Good Times (1974–1979): Season 2, Episode 14 - Florida's Big Gig - full transcript

♪ 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
ripoffs Good times ♪

♪ Scratchin' and
survivin' Good times ♪

♪ Hangin' in a chow
line Good times ♪

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪



♪ Good times ♪♪

What are you
sitting there for, J.J.?

Breakfast is finished.

I'm waiting for dessert.

J.J., there ain't no such thing

as dessert with breakfast.

How about a Twinkie
dipped in oatmeal?

Well it's not in the
Galloping Gourmet's

recipe book.

Now, get ready for school.

Aw, Ma, but my
stomach's really empty.

With you, an empty
stomach only means

that the rest of your body

is catching up to your head.



Now I know the day has begun.

The sun's come up, and
the big mouth is open.

All right kids, that's
enough of that.

Hey, J.J., don't you
know what's going on?

The Defender said that
there's a big food price crunch

in the country.

Yeah, and folks like
us are the crunchees,

but the President
has a solution for it.

He says we've just
got to bite the bullet.

Bite the bullet? We
already down to the powder.

Now, our food may not be fancy,

but it's nutritious and filling.

Yeah, I had enough to eat.

So did I.

I can't help it if
y'all easy to fill up.

Me, I'm like a Cadillac.

I need a lot of fuel

before my luxury body
can move out of park

and comfortably glide
down the freeway of life.

Well, here's a solution

for your little fuel problem.

Next time you're gliding
down the freeway of life,

get off at the exit
marked "part-time job."

Ma, I been out there looking,

but there ain't nothing
out there part-time,

spare-time, or no time at all.

He's right, Ma.

The Defender says that the
average unemployment figure

for black teenagers is 35%,

and the government's
unemployment figure

for all blacks is 11%.

Well, we're getting
up in the world.

Two years ago, we were
10% of the population.

Now, we're 11%
of the unemployed.

Here's some good news.

It says here the stock market's

down 15 points.

Well, what's good about that?

We don't own no stocks.

Well, we may be
taking that plunge

on the stock market soon

if everything
works out all right.

Your daddy is up for a big job

in that department store,

and I may be up for
something big too.

You are? Really?

What?

Well, I didn't want to
say nothing about it,

but Willona told her boss
that I was good at sewing,

and I might get a
job altering clothes

in her boutique.

All right.

That's great!

When it comes to
altering clothes, Ma,

you're the best.

Because my blue
turtleneck, every time I wear it,

people give me
compliments on it,

and little will they ever know

that that's half of
Thelma's old gym shorts.

And the other half is my shorts.

I'll get it, Ma.

Hello, Evans residence.

Oh, hi.

No.

No.

No.

Yeah, bye.

What was that all about?

That was that old ugly
Charlotte McDaniel.

I told her,

no, I wouldn't walk her
to school this morning,

no, I wouldn't play
with her at recess,

no, I wouldn't walk
her home after school,

and, yeah, if she
calls here again,

I'm not going to talk to her.

Girls, yuck!

I ain't got time for
none of that mushy stuff.

The 12-year-old mind,
a thing of pure beauty.

Except when it's trapped
in an 18-year-old body.

Ma, I'm going to school early,

so I won't have to bump
into that dumb Charlotte.

Later, y'all. Okay, love.

Hi. Bye, Willona.

Whoo-wee! He just
set a new world's record

for the least time elapsed
between hi and bye.

Good morning, everybody.

Hi, Willona.

Well, I'm all ready to
go down to the boutique

to see about that job.

I got up real early
and did my hair.

It may not look like much now,

but wait until you see
it when I go outside

and let it blow in the breeze.

Oh, I remember the last time

I let my hair blow
in the breeze.

It blew off.

The next thing I know,

some dude was driving
around with a hairy hubcap.

Willona, you made that up.

Yeah, it was just a little
joke to, uh, soften the blow.

What are you talking about?

Flo, honey, I don't
know how to tell you this,

but my boss just called.

About my job.

Mm-hmm.

