Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986): Season 5, Episode 11 - The Executives - full transcript
When Willis hears from a friend that Drummond's company does not hire blacks, he goes in for an interview using a fake name. When he is turned down for the job, he accuses the interviewer of being prejudice and "fires" him.
♪ 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 nothing 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
- Arnold.
Arnold, don't eat so fast,
you look like Pacman!
- I can't help it dad.
When I'm around food, my
mouth switches to fast-forward.
- Another terrific meal, Pearl.
You're the best
cook we ever had.
- Oh, Willis, you
and your sweet talk,
and me and my sweet ear.
- I'd like to have another
serving of dessert, please.
- Yeah, it's wonderful, Pearl.
- Yeah, it's great.
- You really know how
to make a gal feel good.
I may write a cookbook one day,
the joy of stuffing your face.
- Hey, Kimberly, Charlene
and I are gonna go
to another movie tomorrow,
wanna come along?
- Oh, thanks,
Willis, I'd love to.
- How 'bout you, Arnold?
- No way!
Who wants to sit there
and watch you and Charlene
chewing lips and
sucking popcorn butter
off each other's fingers?
- Listen kids, you can't
make an early movie.
Have you forgotten, you're
gonna come start work
at my office
tomorrow after school.
- Oh yeah, that's right Willis,
we have to start climbing
that ladder of success to
those big bucks in the sky.
- Yep, you are looking
at the future president
of dad's company.
Some day I'm gonna be
el commander supreme-o.
- That's a big step up
from el brother the jerk-o.
- Makes me proud to
have a bilingual family.
- Well, Willis, just don't
be too sure about who's
taking over, the president
just might be wearing a dress.
- If it'll get Willis a
job, he'll wear anything!
- Anyway, I'm looking
forward to having
both of you on the payroll.
- Payroll?
Uh, well, what about me, dad?
I accept money too.
- Arnold, I think
you're a little too young.
- You're never too young
to start clawing your way
to the top over the
backs of your family.
- That's an admirable attitude.
- Dad, I'd make a great
executive, I'm smart, I'm ambitious,
and I'm good at letting
everybody else do the work.
- Okay, Arnold, I've got
the perfect job for you.
You can be my executive gopher.
- Gopher? Gopher?!
You give jobs like that
to strangers, not relatives.
- Son, it's a long
road to the top.
I went to college, then I went
to Harvard business school
then my father started
me in the company,
learning every
facet of the business,
including the mail room.
- And two weeks later,
you were the president.
- Willis, that is
absolutely untrue.
It took me three weeks.
- Miss Lindgren.
Yes, Mr. Drummond?
- Would you please send
in my executive gopher?
Right away.
- You buzz, boss?
- Yes, I have a new
assignment for you, Arnold.
Would you deliver
those memos, please?
You have a question?
- Yeah, when do I
get a coffee break?
- You don't drink coffee.
- I know, but I could use it
for a salami on rye break.
- Arnold, don't breathe on
these memos, they may wilt.
- What are you doing, Willis?
- It's too complicated,
you wouldn't understand.
- Sure I would, try me.
- Okay, I'm coordinating
the annual divisional assets.
- Would you mind repeating that?
- Are you kidding,
I'm lucky I said it once.
- Hi!
Hi honey, how's everything
going in advertising?
- Oh, just wonderful, daddy.
I mean sir.
- Kimberly, I'm your boss
but I'm still your father.
You may call me Mr. Drummond.
- Thanks, daddy.
Well, look, now this is
the design for the cover
of your annual stockholder's
report, what do you think?
- No, it's all wrong, it's
not at all what I wanted.
Who did this?
- Me.
- Love it, keep
up the good work.
- Now, daddy,
don't just tell me that
because I'm your daughter,
give me your honest opinion,
that's the only way
I'm ever gonna learn.
- Okay honey,
I'll level with you.
See, it's too busy, and
the colors don't blend,
and the all over
design simply does not
convey confidence
in the company.
- In other words, it stinks.
- Ew, so do you, salami breath.
- I better get myself
a Binaca Blast.
- Well, back to the
old drawing board.
- Good girl, hang in there,
I've gotta get going too,
I've got an appointment
in my lawyer's office.
I'll see you guys.
- Okay, dad.
- Willis, keep an
eye on this door.
- Alright.
Man, this sure is some office,
and some day it's
gonna be mine, all mine.
Hey, perfect fit.
Arnold, take a letter.
- Willis, take a hike.
- Yes, Miss Lindgren,
what can I do for you?
Willis, there's
a friend of yours
here to see you, James Hamilton?
- Send him in, I think I can
work him into my busy schedule.
- What's James doing here?
- We're going to a
basketball game tonight.
- Oh, I get it, you told
him to meet you here
so he can see what
a big man you are.
- Hey, I got what it takes
and when you
got it, you flaunt it.
- Well you also got a big mouth
and when you
got it, you flap it.
- Hey guys, what's happenin'?
Hey James - What's happenin'
- Ooh, check this out.
Man, Willis, you
have got it made.
This is plush city,
this really your office?
- Oh it's just temporary
'til they find something
more fitting for a
man of my position.
