Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986): Season 1, Episode 18 - The Job - full transcript
Willis gets a job at a gas station, which lasts for only a few hours.
♪ Now the world don't move
to the beat of just one drum
♪ What might be right for
you may not be right for some
♪ A man is born
he's a man of means
♪ Then along come two
♪ They got nothin'
but their jeans
♪ But they got Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent
Strokes to move the world
♪ Everybody's got
a special kind of story
♪ Everybody finds a way to shine
♪ It don't matter that you got
♪ Not a lot, so what?
♪ They'll have
theirs you'll have yours
♪ And I'll have mine
♪ And together we'll be fine
♪ Cause it takes
♪ Diff'rent Strokes to
move the world, yes, it does
♪ It takes Diff'rent Strokes
to move the world! ♪
Disco skating, that's for me.
Me, too, Willis.
I'm gonna get me a pair
of those disco skates.
What are you doing?
Disco dancing on roller skates.
You look more like
your underwear is on fire.
Man, I'm gonna get me a
pair of those disco skates.
You keep twisting
around like that,
you're gonna need
another pair for your behind.
How much do those skates cost?
That's the problem.
A hundred and fourteen dollars.
A hundred and fourteen dollars?
Is that the convertible
or the hardtop?
Where are you gonna get
that much money, Willis?
I don't know.
Where am I gonna
get that kind of money?
Don't look at me.
I ain't lived long
enough to get $114.
Well, I've got about nine
dollars I could lend you, Willis.
Thanks, but that
wouldn't help much.
Well, why don't you ask Daddy?
I'm sure he'll get the skates for you.
He's given us so much already.
I just couldn't ask him for a
present that cost that much.
Then how you gonna get them?
Panhandling ain't
what it used to be.
Hey, I know how I
can get those skates.
I'll get me a job and
earn the money myself.
That's a terrible thing to do.
Why is that terrible, Arnold?
Because if he sets a good
example, he'll ruin it for the rest of us.
Willis, why don't you
ask Daddy to help you?
He finds jobs
for lots of people.
Now, that I wouldn't
mind asking him.
I'll ask him at dinner.
You mean you'll ask
Mr. Drummond for a job,
but you won't ask him
for a pair of skates?
You got it.
Let's keep in touch after
they take you to the funny farm.
Well, Willis, I
think it's terrific
that you want to get a
job to buy your own skates,
but it's just too big a
load for you right now.
See, you've got
your school work,
you're on the basketball
team. That is enough.
Basketball season's
almost over. I can handle it.
He really does want
those skates, Daddy.
I'll tell you what, Willis.
I'll give you a loan.
You get a job next summer
vacation. You can pay me then,
but I'll give you the
money right now.
You mean you'll
pay me not to work?
Now that's my kind of job.
Mr. Drummond, does that
offer apply to redheads?
Mr. Drummond, I don't feel
right being paid not to work.
Okay, then you'll never
work for the government.
Come on, Daddy, you know a
lot of people. Help Willis get a job.
Mr. Drummond, I think you
should let Willis take a job,
if I may say so.
I guess I already said so.
Aside from your school work,
I'm trying to save you from
wasting time and being disappointed.
Now, you're a great guy,
and I know you mean well,
but, you know, sometimes
you get all steamed up
about doing something,
and then you don't finish it.
That's because I
get bored so easy.
Yeah.
I once saw him fall asleep
in the middle of a jump shot.
I really want those disco skates,
and I'll work hard to get them.
Well, okay. If you've really
thought a lot about this,
and you're willing to make
the sacrifice for what you want,
then more power to
you if you can do it.
I can, Mr. D.
I'll even find my own
job and stick with it
and earn $114, no
matter how long it takes.
Willis, you may be the first
guy to ever wear disco skates
at the old folks home.
If I don't find a job in these want ads,
I'll go look for one after school tomorrow.
Hey, how about that one?
$15,000 a year just to be an A-C-C-T.
That's wonderful,
that's terrific, that's...
What is a A-C-C-T?
That's abbreviated for accountant,
Arnold. It means keeping books.
Hey, Willis, you're
good at keeping books.
You're always
overdue at the library.
I think you have to be a
college graduate, Arnold.
Yeah, and first I better
get out of junior high school.
Wow.
There's a job for $25,000.
Whatever it is, I'll do it.
What kind of job is it, Arnold?
Forget it. You
gotta kill somebody.
What do you mean?
What do you mean, kill somebody?
It says right here,
"Wanted, die maker."
Arnold, that's not what it
means. Don't you know anything?
Apparently not.
Hey, here's one
that sounds good.
"Delivery boy. Make
up to $150 a week."
And there's a phone
number. I'm gonna call it.
