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 *

Come on. Answer, answer.

There's still no answer at Carl's.

I'm gonna call the police.

Ma, don't call the police. No, don't call the police yet.

Give him a chance. Wait a while.

But J.J. stayed out all night.

Oh, Ma, at J.J.'s age, it's embarrassing

for his mother to be calling the police.

Now, look, now, we told you that he went out

looking for Carl, right? Yes, yes.

Now, they're probably together.

Oh, Flo, I've looked everywhere, honey.

No sign of him.

Are you sure you looked in the right places?

For J.J.? I'm sure.

I talked to Voluptuous Vanessa...

Sexy Samantha...

Passionate Priscilla, the Human Thrilla.

And it was all a big waste of time, huh, Willona?

Not exactly, honey.

I got him two dates and a weekend in Wisconsin.

Nobody saw him?

Just Ned the Wino.

What--?

That was three bottles ago.

Oh, that does it.

Ma, what are you going to do?

I'm going to call.

Operator...

give me the police.

Hello?

I want to report my son missing.

[TREMBLING] Yes, his name is James...

Ma. Ma, let me do it, okay?

Come on, you let her speak to them.

Hello?

Yes, his name is James Evans, Jr.

He's 6'2", 120 pounds...

No, he was not on the critical list.

What'd you say? "What was he wearing?"

Hold on. I know, Thelma.

Wait, wait.

Yes, officer?

Yeah, okay,

he was wearing a burgundy turtleneck sweater,

and he had tan pants on,

with a gray, red and, um, tan scarf around his neck,

with a plaid jacket.

Oh, yeah, and he has a denim cap on, probably.

What do you mean,

"Why do we want him back?"

Why do we want him back?

Give me that phone.

You just find him.

I'm at 721 North Gilbert.

Flo, take it easy.

He can take care of himself, honey.

Don't worry so much.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Oh, that's got to be J.J.!

Hi, there, folks.

You ready to have the place painted?

Today?

I told you about it last week.

Oh, any other day but today.

I've got enough bad news already.

J.J.'s missing.

Yeah? What's the bad news?

Bookman...J.J. is my son.

That's bad, but it ain't news.

Hey, Bookman,

I know you are the kind of dude

that likes a real funny joke, right?

That's me, Miss Woods.

Well, honey, I got one for you.

Come here. Let me show you.

First, you step outside, right?

Okay. Here's how we play it.

Knock, knock. Who's there?

Not you, Booga!

Congratulations, Willona.

You just stampeded your first buffalo.

In here, boys.

Here you go, lady. Make yourself useful.

Oh!

MICHAEL: Hey, watch out.

Bookman...

I told you, they're not painting this place today.

Hey, lady, you a member of the painter's union?

Certainly not.

Then keep your hands off the equipment.

Bookman, get these men out of here.

Mrs. Evans, either we paint the place today,

or you have to wait till next time.

That'll be two years from now.

I don't care. Hold it, now.

Let them paint. Took six months to get 'em here, remember?

Okay, okay, but stay out of my way.

Ah, don't you worry, Mrs. Evans.

We're professional painters.

You'll never even know that we're here.

All right.

Hey, Teddy, bring in the tarps!

[SHOUTS]

[BUCKET CLATTERS]

Okay.

Willona, about J.J...

When you were out looking for him--

Now, what color you want?

You got your choice of two.

You got your white and you got your off-white.

White and off-white. Uh...

How off is the off-white?

Green.

I'll take the white.

That's a good choice.

Now, you were saying about J.J.?

I was thinking--

Hey, uh, lady...

what room you want us to start in?

Personally, I prefer the living room.

The living room is fine.

I'd rather start in the bedroom, myself.

Well, then start in the bedroom.

Why do you like him better than me?

Right now, I don't like either one of you!

You hear that, Darryl?!

DARRYL: It's all right. It's all right.

Okay, let's go.

You got your color? Right.

You got your equipment? Right.

You got your room. Right.

Now, you know what to do next.

Right.

BOTH: Coffee break.

Oh, no, you won't!

You cats ain't hit a lick of work yet, man.

Come on, get off your rump. Move.

I want to see those brushes flying.

I want to see paint, paint, paint.

You know, he ain't been the same

since he saw Roots.

I know what you mean.

Hey, let's move it.

Let's move it, fellows. Move it. All right.

Okay, I got 'em started. I'll see you later.

Hey, wait a minute, Bookman.