- They're redecorating
the janitor's closet.
- You really come a long
way from Harlem, baby,
and I know because
I just took the A train.
- Yeah, this is
some set up alright,
with lots of fringe
benefits, like for instance,
the basketball game,
two big freebies, best seats
in the house, a little perk
we big executives get.
- I get a perk too,
unlimited use of the
executive men's room.
It's really classy, you
can't even hear the flush!
- That's fantastic, you know,
I hope you know how
lucky you are Willis.
It's really cold out there
for some of us brothers.
- Yeah, I know, remember
I came from Harlem too.
- Yeah, my dad just
got laid off from work
and things are tight
around the house.
If I don't find a part-time
job, I may have to drop out
of school and find
something full-time.
- Hey, man, that's really rough.
But hey, just stick with it.
I'm sure you can find a
job if you try a little harder.
- A little harder?
Willis, I have looked everywhere,
you've lost touch, man.
The problem is finding
a job when you got
a complexion like this.
- You mean they won't hire
you because you got pimples?
- I mean, they won't hire
me because I'm black, Arnold.
Everywhere I go I
hear the same story.
Don't call us,
we won't call you.
You know, if you didn't
have a rich dad who hired you,
you'd be hearing the same song.
- Hey, listen, why don't
you apply for a job here?
This company
doesn't discriminate.
- Well, I got news for you,
I did apply for a job here.
And your father's company
doesn't hire blacks either.
- What you talking about, James?
- Hey that's ridiculous.
I've seen blacks
working around here
and I wasn't looking
in the mirror at the time.
- So they hired a few tokens,
but that guy Duffy in personnel
sure turned me down fast.
- Well, did you say
something he could have
taken the wrong way?
- No, nothing.
Well, I did call
him a honkey bigot.
- How could he take
that the wrong way?
- Hey, but that was after
he said he wouldn't hire me.
- James, look, there's a lot
of discrimination out there
but not in this company.
It's all the way you
go about these things.
I mean, there's a right
way and a wrong way.
- Yeah and the fast
way is to have your
father own the company.
- It's got nothing
to do with it.
Even if I was a total stranger,
I bet I could get a job here
- Quit kidding yourself, Willis.
I know other black guys
who tried to get work here, too.
Not one of them made it.
- Okay, James, it
looks like I'm going
to have to prove you wrong.
Tomorrow after school
I'm going to see Mr. Duffy,
I'm gonna get that job,
and I'm just going to pretend
like I'm some
guy off the street.
- You'd do better if you
pretend you're white.
Willis, I'm telling you, your
father's company discriminates
- Look, James, pardon me Willis,
The only reason I'm not going
to make you eat those words
is because you're our
friend, you're our guest,
and if I tried anything
you'd squash me like a bug.
- Now, let me get this
straight, Miss Lindgren,
no more hanging around the
water cooler, no more gossiping
on the phone, and let's try to
cut down on the paper clips.
- Arnold, you shouldn't talk
to dad's secretary like that.
- I'm just practicing, Miss
Lindgren's in the ladies' room.
Where's dad?
- Oh he had to go to a meeting.
- Ah, well I guess I can
show him this tomorrow.
- What is it?
- Well, I made a new
cover for the annual
stockholder's report, see I
changed the color scheme
and I simplified the design
a little bit, what do you think?
- It still stinks.
- Hey, you think Willis will
get that job with Mr. Duffy?
- Sure, all Willis has to do
is tell him about his terrific
grades, his sharp mind, and
his natural business sense.
In other words, lie.
- Our next applicant, please.
Oh hello, I'm Jack Duffy.
- Nice to meet you
Mr. Duffy, I'm Rodger Johnson.
- Please have a seat, Rodger.
- Thank you, nice day isn't it?
- I wouldn't know, I
don't have a window.
So, Rodger, I see
you're still in high school.
- Yes sir, I'm a sophomore
and I have a B+ average,
and I play lots of sports
and I'm on the debating team.
- Oh that's very good.
- I'd really like to work for
a great company like this.
- Oh really, well how do you
know it's a great company?
- Oh well you can tell,
it's such a tall building.
- A lot of windows.
- I'm very ambitious, Mr. Duffy.
I believe you have to
start young to get ahead
in this world and to
be a stock boy here
would just be a
great opportunity...
- Hello, Mr. Duffy!
- Well, hello, Arnold!
- I'm not interrupting
anything am I?
- Yes, get lost.
I mean, um, would you mind
leaving us alone, please?
- Just doing my job, the
mail has to get through.
You know what they
say, neither rain, nor sleet,
nor snow, nor slush, nor mush,
nor detours, nor unpaved road
- We get the point.
- I don't believe I've met
this total stranger before.
My name's Arnold what's yours?
- Rodger.
You're kidding, Rodger?
- What's so funny?
- Nothing, nice name.
Anyway, uh, certainly looks
like a bright young man,
of course looks
can be deceiving.
- Arnold, if you don't mind,
I'm trying to ask this
fella a few questions.
- Oh, I don't mind, I'd
love to hear the answers.