He couldn't afford
to hire nobody,

so he got somebody to work free.

His mama.

Damn.

Ma... Not in front of the child.

Florida, I'll tell you,

it's impossible
to get work today.

You know things are so bad,

the newspapers are
putting the want ads

in with the obituaries?

Which means employment is dead,

and since its dead,

I think I'll give it
a little service...

Hell, yes.

Brothers and sisters.

The opportunity to get work,

so dearly beloved, has gone,

is no longer with us.

I say, it's no longer with us!

The other day,

I was walking down the street

past the unemployment office,

and there was a line
about five miles long.

People was
a'standing there hungry

looking for work,

but all the work
was already gone.

Hey!

But those of us
that are working,

we got to keep on keeping on.

We got to keep on struggling.

We got to keep on trying.

Ah, yes, sir.

Even though our salaries,

I say, our salaries
are slowly...

slowly, slowly dying,
and all the while,

the old grim reaper
called "inflation,"

yeah, I'm talking
about inflation.

It's a'standing right
outside that door.

Standing, a'watching,
and a'waiting.

Hey! Can I get an Amen?

Amen!

Hallelujah! Hey!

The service is now concluded.

Oh, Flo, honey, I'm
sorry about the job.

Oh, that's all right, Willona.

But if hear of
anything, you know,

I'll sure let you know.

I'll see you kids later.

Okay.

Bye.

What you going to do now, Ma?

The only thing I can do,
go see what's out there.

Hey, baby, we got any Band-Aids?

What's wrong, honey?

Nothing.

It's just that I'm
dressed so sharp,

I'm liable to cut
myself to death.

You do look mighty fine, James.

Thank you.

Sure do, Daddy.

Well, thank you, baby girl.

You know they say
clothes make the man.

Yeah, them French
designers would sure delight

in calling you
Monsieur Dyn-o-mite!

Well, Junior, from now on,

this is going to be
my uniform of the day.

No more breaking my
back and coming home dirty

for chump change.

Tomorrow, I'm starting
me a prestige gig.

A chance to go to work clean,

do a lot of smooth talking,

and make grand-theft dough.

You know something, Daddy?

That department store

couldn't have found a better man

to sell their
appliances than you.

You know something, baby girl?

You are right.

Hold on, James. You
ain't got that job yet.

Are you kidding, baby?

I got a grip on
that gig like a vice.

The woman in personnel

told me I passed all the tests,

and as far as this
interview goes,

now it's just a formality.

Hell, she thinks I'm
the greatest thing

since red beans and rice.

Too bad soul food

ain't a hit on everybody's menu.

I don't follow you.

Forget about that
job with Willona.

It's dead.

Yeah, we just had the services.

That ain't no
reason to get upset.

Baby, that could be
a blessing in disguise.

Now I don't follow.

Well, look, now you can go
down to the department store

and get a job with me.

James, honey, you
haven't been hired yet.

Are you kidding, baby? I
got it made in the shade.

Do you know how many
cats applied for that job?

Over 50. Over 50!

I came away leading the pack.

You know why?

Why?

Because, Junior,

when it comes to doing the do,

your father can do it to death.

Me, I just real cool,

like, laid a little bit of the
James Evans charm on

and proceeded to charm
the pants off that woman.

You what?

Figuratively speaking, baby.

What I mean is that,
uh, I just turned on

what they call
the male charisma.

You know, before
I left that office,

I knew I could get anything
out of that woman I wanted.

You what?

I mean like favors, baby.

Like getting you a job.

One of them good women's jobs.

What do you mean women's jobs?

Well, you know, like, uh,

wrapping packages
and putting stuff away.

You know, all them good things

that women groove on.

What you mean things
women groove on?

Why they always want to
offer us the crummy jobs?

Now, Thelma, you and
your mother got to realize

that men are cut
out for certain work

just because of
the way we're built.

Now, wait a minute, James.

That ain't what
that Title VII says.

What's Title VII?

It's a part of a federal law

that I've seen tacked up

everywhere I went
to look for work,

and it forbids
job discrimination

on account of sex.