That's super, Willis.
Man, you're gonna have
those skates, yet. All right.
And with the extra money,
he can get some new...
Hello.
This is Willis Jackson calling.
They don't call him the
velvet throat for nothing.
I'm calling about that job.
I sure do.
I sure do.
I sure do.
I sure don't.
Isn't it a good job, Willis?
Terrific.
Delivering pizza, but
you gotta have a car.
You've got a car.
Deliver pizza in
Mr. Drummond's limousine.
I'm not taking any help
from Mr. Drummond.
Then deliver pizza in a taxi.
I can't afford a taxi.
Get a job.
Arnold, that's the whole
idea in the first place.
Willis needs a job.
You get the picture?
I'm unemployed.
Then why don't you collect
unemployment insurance?
Arnold, to collect unemployment,
you gotta not be working
at what you were working at
before you stopped working.
What you talkin' about, Willis?
I hear the pitter of little feet, but
I don't hear the patter of big feet.
Where's Willis?
I guess he's still
out looking for a job.
Willis is really serious about
this. I gotta give him credit.
If he had credit, he
wouldn't need a job.
So I'm not Phyllis Diller.
Hey, Mr. Drummond,
I was thinking about getting a
job myself one of these days.
Oh, really?
What would you like to be
when you grow up, Arnold?
You mean, besides tall?
Well, I can't make up my mind
between a rock star or a brain surgeon.
Why don't you do a
service to humanity
and be a brain surgeon
that operates on rock stars?
Okay, so I'm not
Phyllis Diller, either.
Hey, everybody,
lay your eyes on this.
Willis, what are you doing?
Practicing to be mugged?
I'm talking about my hands.
Check out my hands.
I got grease on them.
Yeah, you probably got
it on the front door, too.
Yep, that's definitely
grease, all right.
You've had dirty hands before.
Why are we celebrating now?
Because this is from
Big Harry's gas station.
He gave me a tryout today, and
tomorrow I start servicing cars.
Hey, that's wonderful!
Isn't that sweet?
You brought the grease
home, so we could see it.
Hey, Willis, I think we ought
to have your hands bronzed.
That is just great, Willis.
How much salary
are you pulling down?
Three bucks a day.
You sure don't have much pull.
It's only for a couple of
hours in the afternoon.
And in seven weeks, I'll
have those disco skates.
Yeah!
Seven weeks?
We could be back to
the hula-hoop by then.
I think you'll stick with it this
time, Willis. I'm really proud of you.
Thank you. Me, too, big brother.
You wanna wash your
hands for dinner, Willis,
or shall I get you
my rubber gloves?
I guess I'll have to
wash them, Mrs. Garrett.
I'll turn on the
water for you, Willis.
And can I hand
you the bar of soap?
Maybe a towel, too, bud.
Gee, thanks.
He's so proud of himself.
He should be. I
remember my first job.
I was Willis' age.
Great big factory.
I worked all summer long, 9:00
to 6:00, half an hour for lunch.
Cleaning, sweeping, every
menial task you could think of
for only 50 cents a day.
Fifty cents? That's terrible.
Why didn't you quit and tell the
boss what you thought of him?
What, and have
father disinherit me?
Wow, Mrs. Garrett!
That's my kind of cake.
Arnold, any kind of
cake is your kind of cake.
That's true. I've got what you
call an equal opportunity stomach.
Well, you tell your stomach
that cake is off limits till dinner.
It's to celebrate Willis'
first day on his new job.
Got it? Got it.
Get!
Hey, Willis! How'd
the new job go?
I'll tell you how it went.
I got fired.
Fired? The first day?
Yeah, and don't tell nobody.
Especially don't say a word of it
at dinner till I figure out what to do.
Okay.
I don't want Mr. Drummond to
know. He'd think I'm a failure,
and I want him
to be proud of me.
Poor Willis.
I wish I could help him,
but there's just no way.
Might as well eat the cake.
No!
No!
Stop. No, no.
No. No!
You okay?
Yeah. What a dream.
What was it?
I dreamed that I was at
Big Harry's gas station,
and the gas pumps
tried to grab me.
Now, that's what
I call a gas attack.
And just before I
got fired, I woke up.
Mr. Drummond's right.
I can't finish anything.
I didn't even finish my dream.
Willis, please tell me why
you got fired. You can trust me.
I didn't say anything at dinner
about you losing your job.
Come on.
Didn't I eat half the cake
like you were still working?
Come on, tell me.
Well, see, Arnold,
I was cleaning this lady's
window at the gas station,
and I wanted to do it right, so I
sprayed cleaning stuff all over it.
That's good.
No, it wasn't. Her
window was down.