- Arnold, I'm sure you've
got a lot of work to do
and it would please
your father if you did it.
- Yes, Mr. Duffy,
I get the picture.
See ya later, total stranger.
You're Rodger.
- Sorry about that,
he's the boss's son.
Yeah, now, where were we?
- I think you were
just about to hire me.
- Rodger, you seem
like a fine young man,
so I'm going to level with you.
I'm afraid there's
not much chance of
your getting a job here.
- Say what?
- Well, the simple fact
is I have other applicants
who are much more qualified.
- To be stock boys?
- Well, believe it or
not, I have college kids
applying for this job.
- Oh, come on, what
they major in, label licking?
- Well, these are tough
times, they'll take anything,
and it's my job to hire the
very best people I can find.
I hope you understand.
- Oh yeah, I understand, you
won't hire me because I'm black
- Now that has nothing
to do with it, Rodger.
- Oh yeah, I bet you don't
hire any black teenagers.
- Well I'd be happy to if
they were the most qualified.
- See, you admit you don't.
- I don't admit anything and
I resent your walking in here
off the street and accusing
me of discriminating.
- Well that's where
you're wrong.
I didn't walk in
here off the street,
but that's where you're
going to be walking real soon.
- And what is that
supposed to mean?
- It means I'm the
boss's other son,
and you're fired,
finished, washed up, kaput.
- You mean you actually
fired Mr. Duffy, Willis?
- I sure did, I gave
him the big 86.
- It was the perfect
undercover job.
Willis went into his office
disguised as a dumb kid
off the street, a role
he plays very, very well.
- Thank you, Arnold.
- Then I slipped into his office
to give Willis some
moral support.
Mr. Duffy had no
idea we were brothers.
Willis is kind of a pretty boy,
while I've got these
rugged good looks.
- Willis, what's dad gonna
say when he finds out?
You don't have the
authority to fire anyone.
- You'll see, dad
will back my decision.
- Willis, I want to talk to you.
Come here.
Dig this, I'm in the middle
of a meeting downtown,
suddenly the phone
rings and Mr. Duffy tells me
he's just been fired
by my 16-year-old son
whose name happens to be Rodger.
- He can explain that, dad.
- I'm talking to Willis.
- He's talking to you, Willis.
- Dad, he deserved to be fired.
He's your personnel
manager and he's a bigot.
- It's true, dad, he
wouldn't hire Willis.
- And so you automatically
assume from that
that he's a bigot.
I've known Jack
Duffy for 18 years
and he hasn't got a
prejudice bone in his body
and what ever gave you
the idea that you had the right
to fire anybody, I'm the
head of the company.
- Willis, try to remember
that from now on.
- Arnold, whose side are you on?
- I'm waiting to see
how it comes out.
- Dad, my friend James
and a lot of other black guys
apply for a lot of jobs
there and Duffy hasn't hired
any of them and
he doesn't plan on it.
He just gave me some bull
about black teenagers not being
qualified and that college
kids are applying for the jobs.
- Did you stop to think
that there just may be
some truth in what he said?
The tougher the times
are, the tougher it is
for kids without
training to get started.
- Yeah but if somebody doesn't
help them it'll never change.
- Yeah, daddy, what's
gonna happen to James
and all those kids
who aren't as qualified?
You can't just sweep
them under the rug.
- No, of course not, it
breaks my heart to see
all those eager
young kids out of work.
- Well there must be
something we can do.
- Yeah maybe there
is, I'll tell you what,
Willis, let's make
that your project.
See if you can come up
with a solution to the problem.
You've already shown
some real initiative,
you fired my personnel manager.
And I want you to apologize
to him first thing tomorrow.
- Okay, dad.
- Looks like you got your
work cut out for you, Willis.
- I have an idea for you, I
deliver about fifty memos a day.
We can hire one kid
to carry each memo.
- Then you'd be out of a job.
- Oh that's okay, I've already
been working two days,
I'm ready for an
early retirement.
- Dad, I got good news for you.
- First things first, Willis.
The meeting of the
executive Drummonds
will now come to order.
I want a progress
report from each of you
as to how you've been
doing here this last week.
- Well, daddy, I've been...
- Point of order, Mr. President!
- What is the point of order?
- In the first place, you said
that I could run this meeting
in the second place, the
chair did not recognize
the pushy lady
executive on my left.
- You are right on
both counts, Arnold.
- See, I've been reading your
book on order by robbing rule.
- You mean Robert's
Rules of Order.
- That's close enough.
Anyway, I think that
wheretofor and whereas
we wanna do it right, we
oughtta do it by the book herein.
- Did you read that
book, or swallow it?
- Arnold, I'm very
glad that you're taking
such a keen interest, but
we're just meeting as a family
so we can just be
ourselves, hereafter.
- Suits me, heretofor.
Hear ye, hear ye, the meeting
of the Drummond executives
will now come to order,
and the first order of business
is giving us a raise.
- Alright!
- Yeah!
I like the way you run
your meetings, little brother.
- I'm small but I'm tricky.
All in favor, say aye.
- Objection!
Aye!
- Opposed?
- Nay!