Where you think you're going?

I got to make a phone call.

Besides, I can't stand the smell of paint.

Or the sight of work.

Oh, Willona...

I just know something awful has happened to J.J.

Flo, try to take it easy.

Drink your coffee and relax, okay? Relax.

* Well, now *

* First you stamp the tarp down Nice and tight *

* You stir it To the left *

* And you stir it To the right *

* You give the brush a shake You give the roller a jerk *

BOTH: * And that's what we call Starting to work *

Ahh!

You're lucky.

Your apartment's being painted

by two rejects from The Gong Show.

Oh, no, it isn't.

J.J.!

Hi, Ma.

Hi, Florida.

J.J., are you all right? You don't look so good.

Did something happen?

Please, Ma, could we hold it down?

My head.

He's fine, Florida.

He's just got a hangover, that's all.

A hangover?

Mr. Dixon, do you have a hangover?

Yep.

[SHOUTS] Good!

[GROANS]

Mr. Dixon, what have you done to J.J.?

Ma, don't yell at Carl.

If you're gonna yell at anybody, yell at me.

All right...

[SHOUTS] I will!

Florida, I take full responsibility.

Responsibility?

Now, that's a strange word coming from you.

Look, Florida, I wanna talk--

J.J., where were you all night?

Well, we started out

drinking at Howie's Bar and Grill.

And we were having a real good time

until J.J. smart-mouthed a truck driver.

Oh, no. Then what happened?

Nothing. We just picked J.J. up off the floor,

and everything calmed down.

J.J...now, you know better than to mess around

with a truck driver.

You're right, Michael,

but I thought I could handle this chick.

That still doesn't sound like it took all night.

It didn't.

We spent the rest of the night looking for Carl's car.

See, when I drove to the bar,

I parked in an underground garage.

And when we got out of the bar, somebody moved the garage.

Nobody can move

an underground garage, J.J.

I guess you're right, Thelma.

Hey, Carl, you think you parked in the sewer?

[LAUGHING]

It's nothing to laugh at!

Now, J.J., you know how worried I get.

The least you could've done

was call.

I did, Ma.

That phone did not ring here.

Well, I told somebody's mama I was gonna be out all night.

[BUCKET CLATTERS]

Oh, my rug!

Oh, don't worry, lady, that bucket was empty.

[BUCKET CLATTERS] THELMA: Oh, my--

But that one wasn't.

You are ruining my house!

Ma! You got anything for a hangover?

I got a headache in my teeth and an earache in my nose.

Aw, you poor baby. Your head hurts, huh?

[GRUNTS]

Well, I got a remedy for you.

A glass of tomato juice with a raw egg,

a teaspoon full of red pepper,

clove of garlic...

And that'll fix my headache?

No, honey, but when it hits your stomach,

you'll forget all about that pain in your head.

I'll help you, Willona.

J.J., maybe you need to eat something.

A hot cup of coffee should do him some good.

You heard the lady.

Coffee break.

Good thinking.

Ah.

Well, here's to Mr. Coffee.

Here's to Mrs. Olson.

BOTH: Who needs 'em?

Carl.

Ooh.

Don't worry, Carl.

I won't tell anybody about your war wound.

War wound?

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. War wound, right.

Uh, J.J., you be sure and keep it a secret.

Don't worry, Carl.

This is the kind of thing only us men can understand.

[CHUCKLES]

MICHAEL: Hey, J.J.,

come here, come here, come here.

Man, you spent all last night with Carl.

Did you find out why he was leaving Mama?

Yeah, I found out.

You did?

Now, tell us. Come on.

This is not the kind of thing a man tells to his sister.

All right. I'm your brother. Tell me.

All right, Michael, here it is.

You see, what happened was--

[CLEARS THROAT]

When J.J. talks, everybody listens.

I know.

Look here, Michael.

You know, when a man goes into the Army,

he has to give up certain things.

Right.

Well, let's just say that Carl's an overachiever.

Sugar. Sugar.

Cream.

Cream.

Rat poison.

Rat poison?

Mm-hmm.

If you're gonna serve coffee

to a dude that's just jilted you,

at least make sure it's his last cup.

Ma, I found out why Carl left,

and he had a good reason.

I don't even wanna know the reason.

I do.

So do I.

[SNORTS]

Let me put it to you this way, Ma.

War is hell.

J.J., take this coffee...

and get out of my way.

Here's your coffee, Mr. Dixon.