And it got her right
in her contact lenses.
No wonder you got fired.
That's not the
reason I got fired.
Then Harry came over to see
what was all the yelling about,
and I accidentally squirted
water down his pants.
That's what got you fired.
That's not the
reason I got fired.
Then why did you get fired?
'Cause Harry fell
off the grease rack.
How'd he get on the grease rack?
Some fool pushed
the wrong button.
Let me take a wild guess.
If I was to walk out of this room,
would that fool be sitting here alone?
You got it.
Willis, it's a tough break.
You were just trying
to be a good worker.
Yeah.
I just don't know how I'm
gonna tell Mr. Drummond
I got fired on my first day.
It'll prove that he's right. I
can't finish anything I start.
I thought I heard you guys.
I'll bet I know why you're up.
It's your new
job, isn't it, Willis?
How'd you know?
Have you got our room bugged?
You're so nervous with your first day
on the job, you couldn't sleep, right?
That's it! He guessed
it right off, Willis.
Yeah, that's it. All I'm
thinking about is that job.
Well, that's just first day
jitters. It'll be over soon.
Maybe sooner than you think.
I just know you're gonna
see it through this time, Willis.
I'm proud of you.
Good night, boys.
Night. Night.
You better get your sleep, Willis.
You'll need it for the job tomorrow.
Arnold, what am I gonna do?
There's only one
thing to do. Run away.
I guess the only honest thing to
do is to tell Mr. D what happened.
Yeah, that's right.
Tell him what happened
and then run away.
Hey, Arnold, if I got that first
job, then I can get another job.
Yeah! But this time, stay
away from the grease racks.
Yeah.
And then I'll just tell Mr. Drummond I quit
the first job because this one's better.
That's a great idea.
Yeah. Now the first thing I
gotta do is to find another job.
No, that's the second
thing you gotta do.
What's the first?
Go to the bathroom, so you
won't wake me up again tonight.
Willis, did you
find another job?
Yeah, I found a job.
Then what do you
look so unhappy about?
'Cause I got fired again.
It doesn't really count. I was
only there less than 10 minutes.
Ten minutes?
You broke your own
record. What happened?
Well, you see, Arnold, I got this job
cleaning up in a Chinese restaurant,
and I threw out some stuff
that looked like garbage,
and it turned out to
be the owner's lunch.
That's why he fired you?
That's not the
reason I got fired.
I don't want to hear any more. Did
you look anywhere else for a job?
Yeah, but nobody wants a
13-year-old kid with 24 hours experience.
Hey, there you are, Willis.
Willis, your hands.
What? No grease.
Grease! I forgot to put some on.
The working man is home.
That's him, the working man.
Well, how did it go down
at the gas station today?
You know, Mr. Drummond. Hey!
What? No grease on
those hands today?
No, there ain't.
I guess you washed it
off at the station, huh?
That's it, at the station.
But he worked real hard.
Checking tires, cleaning
windows, emptying ashtrays.
There's nobody like Willis
when it comes to moving butts.
Arnold, how do you
know so much about it?
Well, I went over and
visited Willis. Didn't I, Willis?
Yeah, that's right.
Tell him what you do, Willis.
You know,
Mr. Drummond, the usual.
You know, I check tires,
batteries, air cleaners
and the oil by pulling
out the dipstick.
Yeah, he's the best
dipsticker in town.
Don't oversell it.
Now, Willis, don't be modest.
I'm not being modest,
Mr. Drummond.
I can honestly say that what I
do at the gas station is nothing.
But he does that great,
Mr. D. You ought to see him.
That's exactly
what I intend to do.
Say what?
That's right. Tomorrow I'm
gonna drive the whole family
down to the station and
get the full treatment.
Mr. Drummond, why
go out of your way?
I can check your car
right down in the garage.
Yeah.
You wanna know the truth,
Mr. D? Willis ain't that good.
He leaves streaks
on your windshield.
That's right. Big
Harry calls me streaky.
Mr. Drummond, I'm
really just learning.
No. You're not
gonna talk me out of it.
I'm gonna drive in there, I'm
gonna tell them to fill the tank,
and I'm gonna watch while my son
cleans my windshield, streaks and all.
Yes, sir, tomorrow's
a day I'll remember.
I won't forget it myself.
Next time you open your big mouth,
make sure nothing comes out of it.
Sorry, Willis. I was
just trying to help.
Hi, guys. Daddy just told me
that the family's gonna go
see Willis in action tomorrow.
What's the matter?
Tomorrow's the matter.
We'd like to have
it moved to 1984.
Kimberly, if I
tell you a secret,
will you promise not to tell,
cross your heart and
hope to live in New Jersey?
I promise.