- Dad, you're
outnumbered three to one.
- But I run this company.
- That's okay, we'll
give you a raise too.
- You'll get raises when
you deserve raises.
Now, let's just have a look
and see what you've done so far.
Kimberly.
- Well, daddy,
things are going great
in the advertising department.
I've learned an awful lot
about how to make the public
go into debt by buying
things they don't really need.
- Well, I wouldn't
exactly put it that way,
but that's accurate.
Now, Willis, what's
this great news?
- Well dad, I've been working
on that teenage unemployment
problem, and I've come
up with a great idea.
- Wonderful, what is it?
- I'll show you,
uh Miss Lindgren,
could you please send them in?
Right away, Willis.
- Willis, who is them?
- Dad, this is a terrific idea,
even if it did come from Willis.
- Hi Mr. Drummond.
- Oh hello there, James.
- Hey James!
- Come on in James!
- How are you guys doin'?
- Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't
realize there were more of you.
How do you do?
- Oh, hello.
Oh, hey.
- How you doing?
- Fine.
- Hi there, I'm the boss's son.
- Ah, excuse me,
Kimberly, beg your pardon,
may I get through?
- Thank you so
much, Mr. Drummond.
- Certainly, excuse me, beg
your pardon, Willis, Arnold,
could I talk to you three
for a minute, please?
Would you folks excuse
us for just a minute, please.
Willis, who are all these people
and what are they doing here?
- I hired them.
- You hired them, all
of them, to work here?
- Yeah, they're our new
trainees, each day after school
they come here to
learn about the business.
- It was my idea.
- Don't you love it dad?
- No, I don't love it.
- You better give it
some more thought, Willis.
- You see, it's a
very generous idea,
but this is a business,
not a trade school.
We're not equipped
to train all these people.
Willis, you really should have
asked me before you did this
- Oh but dad, you told
me to use my own initiative
to solve the
problem, didn't you?
- Yes, I did, and I'm
sure you tried to do
what you thought was right.
- Aw, daddy, we can't
say no to them now.
- I told them they'd all have
jobs, I can't just fire them.
- I'm sorry Willis, but part
of being executive is that
you have to do things that
you might not want to do.
- Aw dad, I just can't.
- Well then, I'll
have to do it myself.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I wanted to just tell you how
nice it is to meet all of you
and I want to thank you
for coming here today.
Actually, I'm afraid
that Willis here,
who's new to the business
world, acted a little prematurely.
We have a problem, see,
it isn't that I wouldn't like
to have all of you working
here, I most certainly would,
but actually Willis kind of
jumped the gun so to speak.
Now, you're a fine looking
group of young people
but I can't possibly
I can't possibly
say no to any of you
so if you come back on
Monday we'll try to find places
for all of you in
some way or another.
- This is really great,
Mr. Drummond, thanks a lot,
we really appreciate
what you're doing.
- Oh, don't thank me,
thank my chief executive.
- That's alright, I couldn't
have done it without Willis.
- Hey, Mr. Drummond, do
you mind if I hang around here
and you know, sort of get
into the groove of things?
- No, no, James,
that would be fine.
- Oh, thanks a lot. See ya.
- Bye bye!
- Hey dad, thank you, you're
not gonna regret it either.
- Yeah did you see those
faces, you got 15 eager kids
ready to give you
everything they've got.
- Yeah but now that I got
them, what do I do with them?
- Well, to start off dad,
your executive gopher
could use an assistant.
I'll take that cute little
mama in the blue sweater.
- Hey, that's great!
Listen, thanks Jerry, I was
hoping I could count on you.
Right, bye.
Well that does it, Willis, his
company is going to take two
we'll keep the other three,
that means they're all placed.
- Aw, thanks
dad, you're terrific.
- I'll tell you something,
that was a lot tougher
than I thought it would be.
I was surprised that
there was resistance
from some of the
companies that I contacted.
- I told you there was a lot
of discrimination out there dad
- I know that, we're an
equal opportunity employer
but I think we can do
even more for those kids.
I'm gonna make sure that
we hire and train some of those
teenagers that aren't quite
as qualified as the others.
- Man that would sure help dad.
- Come in.
- I don't mean to interrupt
but I thought you might
like this, Mr. Drummond.
What's that?
- I made a list of all the
trainees with their special
skills and interests,
thought it might help you
to decide where you
want them to work.
- Why thank you James,
that shows real initiative.
- Yeah it sure does.
- Well, see you on
Monday, Mr. Drummond.
Catch you later, bro.
Later - Bye now.
- Willis, I'm
impressed with James.
I know that you think
you're in line for my position
but he might just be
nipping at your heels,
maybe even higher up.
Nipping at my heels,
I know you're only kidding, dad.
Aren't you?
Oh, it's ridiculous!
- I'm going to bring this
company to its knees.
- What's going on here?
- Arnold formed a union.
- The American Federation
of Gophers, AFOG.
And they just voted
me their leader.
- Arnold, you are
the only gopher.
- That's why the
vote was unanimous.
Dad, I have this whole
list of demands here,
and it's important that we
discuss them immediately.