For participants
or non-participants.

J.J... Look, suppose you two go

and get ready for school.

Hey, where's the
militant midget?

Oh, he cut out early

to avoid being the victim
of the hormone revolution.

Well, Florida, you going to
come on down to that job with me

and get it while
the getting is good?

James, honey, you
going to feel foolish

if you ain't reading
that woman right.

Yeah, Daddy. Maybe it's her job

to be super nice to everybody.

Thelma, being super
nice is one thing,

but when you're bitten by
the James Evans charm,

it leaves an unmistakable mark.

Hah-hah.

It's called a
hickey, right, Dad?

I'd better split
before I get split.

Bye, Daddy. Ma.

All right. Bye, Love.

Good luck.

Later, Junior. Okay. Thank you.

Straight home from school, now.

James, you really think
you could get me a job?

Baby, I am so positive
that you're going

to come away from
that place with a gig,

that if you don't,

I will push a needle
down State Street

in 10-degree-below-zero weather

using my nose.

Now, is that confident
enough for you?

Well, just fine, James,
but I hope you're right.

Them cracks in the
sidewalks'll kill you.

Florida, will you stop
fidgeting and fussing?

You're about to
give that chair a fit.

I can't relax,
James. I'm worried.

About what, baby?

Honey, I don't want
to be embarrassed,

and I don't want to
see you embarrassed.

Ain't nobody going
to be embarrassed.

I told you I got a
lock on the whole...

Mr. Evans, come in. Come in.

Mrs. Rogers.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Morning.

How are you, Mrs. Rogers?

And how are you?

How are we today, Mr. Evans?

Mrs. Rogers, we are
like a microwave oven.

We are turned on
and ready to radiate.

That's very funny.

This is Mrs. Evans, my wife.

Oh, how do you do, Mrs. Evans?

Sit down, please, please.

Thank you.

Well now, Mr. Evans. I...

Mrs. Rogers, before we begin,

my wife is also
looking for work,

so I thought you might
want to lay a nice job on her

before we got started with
my interview, you know.

Sorry, Mr. Evans,

but I don't believe we
have any other openings.

Well, it don't
have to be nothing

as good as my job,
but maybe something

in the package-wrapping
department.

You know, you looking

at the last of the red-hot
package wrappers.

Oh, oh...

Oh, it must be sheer heaven
living with such an amusing man.

Sorry, no openings.

Well, how about something

in the stock-clerk
department for her,

because that
don't take no skill.

She'd be real good at it.

My husband's always
putting me on a pedestal.

Excuse me. Mrs. Rogers, may I
speak with you a moment please?

Of course.

My boss.

Will you excuse me, please?

Well, I sure hope your
nose is in good shape

for pushing that needle
down State Street.

Oh, you can do it.

It don't need no skill.

What's the interview for?

Well, I'm just hiring
for that sales job

in appliances.

Good. She's just what we need.

Oh, no, no, no. That
woman is his wife.

I'm hiring the man.

Wrong. You're hiring the woman.

But I practically
promised Mr. Evans.

Mrs. Rogers, I promised myself,

my wife and my four children

that I'd keep my job.

The head of this store
has promised to fire me

if we did not comply

with the government regulations

regarding the
hiring of minorities.

Well then, what's the
problem? He's black.

She's black too.

She's also a woman.

Therefore, when we
hire a black woman,

we're capturing two
minority butterflies

with one net.

The government is happy.

The head of the store is happy.

I'm happy, you're
happy, and she's happy.

But what about him?

We can't all be happy.

Mr. Bridges, I all
but told Mr. Evans

that job is his.

I just can't tell him he
doesn't have it anymore.

I just can't.

You can't? No.

All right then,
you don't have to.

Oh, good.

I'll tell him.

Mr. Bridges.

Thank you.

Mr. Bridges.

Thank you.

Hi. I'm Len Bridges,
Mrs. Rogers' supervisor.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans,

boy, have I got news for you.

Yes?

