Good Times (1974–1979): Season 3, Episode 3 - Operation Florida - full transcript
Florida is in the hospital for a gall bladder operation, but the real pain is finding out how much everything costs.
♪ 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 ♪♪
Howard, Howard... Sit down.
I have a confession to make.
I've... I've been
an unfaithful wife.
We will return to
An Affair of the Heart
right after these
messages from our sponsor.
Thelma, are you watching
that jive soap opera again?
Mm-mm. Ooh!
Don't touch that dial!
Howard's about to leave Cynthia!
He's been leaving her
since I was 12 years old.
I wanna watch Win a Fortune.
Win a Fortune, are
you serious J.J.?
You watch that stupid program?
Michael, it's not stupid,
and I love to watch them women
win them prizes.
The emcee always goes,
"Annabelle, are you ready?
"Pull the curtain.
"Annabelle, you have just won
a genuine Hollywood mink coat!"
She goes crazy!
She kisses and hugs the emcee.
Then she grabs the coat
and runs out and hawks it.
We have got to see that!
Not today, we won't!
All right, Michael,
what you doing?
I don't like those game shows
or those daytime soap operas.
I wanna watch the news.
Hey, what's so
special about the news?
It's this new family
programming.
It's the only place a kid
can see sex and violence
before 9:00.
Well, Michael, if you
wanna see and violence,
look out the window.
We're gonna watch Win a Fortune!
Hey!
Who put you in charge of the TV?
I did, because I'm the biggest.
The biggest what?
The biggest fool, I'm gonna...
Hold it, you two!
Hold it!
Something's wrong with Ma.
She walked right past
all the hollering and screaming
without hollering and screaming.
What's the matter, Ma?
Oh, I'm all right.
Don't worry about me.
Probably just a
little upset stomach.
Well, then why
didn't you tell me, Ma?
Because when your tummy
hurts, and you don't feel right,
that's the time
to call Doctor...
Dy-no-mite!
I'm gonna check here in
the medical encyclopedia.
Well, I don't think
you're gonna find
much in that book, J.J.
I already checked there.
Well, maybe you didn't
look in the right place.
These things take a
certain medical savoir faire.
Are your toes numb?
No.
Well, then it ain't frostbite.
J.J., look under brain damage.
Thelma, that's not Ma's problem.
No, it's yours.
Well, Thelma, let me
diagnose your problem.
In simple medical terms,
you got a bad
case of the uglies.
I must have caught it
from you, fungus face.
Fungus face?
You got some nerve,
you old amoeba-head!
I don't wanna hear that!
Thelma and J.J.,
why don't y'all cool it.
Can't y'all see Mama
doesn't feel well,
Here, Mama, have a seat.
Honey, I'm all right.
Just a little tired, that's all.
Too much tooting that barge
and lifting that bale.
You could have a
tropical disease, Ma.
You ever been
bitten by a tee-see fly?
J.J., there are no
tsetse flies in Chicago!
Well, when you get
bitten by a tee-see fly,
you don't ask him what
he's doing in Chicago.
J.J., stop that nonsense.
But Ma... Now, listen.
When your daddy gets home,
I don't want y'all saying
nothing about this to him.
You hear me?
It'll only worry him.
Mama, why don't you
go to see a doctor?
I'm sure it's nothing, Michael.
Besides, you know I always
hated going to those clinics.
How about a tapeworm, Ma.
Feel anything wiggling?
J.J., if I have to get sick,
will you please do me a favor?
Yeah, what, Michael?
Keep your jive turkey hands off!
Hey, y'all.
Hey, Dad! Hey, Dad. Hey, Daddy.
Baby, you are looking at
a man who has it made.
We are moving up financially.
Oh, yeah, what you doing,
giving up your job for
unemployment insurance?
No, baby, I got a 15-buck raise.
Oh! Hey! Right on!
Oh, James, that's wonderful.
Yeah, I just asked
for it, and I got it.
I walked right up
to the foreman,
and I said, "Hey, Pete,
seen you having lunch
with the boss's wife."
James. THELMA: Ooh!
Just jiving, baby. Just jiving.
But I did get the raise,
kids. That's for sure.
Great, Daddy. That's great!
Now I can get a new
pair of patch jeans.
I can get a
basketball and a hoop.
Where are you
gonna hang it, in here?
Well, Bill Russell's
got one in his office.
Step aside, young'uns.
Let the eldest
offspring get in here.
Now, Dad, what I would
like is an Eldorado Cadillac...
stereo tape deck,
power ashtrays.
Junior... On second
thought, Dad,
make that a skateboard.
Oh, J.J.
Baby, you ain't saying
nothing. Ain't you proud of me?
Oh, of course, I'm
proud of you, James.
That's the biggest
raise you ever got.