- Okay, but I was
thinking we'd leave now,
catch a movie then go
to the pizza parlor but...
- This can wait.
♪ 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 nothing 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
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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 nothing 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
- Arnold.
Arnold, don't eat so fast,
you look like Pacman!
- I can't help it dad.
When I'm around food, my
mouth switches to fast-forward.
- Another terrific meal, Pearl.
You're the best
cook we ever had.
- Oh, Willis, you
and your sweet talk,
and me and my sweet ear.
- I'd like to have another
serving of dessert, please.
- Yeah, it's wonderful, Pearl.
- Yeah, it's great.
- You really know how
to make a gal feel good.
I may write a cookbook one day,
the joy of stuffing your face.
- Hey, Kimberly, Charlene
and I are gonna go
to another movie tomorrow,
wanna come along?
- Oh, thanks,
Willis, I'd love to.
- How 'bout you, Arnold?
- No way!
Who wants to sit there
and watch you and Charlene
chewing lips and
sucking popcorn butter
off each other's fingers?
- Listen kids, you can't
make an early movie.
Have you forgotten, you're
gonna come start work
at my office
tomorrow after school.
- Oh yeah, that's right Willis,
we have to start climbing
that ladder of success to
those big bucks in the sky.
- Yep, you are looking
at the future president
of dad's company.
Some day I'm gonna be
el commander supreme-o.
- That's a big step up
from el brother the jerk-o.
- Makes me proud to
have a bilingual family.
- Well, Willis, just don't
be too sure about who's
taking over, the president
just might be wearing a dress.
- If it'll get Willis a
job, he'll wear anything!
- Anyway, I'm looking
forward to having
both of you on the payroll.
- Payroll?
Uh, well, what about me, dad?
I accept money too.
- Arnold, I think
you're a little too young.
- You're never too young
to start clawing your way
to the top over the
backs of your family.
- That's an admirable attitude.
- Dad, I'd make a great
executive, I'm smart, I'm ambitious,
and I'm good at letting
everybody else do the work.
- Okay, Arnold, I've got
the perfect job for you.
You can be my executive gopher.
- Gopher? Gopher?!
You give jobs like that
to strangers, not relatives.
- Son, it's a long
road to the top.
I went to college, then I went
to Harvard business school
then my father started
me in the company,
learning every
facet of the business,
including the mail room.
- And two weeks later,
you were the president.
- Willis, that is
absolutely untrue.
It took me three weeks.
- Miss Lindgren.
Yes, Mr. Drummond?
- Would you please send
in my executive gopher?
Right away.
- You buzz, boss?
- Yes, I have a new
assignment for you, Arnold.
Would you deliver
those memos, please?
You have a question?
- Yeah, when do I
get a coffee break?
- You don't drink coffee.
- I know, but I could use it
for a salami on rye break.
- Arnold, don't breathe on
these memos, they may wilt.
- What are you doing, Willis?
- It's too complicated,
you wouldn't understand.
- Sure I would, try me.
- Okay, I'm coordinating
the annual divisional assets.
- Would you mind repeating that?
- Are you kidding,
I'm lucky I said it once.
- Hi!
Hi honey, how's everything
going in advertising?
- Oh, just wonderful, daddy.
I mean sir.
- Kimberly, I'm your boss
but I'm still your father.
You may call me Mr. Drummond.
- Thanks, daddy.
Well, look, now this is
the design for the cover
of your annual stockholder's
report, what do you think?
- No, it's all wrong, it's
not at all what I wanted.
Who did this?
- Me.
- Love it, keep
up the good work.
- Now, daddy,
don't just tell me that
because I'm your daughter,
give me your honest opinion,
that's the only way
I'm ever gonna learn.
- Okay honey,
I'll level with you.
See, it's too busy, and
the colors don't blend,
and the all over
design simply does not
convey confidence
in the company.
- In other words, it stinks.
- Ew, so do you, salami breath.
- I better get myself
a Binaca Blast.
- Well, back to the
old drawing board.
- Good girl, hang in there,
I've gotta get going too,
I've got an appointment
in my lawyer's office.
I'll see you guys.
- Okay, dad.
- Willis, keep an
eye on this door.
- Alright.
Man, this sure is some office,
and some day it's
gonna be mine, all mine.
Hey, perfect fit.
Arnold, take a letter.
- Willis, take a hike.
- Yes, Miss Lindgren,
what can I do for you?
Willis, there's
a friend of yours
here to see you, James Hamilton?
- Send him in, I think I can
work him into my busy schedule.
- What's James doing here?
- We're going to a
basketball game tonight.
- Oh, I get it, you told
him to meet you here
so he can see what
a big man you are.
- Hey, I got what it takes
and when you
got it, you flaunt it.
- Well you also got a big mouth
and when you
got it, you flap it.
- Hey guys, what's happenin'?
Hey James - What's happenin'
- Ooh, check this out.
Man, Willis, you
have got it made.
This is plush city,
this really your office?
- Oh it's just temporary
'til they find something
more fitting for a
man of my position.
- They're redecorating
the janitor's closet.
- You really come a long
way from Harlem, baby,
and I know because
I just took the A train.