I lost my job.
Twice.
Oh, no, Willis, that's terrible,
but we're all going to see you
down at the station tomorrow.
What are you gonna do?
Join the Marines.
Yeah. Good thinking, Willis.
The Marines can't fire you.
All they can do is
court-martial and shoot you.
Why don't you just
tell Daddy, Willis?
'Cause I don't want Mr. Drummond
to think I can't keep a job.
Well, then I guess we're
just gonna have to stop Daddy
from driving down to
Big Harry's tomorrow.
Wait a minute! I got it!
We stop Mr. D from driving
down to Big Harry's tomorrow.
I just said that, Arnold.
How about that.
I'm thinking just like
a high school kid.
Kids, is Mrs.
Garrett ready to go?
She said she'd be just a
couple of minutes, Daddy.
Well, Willis is expecting us. Now,
we don't wanna keep him waiting.
Okay.
Willis is gonna be so embarrassed
if we drive down to the station today.
No, he won't. He won't be there.
He's out looking
for another job.
Too bad the station
isn't closed today.
Yeah.
Could you run that by me again?
I said, too bad the
station isn't closed today.
Who says it isn't?
Listen, go upstairs and phone
me down here on this other phone.
What for? I'll pretend
I'm talking to Willis.
Go ahead, phone
me. What do I say?
It don't matter because I
won't be listening. Go ahead.
Where you going, honey?
I'll be just a minute, Daddy.
Okay.
Where's she going, Arnold?
Who?
Kimberly.
Oh, Kimberly. Oh,
you know women.
At the very last minute
when you're ready to go,
they have to powder
up their eyebrows.
Not true, I'm all powdered,
cologned, and girdled.
I'll get it!
Hello. Oh, hi, Willis.
It's Willis.
We're all ready to
come down there.
Who can't come?
You mean we can't come?
He says we can't come.
Why can't we come?
They wanna know why not, Willis.
Oh, you sold all the gas
and the boss closed up.
A whole fleet of trucks
came and took all the gas.
Gee, Willis, now we
can't see you working.
You're breaking our hearts.
Isn't he breaking our hearts?
Well, let's go.
We can't go. I'm
talking to Willis.
We can't go? Oh, no.
But Willis was so
anxious for us to be there.
Kimberly, don't come apart.
Daddy.
Yeah, Willis.
Willis?
I couldn't use my key.
I was working on the
grease rack, and I slipped.
Willis, I can see
you're really hurt.
I better call the doctor.
Oh, no, no, Mrs. Garrett.
I don't need no doctor.
Big Harry said two weeks in bed
watching TV, and I'll be all better.
You poor thing.
Tell me, when did
it happen, dear?
Right after the fleet of
trucks took all your gas?
Come again?
Arnold, tell Willis we'll come
by and see him tomorrow.
Mr. Drummond says we'll come
by and see you tomorrow, Willis.
We can't come tomorrow, either?
The gas shortage.
Listen, Willis, don't feel
any badder than we do.
Okay, see you at home.
Now, how did you
get here so fast?
All right, now just what
are you two guys up to?
Well, there's this kid down at the
gas station that sounds just like Willis.
Hold it, Arnold.
It's over.
Mr. Drummond, Mrs.
Garrett, I'm not hurt.
Yesterday, I got
fired on my first day,
and I was too
ashamed to tell you.
The poor darling.
And when you wanted
to come see me at work...
Now, Willis, you needn't
have gone through all that.
Why didn't you tell me?
You said I never
finish anything.
But you kept on looking for another
job. Doesn't that count, Mr. Drummond?
Well, it most certainly does.
Son, getting fired isn't the same as
not finishing things. That's quitting.
You didn't even quit
even after you got fired.
I'm mighty proud of you, Willis.
Guys, never be
afraid to tell the truth.
Drummond residence.
Yes, he is.
For you, Willis. Me?
Hello.
Yeah, this is Willis.
I will, Big Harry.
Thank you, Big Harry.
Bye, Big Harry.
Guess what?
That was Big Harry.
Right.
Mr. Drummond, he said he's been
trying to call me for the last 10 minutes,
but the line was busy.
He says he hired some other
kids, but they're a bunch of goof-offs,
and he wants me back
because I try so hard.
Now you can get those
disco skates, Willis.
Hey, Willis, maybe you
can wear them to work.
What for?
So the next time when
Harry gets on the grease rack,
you can make a fast getaway.