Florida, are you
feeling all right?
Sure. I'm feeling fine, honey.
Couldn't feel better.
Sure, Dad, Ma's okay.
Yeah, I couldn't find a
thing in the medical book.
Medical book?
What you looking in
the medical book for?
Baby, what's wrong?
What's the matter?
Nothing, James.
Florida, I said,
what's the matter?
Honey, it's nothing.
I just got a little pain
in my side, that's all.
Baby, how long have you had it?
Not long.
How long?
Promise you won't get upset?
Baby, I promise you
I'm not gonna get upset.
Now, how long did you have it?
Two weeks. Two weeks!
What the hell you
mean, two weeks?
Well, at least you
didn't get upset.
You been hurting
and you didn't tell me?
How come you didn't tell me?
Well, honey, I thought maybe
it would just go away.
Well, now, Florida,
that ain't no ordinary
stomachache,
to be hanging around
here for two weeks.
Yeah, even Thelma's
oatmeal don't hurt that long.
Well, we ain't
waiting around here
for you hurt another two weeks.
I'm taking you down to
the county hospital now.
Oh, now, James, you
know how I hate that clinic.
It's too much trouble.
Besides, those doctors
don't even know who you are.
It don't make no difference
if they know who you are,
as long as they
know what you got.
See y'all later.
All right. See you, Dad.
Wait a minute, y'all.
Maybe Ma's only got...
a deviated spectrum.
Dum-dum, that's deviated septum,
and it's in the nose.
Well, you never know.
When they deviate, they deviate.
I sure do hope Mama's all right.
She didn't feel too
good when she left.
Well, it's probably
nothing, Michael.
Try to remember, Mama's strong.
Yeah, all us Evanses is strong.
It's in our blood.
The day after I was born,
Ma was up and walking.
She wasn't walking.
She took one look at
you and started running.
Oh, yeah?
Well, the day after
you were born,
when the nurse held
you up behind the glass,
every father in the room said,
"I hope that one ain't mine."
Boy, that clinic... I tell you,
people ain't nothing
to them but bodies.
Take it easy, James.
It's gonna be all right.
No, it ain't either.
Where do they get off
talking to you like that
and treating you like that?
While we were down there,
we should have had your
blood pressure checked.
If you don't slow down,
you're going to pop.
I should have popped
somebody down at that clinic.
What happened, Ma?
What did they find out?
They took a lot of tests,
and then they found...
Boy, and the way
they boss you around...
"Wait in line! Fill
out that paper!
"Follow the yellow line!
Sit down until we call you."
Mama, are you
gonna be all right?
Oh, sure. Sure, honey.
I'm gonna be all right.
They just said that I have...
"Where's your application?
"Can't you read?
Look at the sign.
"Go back upstairs and
fill out an application.
"What are you doing up here
"without a registration slip?
"Go back downstairs
and fill out a
registration slip."
James, James, James.
"Wait in line. No,
you in the wrong hall.
Go down the hall.
Pick up this number."
Even had to wait 20
minutes to get a parking pass.
But, Dad, we don't own no car.
You try telling that to them.
James, it's not
the clinic's fault.
They just got too many patients.
Mama, you still didn't
tell us what they said.
Well, children,
I'm gonna have to
have an operation.
Operation! No, Mama. Oh!
Hi, everybody. Hello, Willona.
What's happening?
Mom and Dad have
been to the clinic.
They're gonna have to operate.
Oh, James, I'm so sorry.
Not Dad. Ma!
James, how come you sitting down
and Flo's standing up?
Uh, yeah, you right, Willona.
Come on, baby, sit down.
Flo, honey, what's the matter?
Well, they say it's gallstones.
Gallstones!
Yeah, they're fixing to operate
on your mother's gall bladder.
When do you go in?
Tomorrow afternoon.
What's a gall bladder?
Well it... oh, never mind.
Oh, one of those
girl things, huh?
No, it isn't one of
those girl things.
Then what's it do?
I don't know, Michael,
but whatever it does,
mine ain't doing it right.
Then it must be one
of those girl things.
Well, don't worry about
what you're gonna wear.
I'll loan you my peach
gown with the ruffles.
Sexy. You'll blow their minds!
Thank you, Willona.
That means I'll be the
belle of the operating room.
Don't they give
gowns at the hospital?
They do,
but don't turn your back
on the air-conditioner.
Boy, you ain't got
no privacy at all,
no privacy at all.
All them interns poking at you
like you're some
kind of Guinea pig.
James, it's free, and
the doctors are good.
Well, Flo, the last
time I was in there,
I had five interns
listening to my chest.
I thought you had a
broken ankle, Willona.
I did.
Well, didn't they know
what they was up to?
They knew what they was up to.
But I cooled them.
Florida, I don't want you going
to that county hospital again.