- Yeah, this is
some set up alright,
with lots of fringe
benefits, like for instance,
the basketball game,
two big freebies, best seats
in the house, a little perk
we big executives get.
- I get a perk too,
unlimited use of the
executive men's room.
It's really classy, you
can't even hear the flush!
- That's fantastic, you know,
I hope you know how
lucky you are Willis.
It's really cold out there
for some of us brothers.
- Yeah, I know, remember
I came from Harlem too.
- Yeah, my dad just
got laid off from work
and things are tight
around the house.
If I don't find a part-time
job, I may have to drop out
of school and find
something full-time.
- Hey, man, that's really rough.
But hey, just stick with it.
I'm sure you can find a
job if you try a little harder.
- A little harder?
Willis, I have looked everywhere,
you've lost touch, man.
The problem is finding
a job when you got
a complexion like this.
- You mean they won't hire
you because you got pimples?
- I mean, they won't hire
me because I'm black, Arnold.
Everywhere I go I
hear the same story.
Don't call us,
we won't call you.
You know, if you didn't
have a rich dad who hired you,
you'd be hearing the same song.
- Hey, listen, why don't
you apply for a job here?
This company
doesn't discriminate.
- Well, I got news for you,
I did apply for a job here.
And your father's company
doesn't hire blacks either.
- What you talking about, James?
- Hey that's ridiculous.
I've seen blacks
working around here
and I wasn't looking
in the mirror at the time.
- So they hired a few tokens,
but that guy Duffy in personnel
sure turned me down fast.
- Well, did you say
something he could have
taken the wrong way?
- No, nothing.
Well, I did call
him a honkey bigot.
- How could he take
that the wrong way?
- Hey, but that was after
he said he wouldn't hire me.
- James, look, there's a lot
of discrimination out there
but not in this company.
It's all the way you
go about these things.
I mean, there's a right
way and a wrong way.
- Yeah and the fast
way is to have your
father own the company.
- It's got nothing
to do with it.
Even if I was a total stranger,
I bet I could get a job here
- Quit kidding yourself, Willis.
I know other black guys
who tried to get work here, too.
Not one of them made it.
- Okay, James, it
looks like I'm going
to have to prove you wrong.
Tomorrow after school
I'm going to see Mr. Duffy,
I'm gonna get that job,
and I'm just going to pretend
like I'm some
guy off the street.
- You'd do better if you
pretend you're white.
Willis, I'm telling you, your
father's company discriminates
- Look, James, pardon me Willis,
The only reason I'm not going
to make you eat those words
is because you're our
friend, you're our guest,
and if I tried anything
you'd squash me like a bug.
- Now, let me get this
straight, Miss Lindgren,
no more hanging around the
water cooler, no more gossiping
on the phone, and let's try to
cut down on the paper clips.
- Arnold, you shouldn't talk
to dad's secretary like that.
- I'm just practicing, Miss
Lindgren's in the ladies' room.
Where's dad?
- Oh he had to go to a meeting.
- Ah, well I guess I can
show him this tomorrow.
- What is it?
- Well, I made a new
cover for the annual
stockholder's report, see I
changed the color scheme
and I simplified the design
a little bit, what do you think?
- It still stinks.
- Hey, you think Willis will
get that job with Mr. Duffy?
- Sure, all Willis has to do
is tell him about his terrific
grades, his sharp mind, and
his natural business sense.
In other words, lie.
- Our next applicant, please.
Oh hello, I'm Jack Duffy.
- Nice to meet you
Mr. Duffy, I'm Rodger Johnson.
- Please have a seat, Rodger.
- Thank you, nice day isn't it?
- I wouldn't know, I
don't have a window.
So, Rodger, I see
you're still in high school.
- Yes sir, I'm a sophomore
and I have a B+ average,
and I play lots of sports
and I'm on the debating team.
- Oh that's very good.
- I'd really like to work for
a great company like this.
- Oh really, well how do you
know it's a great company?
- Oh well you can tell,
it's such a tall building.
- A lot of windows.
- I'm very ambitious, Mr. Duffy.
I believe you have to
start young to get ahead
in this world and to
be a stock boy here
would just be a
great opportunity...
- Hello, Mr. Duffy!
- Well, hello, Arnold!
- I'm not interrupting
anything am I?
- Yes, get lost.
I mean, um, would you mind
leaving us alone, please?
- Just doing my job, the
mail has to get through.
You know what they
say, neither rain, nor sleet,
nor snow, nor slush, nor mush,
nor detours, nor unpaved road
- We get the point.
- I don't believe I've met
this total stranger before.
My name's Arnold what's yours?
- Rodger.
You're kidding, Rodger?
- What's so funny?
- Nothing, nice name.
Anyway, uh, certainly looks
like a bright young man,
of course looks
can be deceiving.
- Arnold, if you don't mind,
I'm trying to ask this
fella a few questions.
- Oh, I don't mind, I'd
love to hear the answers.
- Arnold, I'm sure you've
got a lot of work to do
and it would please
your father if you did it.
- Yes, Mr. Duffy,
I get the picture.