Florida.

Florida...we have to talk it out.

I thought your strong suit

was walking out.

Okay, okay, I deserve that.

And I deserve an explanation.

I'm trying to give you one.

First you walk out of here, and you don't tell me why--

Okay, you're right,

but now I'd like to tell you why.

And then you come right back, and you still don't tell me why.

Look, will you give me a chance?

All I can hear is some nonsense from J.J.

about a war!

Okay, okay, okay.

Florida, I came back

because yesterday I found out something.

And I figured this isn't the time

to start a long relationship.

I don't understand.

Yesterday, I found out I have lung cancer.

Oh, my God.

And that's why I'm selling the shop

and leaving town.

Cancer...

Oh, Carl, why didn't you tell me?

Look, Florida... I wanted to,

but I'm having trouble facing it myself.

Painter coming through. Lunch break.

Lunch break?

You just had a coffee break,

and you haven't done a lick of work yet!

Strong union.

Florida, they're gonna operate,

and, after that, who knows?

Carl, you'll have plenty of time--

Where do you keep your tomatoes?

In the refrigerator.

Thank you.

You'll have plenty of time.

You read every day

about people surviving cancer operations.

Florida, you're an eternal optimist.

You must open every box of Cracker Jacks

thinking you're gonna find gold.

I found you, didn't I?

Then maybe you can find the mayonnaise?

One more minute,

and my fist is gonna find his nose.

Carl, don't get yourself upset.

I'm not getting upset.

Look, I'm gonna have the operation,

and, after that,

I'll have one month, two, three, who knows?

Hey, uh, how about you folks giving me a hand

with this tarp here?

Whew! This guy must've been inhaling his turpentine.

What was I thinking about,

smoking the way I did for 25 years?

That was just plain stupid--

[SHOUTING] What the hell do you want?!

A pickle.

We're out of pickles.

All right. All right.

Carl, why you?

I mean, it just isn't fair.

Look, come on, Florida, life is a crapshoot.

Only in my case, the dice were loaded.

You know you're out of mustard too?

Why do you have to go away?

Why don't you stay here with people who love you,

who can take care of you?

Take care of me? Yes.

No, thanks.

And your lettuce is wilted.

How would you like your tongue wilted?

Carl. Carl, please.

Just one more time.

Just one more time. Come on, Carl.

All this, over a little piece of lettuce?

Carl...come on.

Look... Florida, I met you,

and that's all the luck I've got coming to me.

So let me cut out while I'm ahead.

Yesterday, you were gonna ask me to marry you.

That was yesterday.

Carl...

I love you.

Florida, I love you too--

Lady, all you have here is brown bread.

I like my sandwich on, uh, white bread.

That tears it!

No, no!

This one is mine.

You want white bread?

Oh, yes, please.

You've got it.

Okay, a little to the left.

Now, this way, this way.

Come on. Come on. Hold-- Hold it!

I left my scraper on the couch.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

I'll get it. I'll get it.

Where's the phone?

It's under the tarp here.

PAINTER: What? Hello?

Huh? Sure.

Okay. All right.

[RECEIVER CLATTERS]

Hey, uh, any of you guys named Thelma?

That's me.

You just had a phone call.

Who was it?

How should I know?

I'm a painter, not an answering service.

Look, that could've been a very important call.

Don't worry, Thelma,

as long as your phone number's

still written on the phone booth wall,

it'll call back.

Hey, hey, hey.

What's going on here?

Everything but the painting, Booga.

Then you're lucky.

The people in 714

are still trying to get the paint off their parakeet.

Hey, come on, fellows, let's paint those walls.

Hey, I'm sorry for leaving you alone

with these loonies, Mrs. Evans, but I did have

an important phone call to make.

Uh, as a matter of fact,

it turned out to be about you.

About Carl? Yeah.

Hey, can I talk to you for a minute, Carl?

Bookman, we're having a very private conversation here.

Hey, it'll take just a minute.

It's very important, Mrs. Evans, believe me.

Florida, I'll be right back.

Come on,

you're getting paid to paint, fellas!

Gee, whiz. Try to get white people to work.

Florida...

Florida, I think the kids should know the truth.

Willona, kids...

I've got something to tell you.

Okay, Bookman... what's so important?

Hey, we got a mutual friend, Dr. Sturges.

How do you know Dr. Sturges?

We're old friends.

He asked me to talk to you about your operation.