Oh, James, please,
don't upset yourself.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Florida, I'm gonna send
you to a private doctor
and see that you get to
the best hospital in town.
Now, James, don't start
even thinking that way,
because you know
we can't afford it.
Well, why not, baby?
I mean, I just got a raise,
and I got health
insurance at Brady's.
What's it all good for if
we ain't gonna use it?
I mean, you'd like
that, wouldn't you?
Yes, honey, but...
Well, then you got it.
Florida, you my
queen, and I love you,
and for once in your life,
you're gonna have
the very best...
A semi-private room.
Oh, James.
Oh, James, this is so nice.
Just look at this room.
Yeah.
Almost like our
honeymoon, ain't it?
Yeah.
Semi-private.
How are you feeling, baby?
Scared.
But being here makes
me feel a little better.
Oh, that's good.
James, how much
did this room cost?
Oh, don't you worry about that.
James?
Only 95 a day.
If that's dollars, I'm
really going to be sick.
Don't worry about that, Florida.
I got the insurance.
And I mean, after all, I'm
assistant loading foreman.
My wife ain't got no
business sitting up in a ward
at the county hospital.
Now, now, James,
let's not pretend
we're something we ain't.
Well, hello there.
I'm Mrs. Andrews.
I'm sharing the room with you.
Oh, I'm Florida Evans, and
this is my husband, James.
How do you do? Hello.
Oh, you're so fortunate
to have your husband here.
Leon had to fly to New
York. He's an attorney.
Are you a professional man?
Yes.
I'm in... I'm in
cargo management.
Oh, how interesting!
Yes.
It's quite a load
on his shoulders.
Oh, I'll be so glad to get home.
We have a place
on the north shore.
Oh, where do you live?
Um, summer or winter?
Can we come in now?
Oh, come on in.
Hey, Mama. Hey, Daddy.
All right, man.
How are you doing, Ma?
Gee, this is some
kind of place, Ma.
They even have light
bulbs in the elevators.
Oh, Ma, you look so pretty.
Thank you, sweetheart.
I tell you, boy, real
class, real class.
You even got your own john.
Oh, the kid's just joking.
He's trying to
cheer his mother up.
Of course.
Michael. Yeah, Daddy.
Go on downstairs
and get your mother
a dozen roses.
Okay, Daddy. All right.
Hello, Mr. Evans.
Doctor.
Well, how are you feeling?
Fine, Doctor.
That's good.
Doctor, is my mother
gonna be okay?
Oh, now, you mustn't worry.
Everything's going
to be just fine.
Now, if you'll excuse
us for a moment please.
Sure, doc. We'll
be out in the hall.
Okay, y'all be good now.
See you, Ma. Bye-bye.
See you, baby.
Uh, excuse me there, Doc.
Uh, I've been doing
a little research here.
I think it's time
that you and me
ought to consult here.
Uh, now, are you
aware of the symptoms
of the tee-see fly bite?
Dad, I'm so glad you
brought Mama here.
Me too, baby girl.
Now, look here,
that woman in there had a TV.
I'm going to see if can
order one for your mother.
Good decision. Good decision.
Excuse me, beautiful lady.
Are you doing anything tonight?
Looked like she
already done done it.
A dollar and a
half for an aspirin?
Yes, sir, that's
the normal charge.
That's just crazy.
Look at this bill!
While the doctors were upstairs
saving my life,
you were down here
killing my bank account!
Uh, good afternoon.
I'm Mr. Evans. My
wife is in room 425.
Yes, Mr. Evans.
What can I do for you?
Did I hear right,
$1.50 for an aspirin?
Yes, sir.
We have to charge
for pharmaceuticals.
Yeah, but I'm paying 95 a day.
But that only covers
room and board.
It doesn't include
the other charges,
like the operating room,
the recovery room, lab work.
Lab... what lab work?
Well, tests. You
know, blood, urinalysis.
You got to pay to go?
Just about.
They charge you
for everything else...
Phone calls, Kleenex.
Kleenex?
Damn, how much it cost
to breathe around here?
Oxygen's $50 a day.
Well, it's a good
thing I got insurance.
Oh, yes.
Reliable Mutual
Insurance Company.
Yeah, my boss said it
was good for up to 80%.
It is.
Up to a maximum of $42 a
day and after $200 deductible.
Well, just lay it on me.
How much am I in for?
Well, not counting
your doctors' fees
and deducting your
insurance benefits,
I'd say it's going to
cost you roughly $600.
Six-hundred dollars! Lady,
I work on a loading dock!
I can't afford that
kind of money!
Mr. Evans, we have
sick people here.
Yeah, you looking
at one of them.
Mr. Evans, believe
me, I know how you feel,
but hospital costs are
going up every day.
I work here and I
can't afford to be sick.