See ya later, total stranger.
You're Rodger.
- Sorry about that,
he's the boss's son.
Yeah, now, where were we?
- I think you were
just about to hire me.
- Rodger, you seem
like a fine young man,
so I'm going to level with you.
I'm afraid there's
not much chance of
your getting a job here.
- Say what?
- Well, the simple fact
is I have other applicants
who are much more qualified.
- To be stock boys?
- Well, believe it or
not, I have college kids
applying for this job.
- Oh, come on, what
they major in, label licking?
- Well, these are tough
times, they'll take anything,
and it's my job to hire the
very best people I can find.
I hope you understand.
- Oh yeah, I understand, you
won't hire me because I'm black
- Now that has nothing
to do with it, Rodger.
- Oh yeah, I bet you don't
hire any black teenagers.
- Well I'd be happy to if
they were the most qualified.
- See, you admit you don't.
- I don't admit anything and
I resent your walking in here
off the street and accusing
me of discriminating.
- Well that's where
you're wrong.
I didn't walk in
here off the street,
but that's where you're
going to be walking real soon.
- And what is that
supposed to mean?
- It means I'm the
boss's other son,
and you're fired,
finished, washed up, kaput.
- You mean you actually
fired Mr. Duffy, Willis?
- I sure did, I gave
him the big 86.
- It was the perfect
undercover job.
Willis went into his office
disguised as a dumb kid
off the street, a role
he plays very, very well.
- Thank you, Arnold.
- Then I slipped into his office
to give Willis some
moral support.
Mr. Duffy had no
idea we were brothers.
Willis is kind of a pretty boy,
while I've got these
rugged good looks.
- Willis, what's dad gonna
say when he finds out?
You don't have the
authority to fire anyone.
- You'll see, dad
will back my decision.
- Willis, I want to talk to you.
Come here.
Dig this, I'm in the middle
of a meeting downtown,
suddenly the phone
rings and Mr. Duffy tells me
he's just been fired
by my 16-year-old son
whose name happens to be Rodger.
- He can explain that, dad.
- I'm talking to Willis.
- He's talking to you, Willis.
- Dad, he deserved to be fired.
He's your personnel
manager and he's a bigot.
- It's true, dad, he
wouldn't hire Willis.
- And so you automatically
assume from that
that he's a bigot.
I've known Jack
Duffy for 18 years
and he hasn't got a
prejudice bone in his body
and what ever gave you
the idea that you had the right
to fire anybody, I'm the
head of the company.
- Willis, try to remember
that from now on.
- Arnold, whose side are you on?
- I'm waiting to see
how it comes out.
- Dad, my friend James
and a lot of other black guys
apply for a lot of jobs
there and Duffy hasn't hired
any of them and
he doesn't plan on it.
He just gave me some bull
about black teenagers not being
qualified and that college
kids are applying for the jobs.
- Did you stop to think
that there just may be
some truth in what he said?
The tougher the times
are, the tougher it is
for kids without
training to get started.
- Yeah but if somebody doesn't
help them it'll never change.
- Yeah, daddy, what's
gonna happen to James
and all those kids
who aren't as qualified?
You can't just sweep
them under the rug.
- No, of course not, it
breaks my heart to see
all those eager
young kids out of work.
- Well there must be
something we can do.
- Yeah maybe there
is, I'll tell you what,
Willis, let's make
that your project.
See if you can come up
with a solution to the problem.
You've already shown
some real initiative,
you fired my personnel manager.
And I want you to apologize
to him first thing tomorrow.
- Okay, dad.
- Looks like you got your
work cut out for you, Willis.
- I have an idea for you, I
deliver about fifty memos a day.
We can hire one kid
to carry each memo.
- Then you'd be out of a job.
- Oh that's okay, I've already
been working two days,
I'm ready for an
early retirement.
- Dad, I got good news for you.
- First things first, Willis.
The meeting of the
executive Drummonds
will now come to order.
I want a progress
report from each of you
as to how you've been
doing here this last week.
- Well, daddy, I've been...
- Point of order, Mr. President!
- What is the point of order?
- In the first place, you said
that I could run this meeting
in the second place, the
chair did not recognize
the pushy lady
executive on my left.
- You are right on
both counts, Arnold.
- See, I've been reading your
book on order by robbing rule.
- You mean Robert's
Rules of Order.
- That's close enough.
Anyway, I think that
wheretofor and whereas
we wanna do it right, we
oughtta do it by the book herein.
- Did you read that
book, or swallow it?
- Arnold, I'm very
glad that you're taking
such a keen interest, but
we're just meeting as a family
so we can just be
ourselves, hereafter.
- Suits me, heretofor.
Hear ye, hear ye, the meeting
of the Drummond executives
will now come to order,
and the first order of business
is giving us a raise.
- Alright!
- Yeah!
I like the way you run
your meetings, little brother.
- I'm small but I'm tricky.
All in favor, say aye.
- Objection!
Aye!
- Opposed?
- Nay!
- Dad, you're
outnumbered three to one.
- But I run this company.
- That's okay, we'll
give you a raise too.
- You'll get raises when
you deserve raises.