Now, what the hell you mean,

you're going to give the
job to my wife instead of me?

That's crazy.

Well, what's crazy about it?

Is there a better way
to sell housewares

than with a housewife?

Yeah, Jack, with
a house husband.

Now, Mr. Evans,

I sense that you're
about ready to explode.

Yes, Lord.

I can understand
how a man might feel

when he thinks he's got a job,

and it's offered
to his wife instead.

I can see where it would
make you feel frustrated

and betrayed and angry, uptight.

Keep going, man,

you ain't even
dented the list yet.

I won't do it.

I won't take a job
from my husband.

Well, Mrs. Evans, if
you don't take the job,

I'll just have to offer
it to somebody else.

You mean to say if my
wife don't take the job,

you going to give it to
somebody else besides me?

Another woman.

Well, Mrs. Evans,
it's up to you.

The job is yours if
you want it. If not...

Uh, excuse us a
minute, will you please?

Uh, baby, let me
speak to you over here.

Come on.

Florida, take the job.

What?

Baby, take the job.

I can always get back
on at the car wash.

Take the job, baby.

James, you know
what you're saying?

Yeah, I know what I'm saying.

Damn, if it's what I'm feeling.

Look, we done run
into a roadblock, baby.

Ain't nothing to do but either
go back the way we come from,

or keep on pushing.

Now, take the job,
Florida. Please.

Florida Evans, saleswoman.

Florida Evans, salesperson.

You know, it sure
does seem weird

with Mama working at days,

and her not being here

when we come home from school.

Yeah, and it's a shame Daddy
had to go back to the car wash.

But at least he had
some place to go.

Hmm. The real shame of it

is that we got to eat
Thelma's ghetto garbage.

J.J., it's not too smart

to scream on somebody's cooking

you're about to eat.

They might put
something bad in it.

Hm. Good. Your cooking
can use all the help it can get.

What do you mean it can
use all the help it can get...

Yes, I ain't saying nothing

this old Chef
Boyardee ghetto stuff...

I don't care. You're
going to eat it!

J.J. and Thelma,
y'all better cool it.

Daddy's going to be home soon,

and he ain't in a
good mood these days.

Hm. You telling me.

The other day, a mugger
tried to attack Dad,

Dad gave him one
of his mean looks,

and the mugger
gave Dad a dollar.

J.J., you're making that up.

Just a little joke.

That's what we need around here.

I mean, if Dad is down,

we should try and cheer him up.

The man comes home to
two lovely children, and...

You're not going to
count yourself, J.J.?

As I was saying,

it's our job to cheer Daddy up.

How?

With love, warmth,
and a little humor.

I don't think Dad's
in a laughing mood,

but at least Ma had proven a
woman can do a man's work.

Hm. I hope that
don't go too far.

Some day, some dude's
going to walk up to me and say,

"What does your
mother do for a living?"

I'm going to say,

"She plays linebacker
for Chicago Bears."

All right y'all.

Let's lay on the
warmth and love.

Okay.

Hi, Daddy.

Hi.

Hi, Daddy dear!

Yeah... Hi, Dad.
How'd the day go?

Rotten.

Hey, Dad, there's a great
new joke going around.

Did you hear the one
about... Yeah, I heard it.

It ain't funny, and shut up.

Well, now that I got
him all cheered up,

you take over, Thelma.

Daddy, we know things
are rough right now,

but it'll get better.

I don't know, baby girl.

They laying off
all over the place.

They laid off Willie Washington
and Lunchmeat Mumford

down at the car wash.

Boy, they laying off
thousands at the auto plants.

The President said

he was going to
bring us all together.

None of us knew
the meeting place

was going to be the bread line.

Hey, Dad, you want me
to turn on the 6:00 News?

I'll see what the
government is calling it today.

Stagflation,
recession, depression,

or a nostalgic look at hunger.

Hey, everybody.

Hey Mom!

What you got in the box?

Ah, a nice cake I picked up.

Oh, Mom, what
are we celebrating?

You got a raise at the store?

You'll see.