♪ Now the world don't move
to the beat of just one drum
♪ What might be right for
you may not be right for some
♪ A man is born
he's a man of means
♪ Then along come two
♪ They got nothin'
but their jeans
♪ But they got Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent
Strokes to move the world
♪ Yes, it does It takes Diff'rent
Strokes to move the world ♪
to the beat of just one drum
♪ What might be right for
you may not be right for some
♪ A man is born
he's a man of means
♪ Then along come two
♪ They got nothin'
but their jeans
♪ But they got Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent
Strokes to move the world
♪ Everybody's got
a special kind of story
♪ Everybody finds a way to shine
♪ It don't matter that you got
♪ Not a lot, so what?
♪ They'll have
theirs you'll have yours
♪ And I'll have mine
♪ And together we'll be fine
♪ Cause it takes
♪ Diff'rent Strokes to
move the world, yes, it does
♪ It takes Diff'rent Strokes
to move the world! ♪
Disco skating, that's for me.
Me, too, Willis.
I'm gonna get me a pair
of those disco skates.
What are you doing?
Disco dancing on roller skates.
You look more like
your underwear is on fire.
Man, I'm gonna get me a
pair of those disco skates.
You keep twisting
around like that,
you're gonna need
another pair for your behind.
How much do those skates cost?
That's the problem.
A hundred and fourteen dollars.
A hundred and fourteen dollars?
Is that the convertible
or the hardtop?
Where are you gonna get
that much money, Willis?
I don't know.
Where am I gonna
get that kind of money?
Don't look at me.
I ain't lived long
enough to get $114.
Well, I've got about nine
dollars I could lend you, Willis.
Thanks, but that
wouldn't help much.
Well, why don't you ask Daddy?
I'm sure he'll get the skates for you.
He's given us so much already.
I just couldn't ask him for a
present that cost that much.
Then how you gonna get them?
Panhandling ain't
what it used to be.
Hey, I know how I
can get those skates.
I'll get me a job and
earn the money myself.
That's a terrible thing to do.
Why is that terrible, Arnold?
Because if he sets a good
example, he'll ruin it for the rest of us.
Willis, why don't you
ask Daddy to help you?
He finds jobs
for lots of people.
Now, that I wouldn't
mind asking him.
I'll ask him at dinner.
You mean you'll ask
Mr. Drummond for a job,
but you won't ask him
for a pair of skates?
You got it.
Let's keep in touch after
they take you to the funny farm.
Well, Willis, I
think it's terrific
that you want to get a
job to buy your own skates,
but it's just too big a
load for you right now.
See, you've got
your school work,
you're on the basketball
team. That is enough.
Basketball season's
almost over. I can handle it.
He really does want
those skates, Daddy.
I'll tell you what, Willis.
I'll give you a loan.
You get a job next summer
vacation. You can pay me then,
but I'll give you the
money right now.
You mean you'll
pay me not to work?
Now that's my kind of job.
Mr. Drummond, does that
offer apply to redheads?
Mr. Drummond, I don't feel
right being paid not to work.
Okay, then you'll never
work for the government.
Come on, Daddy, you know a
lot of people. Help Willis get a job.
Mr. Drummond, I think you
should let Willis take a job,
if I may say so.
I guess I already said so.
Aside from your school work,
I'm trying to save you from
wasting time and being disappointed.
Now, you're a great guy,
and I know you mean well,
but, you know, sometimes
you get all steamed up
about doing something,
and then you don't finish it.
That's because I
get bored so easy.
Yeah.
I once saw him fall asleep
in the middle of a jump shot.
I really want those disco skates,
and I'll work hard to get them.
Well, okay. If you've really
thought a lot about this,
and you're willing to make
the sacrifice for what you want,
then more power to
you if you can do it.
I can, Mr. D.
I'll even find my own
job and stick with it
and earn $114, no
matter how long it takes.
Willis, you may be the first
guy to ever wear disco skates
at the old folks home.
If I don't find a job in these want ads,
I'll go look for one after school tomorrow.
Hey, how about that one?
$15,000 a year just to be an A-C-C-T.
That's wonderful,
that's terrific, that's...
What is a A-C-C-T?
That's abbreviated for accountant,
Arnold. It means keeping books.
Hey, Willis, you're
good at keeping books.
You're always
overdue at the library.
I think you have to be a
college graduate, Arnold.
Yeah, and first I better
get out of junior high school.
Wow.
There's a job for $25,000.
Whatever it is, I'll do it.
What kind of job is it, Arnold?
Forget it. You
gotta kill somebody.
What do you mean?
What do you mean, kill somebody?
It says right here,
"Wanted, die maker."
Arnold, that's not what it
means. Don't you know anything?
Apparently not.
Hey, here's one
that sounds good.
"Delivery boy. Make
up to $150 a week."
And there's a phone
number. I'm gonna call it.
That's super, Willis.
Man, you're gonna have
those skates, yet. All right.