Now, let's just have a look
and see what you've done so far.
Kimberly.
- Well, daddy,
things are going great
in the advertising department.
I've learned an awful lot
about how to make the public
go into debt by buying
things they don't really need.
- Well, I wouldn't
exactly put it that way,
but that's accurate.
Now, Willis, what's
this great news?
- Well dad, I've been working
on that teenage unemployment
problem, and I've come
up with a great idea.
- Wonderful, what is it?
- I'll show you,
uh Miss Lindgren,
could you please send them in?
Right away, Willis.
- Willis, who is them?
- Dad, this is a terrific idea,
even if it did come from Willis.
- Hi Mr. Drummond.
- Oh hello there, James.
- Hey James!
- Come on in James!
- How are you guys doin'?
- Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't
realize there were more of you.
How do you do?
- Oh, hello.
Oh, hey.
- How you doing?
- Fine.
- Hi there, I'm the boss's son.
- Ah, excuse me,
Kimberly, beg your pardon,
may I get through?
- Thank you so
much, Mr. Drummond.
- Certainly, excuse me, beg
your pardon, Willis, Arnold,
could I talk to you three
for a minute, please?
Would you folks excuse
us for just a minute, please.
Willis, who are all these people
and what are they doing here?
- I hired them.
- You hired them, all
of them, to work here?
- Yeah, they're our new
trainees, each day after school
they come here to
learn about the business.
- It was my idea.
- Don't you love it dad?
- No, I don't love it.
- You better give it
some more thought, Willis.
- You see, it's a
very generous idea,
but this is a business,
not a trade school.
We're not equipped
to train all these people.
Willis, you really should have
asked me before you did this
- Oh but dad, you told
me to use my own initiative
to solve the
problem, didn't you?
- Yes, I did, and I'm
sure you tried to do
what you thought was right.
- Aw, daddy, we can't
say no to them now.
- I told them they'd all have
jobs, I can't just fire them.
- I'm sorry Willis, but part
of being executive is that
you have to do things that
you might not want to do.
- Aw dad, I just can't.
- Well then, I'll
have to do it myself.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I wanted to just tell you how
nice it is to meet all of you
and I want to thank you
for coming here today.
Actually, I'm afraid
that Willis here,
who's new to the business
world, acted a little prematurely.
We have a problem, see,
it isn't that I wouldn't like
to have all of you working
here, I most certainly would,
but actually Willis kind of
jumped the gun so to speak.
Now, you're a fine looking
group of young people
but I can't possibly
I can't possibly
say no to any of you
so if you come back on
Monday we'll try to find places
for all of you in
some way or another.
- This is really great,
Mr. Drummond, thanks a lot,
we really appreciate
what you're doing.
- Oh, don't thank me,
thank my chief executive.
- That's alright, I couldn't
have done it without Willis.
- Hey, Mr. Drummond, do
you mind if I hang around here
and you know, sort of get
into the groove of things?
- No, no, James,
that would be fine.
- Oh, thanks a lot. See ya.
- Bye bye!
- Hey dad, thank you, you're
not gonna regret it either.
- Yeah did you see those
faces, you got 15 eager kids
ready to give you
everything they've got.
- Yeah but now that I got
them, what do I do with them?
- Well, to start off dad,
your executive gopher
could use an assistant.
I'll take that cute little
mama in the blue sweater.
- Hey, that's great!
Listen, thanks Jerry, I was
hoping I could count on you.
Right, bye.
Well that does it, Willis, his
company is going to take two
we'll keep the other three,
that means they're all placed.
- Aw, thanks
dad, you're terrific.
- I'll tell you something,
that was a lot tougher
than I thought it would be.
I was surprised that
there was resistance
from some of the
companies that I contacted.
- I told you there was a lot
of discrimination out there dad
- I know that, we're an
equal opportunity employer
but I think we can do
even more for those kids.
I'm gonna make sure that
we hire and train some of those
teenagers that aren't quite
as qualified as the others.
- Man that would sure help dad.
- Come in.
- I don't mean to interrupt
but I thought you might
like this, Mr. Drummond.
What's that?
- I made a list of all the
trainees with their special
skills and interests,
thought it might help you
to decide where you
want them to work.
- Why thank you James,
that shows real initiative.
- Yeah it sure does.
- Well, see you on
Monday, Mr. Drummond.
Catch you later, bro.
Later - Bye now.
- Willis, I'm
impressed with James.
I know that you think
you're in line for my position
but he might just be
nipping at your heels,
maybe even higher up.
Nipping at my heels,
I know you're only kidding, dad.
Aren't you?
Oh, it's ridiculous!
- I'm going to bring this
company to its knees.
- What's going on here?
- Arnold formed a union.
- The American Federation
of Gophers, AFOG.
And they just voted
me their leader.
- Arnold, you are
the only gopher.
- That's why the
vote was unanimous.
Dad, I have this whole
list of demands here,
and it's important that we
discuss them immediately.
- Okay, but I was
thinking we'd leave now,
catch a movie then go
to the pizza parlor but...
- This can wait.
♪ 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 nothing 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
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