Hi, James.

Uh...

Is that all you got
to say to me? Huh?

Aren't you glad to see me?

One thing about
Dad's kind of joy,

it'll never get you busted

for disturbing the peace.

Why don't we set the table,

Chief Runningmouth.

All right.

Okay, James. Something's
wrong. What is it?

Nothing.

Now, James, something
is bothering you,

so let's talk about it.

I don't want to talk about it.

But I think we
should talk about it.

Yeah, well, I said I
don't want to talk about it.

Okay then, we
won't talk about it.

You want to talk about it, huh?

Uh-huh.

Well I don't want
to talk about it.

James, let me tell you
why I bought the cake.

I don't want to
hear about no cake.

At least let me tell
you why I bought it.

Lord, I said I don't want
to hear about no jive cake.

Oh, you'll want to
hear about this cake.

Well, you just got
to rub it in, don't you?

What do you mean
I just got to rub it in?

It ain't enough that you're
going to be the breadwinner,

now you got to show off

about being the
cakewinner too, huh?

James, you still mad,

because you didn't get that job.

I am not mad.

That's why I didn't
want to take that job,

why I had second
thoughts about it,

but, no, you
insisted... I didn't insist.

You did too!

Well, you ain't got to listen

to everything I say.

Well, from now on, I won't

if that's the way
you feel about it.

Well, Florida, how do
you expect me to feel?

I been beat out of more jobs

for more reasons
than you can imagine

all my life.

Wrong paint jobs,

overqualified, underqualified,

too much of this,
not enough of that.

Boy, they found every reason
in the book to keep me down.

Then just when I
think I got it made,

they come up with a new one.

Do you realize I'm
the first man in America

to lose his job to his wife?

It wasn't my fault, honey. The
whole thing was an accident.

Yeah, the flying foot
of fate done caught me

in the same place as usual.

Honey, the flying foot of fate

don't play no favorites.

That's why I bought the cake.

Well, look, you can
take that cake and eat it.

Do whatever you want to.
Just get it out of my life now.

I am not going to eat it,

and you're going to
listen to what I have to say.

You want to have some more
conversation about cakes?

You have it with Betty Crocker.

I ain't going through no more
changes about no damn cake.

You don't have to go
through any changes.

I'm going through enough changes

for both of us.

James... I was laid off.

Now, I said I don't want
to hear no more about it.

I don't want to talk
about it no more, hear?

James, you haven't
heard a thing I said.

I said I don't want to talk
about it no more, hear?

James! I was fired.

Damn. I mean, you just
got started working there

three days...

Well, people just not spending

as much money as they used to

and the stores had to cut back.

Yeah, and while
they was cutting back,

they was playing our song, huh?

The last-hired,
first-fired blues.

It all happened so quick.

By the time I got
over the shock of it,

I went out and bought that cake.

I thought it would
bring a little joy

into the house... after
we sang the blues.

That was a wonderful
thought, baby.

Just wonderful.

I'm sorry I did all that
hollering and screaming.

Oh, you had to
get it off your chest.

Yeah, but I didn't have
to put it on your back.

It's all right. Forget
about it, James.

Cakewinner, breadwinner.

Baby, you just a plain winner.

Oh. Thanks, honey,

but I got to tell
you, I'm worried.

About what?

With you just having
a part-time job,

I wonder how we
going to make it.

Oh, relax, baby.

We'll make it the same
way we always have.

Somehow.

What you mean I
couldn't get a job

if my life depended on it?

That's right.

The only job you can get
is modeling popsicle sticks.

If your brain was as
big as your mouth,

you'd need a head
like a Goodyear Blimp.

James, Thelma,

why don't y'all stop fighting?

Yeah, we'll make it all right.

We got all the ingredients.

Family, love, and togetherness.

♪ Mm-mm-mm ♪

♪ Just lookin' Out
of the window ♪

♪ Watching the asphalt grow ♪

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

♪ Good times Good times ♪

♪ Keepin' your
head Above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave When you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs Good times ♪

Good Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