And with the extra money,
he can get some new...
Hello.
This is Willis Jackson calling.
They don't call him the
velvet throat for nothing.
I'm calling about that job.
I sure do.
I sure do.
I sure do.
I sure don't.
Isn't it a good job, Willis?
Terrific.
Delivering pizza, but
you gotta have a car.
You've got a car.
Deliver pizza in
Mr. Drummond's limousine.
I'm not taking any help
from Mr. Drummond.
Then deliver pizza in a taxi.
I can't afford a taxi.
Get a job.
Arnold, that's the whole
idea in the first place.
Willis needs a job.
You get the picture?
I'm unemployed.
Then why don't you collect
unemployment insurance?
Arnold, to collect unemployment,
you gotta not be working
at what you were working at
before you stopped working.
What you talkin' about, Willis?
I hear the pitter of little feet, but
I don't hear the patter of big feet.
Where's Willis?
I guess he's still
out looking for a job.
Willis is really serious about
this. I gotta give him credit.
If he had credit, he
wouldn't need a job.
So I'm not Phyllis Diller.
Hey, Mr. Drummond,
I was thinking about getting a
job myself one of these days.
Oh, really?
What would you like to be
when you grow up, Arnold?
You mean, besides tall?
Well, I can't make up my mind
between a rock star or a brain surgeon.
Why don't you do a
service to humanity
and be a brain surgeon
that operates on rock stars?
Okay, so I'm not
Phyllis Diller, either.
Hey, everybody,
lay your eyes on this.
Willis, what are you doing?
Practicing to be mugged?
I'm talking about my hands.
Check out my hands.
I got grease on them.
Yeah, you probably got
it on the front door, too.
Yep, that's definitely
grease, all right.
You've had dirty hands before.
Why are we celebrating now?
Because this is from
Big Harry's gas station.
He gave me a tryout today, and
tomorrow I start servicing cars.
Hey, that's wonderful!
Isn't that sweet?
You brought the grease
home, so we could see it.
Hey, Willis, I think we ought
to have your hands bronzed.
That is just great, Willis.
How much salary
are you pulling down?
Three bucks a day.
You sure don't have much pull.
It's only for a couple of
hours in the afternoon.
And in seven weeks, I'll
have those disco skates.
Yeah!
Seven weeks?
We could be back to
the hula-hoop by then.
I think you'll stick with it this
time, Willis. I'm really proud of you.
Thank you. Me, too, big brother.
You wanna wash your
hands for dinner, Willis,
or shall I get you
my rubber gloves?
I guess I'll have to
wash them, Mrs. Garrett.
I'll turn on the
water for you, Willis.
And can I hand
you the bar of soap?
Maybe a towel, too, bud.
Gee, thanks.
He's so proud of himself.
He should be. I
remember my first job.
I was Willis' age.
Great big factory.
I worked all summer long, 9:00
to 6:00, half an hour for lunch.
Cleaning, sweeping, every
menial task you could think of
for only 50 cents a day.
Fifty cents? That's terrible.
Why didn't you quit and tell the
boss what you thought of him?
What, and have
father disinherit me?
Wow, Mrs. Garrett!
That's my kind of cake.
Arnold, any kind of
cake is your kind of cake.
That's true. I've got what you
call an equal opportunity stomach.
Well, you tell your stomach
that cake is off limits till dinner.
It's to celebrate Willis'
first day on his new job.
Got it? Got it.
Get!
Hey, Willis! How'd
the new job go?
I'll tell you how it went.
I got fired.
Fired? The first day?
Yeah, and don't tell nobody.
Especially don't say a word of it
at dinner till I figure out what to do.
Okay.
I don't want Mr. Drummond to
know. He'd think I'm a failure,
and I want him
to be proud of me.
Poor Willis.
I wish I could help him,
but there's just no way.
Might as well eat the cake.
No!
No!
Stop. No, no.
No. No!
You okay?
Yeah. What a dream.
What was it?
I dreamed that I was at
Big Harry's gas station,
and the gas pumps
tried to grab me.
Now, that's what
I call a gas attack.
And just before I
got fired, I woke up.
Mr. Drummond's right.
I can't finish anything.
I didn't even finish my dream.
Willis, please tell me why
you got fired. You can trust me.
I didn't say anything at dinner
about you losing your job.
Come on.
Didn't I eat half the cake
like you were still working?
Come on, tell me.
Well, see, Arnold,
I was cleaning this lady's
window at the gas station,
and I wanted to do it right, so I
sprayed cleaning stuff all over it.
That's good.
No, it wasn't. Her
window was down.
And it got her right
in her contact lenses.
No wonder you got fired.
That's not the
reason I got fired.
