some money home,

you all had gone.

[CRYING] Yeah?

Man, how come you never tried to find me?

I ain't never got a postcard, a phone call, nothing.

Where you been, man?

I tried to find you at first...

but then, nobody knew where you went.

If it wasn't for Thelma,

I still wouldn't know where you were.

Yeah?

Well, that don't cut no ice with me.

I really used to look up to you.

I swore the sun rose and set on you.

We sure missed out on a lot of fun together.

Jimmy, I missed over 35 years without a son.

Yeah, and me without a father.

Well, it's too late now.

Can't neither one of us ever get it back.

Yes, I know...

and this is a hell of a time

to admit a mistake.

Yes, I've been stubborn and full of foolish pride.

And after all this time,

I have some gall coming in here and calling you "son."

So I--

Maybe I gave up that right a long, long time ago.

So I guess...

I best be shoving off.

But, Jimmy, you've got to understand this.

My leaving wasn't because I didn't love you.

It was because I did.

Oh, man...

Bye, Jimmy.

Uh... Look here.

We got, um, some birthday cake and stuff,

and you here,

you might as well stay for the party.

You sure you want me to stay?

Well, you was always the one saying

don't never waste no food, wasn't you?

Yes. Yes I did.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Well, y'all can get on with your birthday business.

My, uh-- He, uh--

We got company.

Oh, James! THELMA: All right!

Oh, that's wonderful.

Hey, I knew everything would be all right

between the granddad and dad of Kid...Dy-no-mite!

Have mercy!

That's James' daddy, all right.

Well, Dad.

Let's see if you got enough air

in that old inner tube to blow out those candles.

Don't forget to make a wish.

[ALL CHEER]

All right, Daddy! All right!

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday, James.

Uh, thank you.

Honey, what'd you wish?

Well, I...

I guess I wished for another hundred years to...

make up for the ones that me and, uh... Pop lost.

[CRIES]

[***]

* Mm-mm-mm *

* Just lookin' Out of the window *

* Watching the asphalt grow *

* Thinkin' how It all looks hand-me-down *

* Good times Good times *

* Keepin' your head Above water *

* Makin' a wave When you can *

* Temporary layoffs Good times *

ANNOUNCER: Good Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

* Ain't we lucky we got 'em? *

* Good times *