Dr. Sturges has a big mouth. Yeah, but he cares, man.

Yeah, and he's telling everybody and his brother I got cancer!

And everybody's saying, "There goes Carl Dixon.

"He's got the big C.

Help him across the street."

Well, who wants that crud?

Whether I got six months or six days,

I'm splitting.

Hey, man, you think you're so brave

planning six months to live?

That don't make you brave.

That makes you a quitter.

Who the hell are you calling a quitter?

You can beat it,

but you gotta stop planning to die

and start planning to live.

Where do you come off giving me advice?

Dr. Sturges asked me to talk to you.

If I wanted a second opinion, I wouldn't consult a janitor.

Hey, listen, man. You know that operation you're gonna have?

It ain't no big thing.

I had the same thing five years ago.

You did?

Yeah. That's the reason Dr. Sturges turned me onto you.

He believes in the buddy system.

Well, that-- That's incredible.

Well, Dr. Sturges told me

that the odds for a black man to make it even that long

are six out of a hundred.

You sure are lucky.

Hey, it ain't just luck.

It was detected early, the same break you got.

Break?

Are you willing to give me a written guarantee

I'll make it for five years?

No. Ha!

Hey, I wouldn't take five years myself.

I'd say, "Take it back, brother.

Give me 25 years."

Take John Wayne, the Duke himself.

He had the same operation.

He's still going strong. And you can do it too.

John Wayne, huh?

Yeah, haven't you seen the commercial?

[IMITATING JOHN WAYNE] Well, hello, pilgrims.

This is John Wayne talking.

You know, my friends at the American Cancer Society

need your help,

so I'm deputizing you to have regular checkups.

Yessiree, Bob.

This is the old Duke.

I'm reminding you to shoot straight,

stand tall in the stirrups

and never sit on your saddle horn.

Yaw, haw, haw.

Are you telling me... I gotta be tough?

Yeah, at least you gotta be as tough as the Duke.

I am.

But you gotta keep saying to yourself every day,

"I'm gonna make it.

"It can't happen to me.

"I ain't gonna die.

"I'm gonna live.

I'm gonna live."

John Wayne, huh?

But, Ma, I don't understand

why Carl is leaving Chicago.

I mean, we're like his family.

He really needs us now.

It was Carl's decision, honey,

and we've got to respect his wishes.

Florida, I've gotta talk to you.

And not only that. I want everybody to hear this.

[BUCKETS CLATTER]

Oh, no!

WILLONA: Take it easy, Flo!

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

I'll get it.

I got it.

It's the police.

Is this the Evans residence?

Evans-- Didn't they move?

Palm Springs, wasn't it?

J.J.

Now, you stop that nonsense.

Good news, Mrs. Evans.

We found your son.

Oh, no, we forgot to call the cops back.

Officer, there's been a mistake. You see--

Bring him in, Charlie!

What's going on here?

Officer, this is not my son.

Believe me, Mrs. Evans, I understand

why you don't want to admit it.

I told you, my name's Jerome.

Wait a minute.

Let me check this thing out here.

Poor lady, you got two of 'em.

I don't know why you picked this man.

He don't look nothing like me.

He lacks my, uh...

full beauty.

If I had your beauty,

the police wouldn't have me, the garbage folks would.

You got some nerve!

[BOTH ARGUING]

Shut up.

Shut up!

But I must admit one thing.

You do show remarkably good taste in clothes.

Shut up, J.J.

Okay, I didn't mean to yell...

but I didn't know any other way to get attention in this asylum.

Officer, take this young man out, please.

Go ahead, Carl.

Thank you, Florida.

Okay. Now you know I've got cancer,

I was gonna have the operation and leave town,

but I've changed my mind.

What?

I'm gonna have the operation,

but I'm not leaving town.

I've been living here for years,

and this is where I'm going to keep on keeping on.

MICHAEL: Hey, all right!

Bookman... I'm gonna beat it.

J.J.: Yeah.

Great. That's the spirit, baby.

Wait, wait, wait. I'm not done yet.

I got something here.

Florida... this is for you.

Oh, Carl.

Florida, will you marry me?

ALL: Yes!

I need one more "yes."

ALL: Yes!

Florida?

Yes, Carl.

[ALL CHEERING]

* Mmm *

* 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 *

* Easy credit rip-offs *

* Good Times *

ANNOUNCER: Good Times is videotaped in front of a studio audience.

* Good Times *