Then Harry came over to see
what was all the yelling about,
and I accidentally squirted
water down his pants.
That's what got you fired.
That's not the
reason I got fired.
Then why did you get fired?
'Cause Harry fell
off the grease rack.
How'd he get on the grease rack?
Some fool pushed
the wrong button.
Let me take a wild guess.
If I was to walk out of this room,
would that fool be sitting here alone?
You got it.
Willis, it's a tough break.
You were just trying
to be a good worker.
Yeah.
I just don't know how I'm
gonna tell Mr. Drummond
I got fired on my first day.
It'll prove that he's right. I
can't finish anything I start.
I thought I heard you guys.
I'll bet I know why you're up.
It's your new
job, isn't it, Willis?
How'd you know?
Have you got our room bugged?
You're so nervous with your first day
on the job, you couldn't sleep, right?
That's it! He guessed
it right off, Willis.
Yeah, that's it. All I'm
thinking about is that job.
Well, that's just first day
jitters. It'll be over soon.
Maybe sooner than you think.
I just know you're gonna
see it through this time, Willis.
I'm proud of you.
Good night, boys.
Night. Night.
You better get your sleep, Willis.
You'll need it for the job tomorrow.
Arnold, what am I gonna do?
There's only one
thing to do. Run away.
I guess the only honest thing to
do is to tell Mr. D what happened.
Yeah, that's right.
Tell him what happened
and then run away.
Hey, Arnold, if I got that first
job, then I can get another job.
Yeah! But this time, stay
away from the grease racks.
Yeah.
And then I'll just tell Mr. Drummond I quit
the first job because this one's better.
That's a great idea.
Yeah. Now the first thing I
gotta do is to find another job.
No, that's the second
thing you gotta do.
What's the first?
Go to the bathroom, so you
won't wake me up again tonight.
Willis, did you
find another job?
Yeah, I found a job.
Then what do you
look so unhappy about?
'Cause I got fired again.
It doesn't really count. I was
only there less than 10 minutes.
Ten minutes?
You broke your own
record. What happened?
Well, you see, Arnold, I got this job
cleaning up in a Chinese restaurant,
and I threw out some stuff
that looked like garbage,
and it turned out to
be the owner's lunch.
That's why he fired you?
That's not the
reason I got fired.
I don't want to hear any more. Did
you look anywhere else for a job?
Yeah, but nobody wants a
13-year-old kid with 24 hours experience.
Hey, there you are, Willis.
Willis, your hands.
What? No grease.
Grease! I forgot to put some on.
The working man is home.
That's him, the working man.
Well, how did it go down
at the gas station today?
You know, Mr. Drummond. Hey!
What? No grease on
those hands today?
No, there ain't.
I guess you washed it
off at the station, huh?
That's it, at the station.
But he worked real hard.
Checking tires, cleaning
windows, emptying ashtrays.
There's nobody like Willis
when it comes to moving butts.
Arnold, how do you
know so much about it?
Well, I went over and
visited Willis. Didn't I, Willis?
Yeah, that's right.
Tell him what you do, Willis.
You know,
Mr. Drummond, the usual.
You know, I check tires,
batteries, air cleaners
and the oil by pulling
out the dipstick.
Yeah, he's the best
dipsticker in town.
Don't oversell it.
Now, Willis, don't be modest.
I'm not being modest,
Mr. Drummond.
I can honestly say that what I
do at the gas station is nothing.
But he does that great,
Mr. D. You ought to see him.
That's exactly
what I intend to do.
Say what?
That's right. Tomorrow I'm
gonna drive the whole family
down to the station and
get the full treatment.
Mr. Drummond, why
go out of your way?
I can check your car
right down in the garage.
Yeah.
You wanna know the truth,
Mr. D? Willis ain't that good.
He leaves streaks
on your windshield.
That's right. Big
Harry calls me streaky.
Mr. Drummond, I'm
really just learning.
No. You're not
gonna talk me out of it.
I'm gonna drive in there, I'm
gonna tell them to fill the tank,
and I'm gonna watch while my son
cleans my windshield, streaks and all.
Yes, sir, tomorrow's
a day I'll remember.
I won't forget it myself.
Next time you open your big mouth,
make sure nothing comes out of it.
Sorry, Willis. I was
just trying to help.
Hi, guys. Daddy just told me
that the family's gonna go
see Willis in action tomorrow.
What's the matter?
Tomorrow's the matter.
We'd like to have
it moved to 1984.
Kimberly, if I
tell you a secret,
will you promise not to tell,
cross your heart and
hope to live in New Jersey?
I promise.
I lost my job.
Twice.
Oh, no, Willis, that's terrible,
but we're all going to see you
down at the station tomorrow.
What are you gonna do?
Join the Marines.
Yeah. Good thinking, Willis.
The Marines can't fire you.
All they can do is
court-martial and shoot you.
Why don't you just
tell Daddy, Willis?
'Cause I don't want Mr. Drummond
to think I can't keep a job.
Well, then I guess we're
just gonna have to stop Daddy
from driving down to
Big Harry's tomorrow.
Wait a minute! I got it!
We stop Mr. D from driving
down to Big Harry's tomorrow.
I just said that, Arnold.
How about that.
I'm thinking just like
a high school kid.
Kids, is Mrs.
Garrett ready to go?
She said she'd be just a
couple of minutes, Daddy.
Well, Willis is expecting us. Now,
we don't wanna keep him waiting.
Okay.
Willis is gonna be so embarrassed
if we drive down to the station today.
No, he won't. He won't be there.
He's out looking
for another job.
Too bad the station
isn't closed today.
Yeah.
Could you run that by me again?
I said, too bad the
station isn't closed today.
Who says it isn't?
Listen, go upstairs and phone
me down here on this other phone.
What for? I'll pretend
I'm talking to Willis.
Go ahead, phone
me. What do I say?
It don't matter because I
won't be listening. Go ahead.
Where you going, honey?
I'll be just a minute, Daddy.
Okay.
Where's she going, Arnold?
Who?
Kimberly.
Oh, Kimberly. Oh,
you know women.
At the very last minute
when you're ready to go,
they have to powder
up their eyebrows.
Not true, I'm all powdered,
cologned, and girdled.
I'll get it!
Hello. Oh, hi, Willis.
It's Willis.
We're all ready to
come down there.
Who can't come?
You mean we can't come?
He says we can't come.
Why can't we come?
They wanna know why not, Willis.
Oh, you sold all the gas
and the boss closed up.
A whole fleet of trucks
came and took all the gas.
Gee, Willis, now we
can't see you working.
You're breaking our hearts.
Isn't he breaking our hearts?
Well, let's go.
We can't go. I'm
talking to Willis.
We can't go? Oh, no.
But Willis was so
anxious for us to be there.
Kimberly, don't come apart.
Daddy.
Yeah, Willis.
Willis?
I couldn't use my key.
I was working on the
grease rack, and I slipped.
Willis, I can see
you're really hurt.
I better call the doctor.
Oh, no, no, Mrs. Garrett.
I don't need no doctor.
Big Harry said two weeks in bed
watching TV, and I'll be all better.
You poor thing.
Tell me, when did
it happen, dear?
Right after the fleet of
trucks took all your gas?
Come again?
Arnold, tell Willis we'll come
by and see him tomorrow.
Mr. Drummond says we'll come
by and see you tomorrow, Willis.
We can't come tomorrow, either?
The gas shortage.
Listen, Willis, don't feel
any badder than we do.
Okay, see you at home.
Now, how did you
get here so fast?
All right, now just what
are you two guys up to?
Well, there's this kid down at the
gas station that sounds just like Willis.
Hold it, Arnold.
It's over.
Mr. Drummond, Mrs.
Garrett, I'm not hurt.
Yesterday, I got
fired on my first day,
and I was too
ashamed to tell you.
The poor darling.
And when you wanted
to come see me at work...
Now, Willis, you needn't
have gone through all that.
Why didn't you tell me?
You said I never
finish anything.
But you kept on looking for another
job. Doesn't that count, Mr. Drummond?
Well, it most certainly does.
Son, getting fired isn't the same as
not finishing things. That's quitting.
You didn't even quit
even after you got fired.
I'm mighty proud of you, Willis.
Guys, never be
afraid to tell the truth.
Drummond residence.
Yes, he is.
For you, Willis. Me?
Hello.
Yeah, this is Willis.
I will, Big Harry.
Thank you, Big Harry.
Bye, Big Harry.
Guess what?
That was Big Harry.
Right.
Mr. Drummond, he said he's been
trying to call me for the last 10 minutes,
but the line was busy.
He says he hired some other
kids, but they're a bunch of goof-offs,
and he wants me back
because I try so hard.
Now you can get those
disco skates, Willis.
Hey, Willis, maybe you
can wear them to work.
What for?
So the next time when
Harry gets on the grease rack,
you can make a fast getaway.
♪ Now the world don't move
to the beat of just one drum
♪ What might be right for
you may not be right for some
♪ A man is born
he's a man of means
♪ Then along come two
♪ They got nothin'
but their jeans
♪ But they got Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent Strokes
♪ It takes Diff'rent
Strokes to move the world
♪ Yes, it does It takes Diff'rent
Strokes to move the world ♪