Mr. Evans? What was it you
wanted to talk to me about?
Well, I did come down here
to see if I could rent a TV
so my wife could
watch Red Foxx...
but after hearing these prices,
I think it would be cheaper
to get him here in person.
Mrs. Andrews?
Mrs. Andrews!
Yes?
Excuse me, but
could you help me?
I'd like to raise
my head a little bit.
Which one of these
buttons do I push?
The one marked "up".
Thank you.
That's the wrong up!
It's the button
on the other side.
Now on top of everything,
I'm gonna end up with whiplash.
It's the button on the
right-hand side, dear.
Now it's making a
sandwich out of me!
Oh, wait. I'll help you.
It's this button here.
Okay now?
Yeah, but it's kind of weird
laying in a bed that's alive.
Well, I got to pay for
the phone bills, the pills,
the operating room, not
to mention the lab costs.
Probably got a meter
on her electric bed.
I got the roses, Daddy.
You owe me two bucks.
Two... but I gave you 10.
They cost 12.
Take them back.
You mean, you're not
gonna get anything for Mama?
We already did... Kleenex.
Oh, come on, Dad.
Everything will be all right.
Hey, Daddy, it's
getting pretty late.
Can we take a taxi home?
Taxi? We taking a bus home.
You mean we
have to walk at night
in this white neighborhood?
Mister, just take
them flowers back.
Okay, Daddy.
I don't know how I'm
gonna pay for all this.
I can't afford it.
I mean, these dudes
here hit you for everything.
Oh, Daddy.
Well, right away, I
get a 15-buck raise,
and I think I'm a big man.
Don't blame yourself, Dad.
You just wanted to do
the best you could for Ma.
Yeah, but how
good is that, Junior?
I couldn't even afford
to give her some roses.
No problem, Dad.
There's a dude
down in the ice box
that don't need
his roses no more.
J.J... what were you
doing down there?
Followed the wrong nurse.
Oh, there ain't no
way in the world
I can afford all this.
There ain't no way!
Oh, Daddy, we can
all pitch in and help.
Baby girl, it ain't
your problem.
It's mine.
What do you mean?
She's my mother.
Mine too!
Now look, kids, let's
just plain face facts.
We can't make it. Your
mother will understand.
We still got time to get
her over to the clinic.
Well, everything's
just fine, Mr. Evans.
I'm due over at county hospital.
I've got another
gall-bladder operation there.
You know you're lucky.
I know a lot of people
who couldn't afford this.
I'm one of them.
Oh, Daddy, it's not that bad.
It ain't, huh?
Thelma, I love
that woman in there
more than any man
in the world could.
They don't come no
better than your mother.
Here she is sick,
and I can't even afford to
put her in a nice hospital.
Ain't no sense wasting time.
She can't stay
here, and that's it.
Baby.
Oh, hello, honey.
I'm glad you're still here.
Yeah, well...
Florida, there's
something I got to tell you,
and it's... it's kind
of hard for me, baby,
because I don't
know how to say it.
Oh, James, I'm so woozy.
They just gave
me a sleeping pill.
Yeah, but why?
The operation
ain't till tomorrow.
Why you got to take a dollar...
I mean, a pill now?
To relax, I guess.
Oh, James, this
hospital is so nice.
They give you everything.
Baby, they don't
give you nothing.
You know, if I
press this button,
a nurse comes right away.
That's nice,
baby, but Florida...
You know, it sure
beats down there
in the clinic.
When you want a
nurse down there,
you got to bang on the walls
with your dinner tray.
You know, Florida,
I'm glad you like it here
and everything, baby.
You know I want
the best for you,
but we just can't...
Florida, we can't...
Florida?
Florida.
Baby, you got to wake up.
This is the most expensive
nap you done ever took!
Oh, Florida, please.
And the food here, James... Yes.
I wish you could taste it. Yeah.
It's just like eating in a...
in a downtown restaurant.
I hope you didn't tip the nurse.
You know, I found
out that the cook here
used to be the head
chef on a luxury liner.
Yeah, that's nice, baby,
but, Florida, look here,
what I'm trying to say is...
Oh, I'm so tired.
Florida... Florida.
Don't you go to
sleep till I done finish
saying what I got to say now.
Oh, Florida, please.
They even give you
a choice of entrees for dinner.
Yeah. Uh-huh.
Baby, all that's good, but...
you know I had
no idea that this...
James, I love you.
I love you too, baby.
Mm-hmm.
But, Florida, I had no idea
this hospital was gonna be so...
so fancy and so
expensive... looking.
And I feel so safe here.
Yes.
Whoever thought
I'd be treated like...
like a queen.
Yes.
Thank you, James.
Yeah, you welcome, baby.
Is anything wrong?
Oh, no, no, no. I just...
I just stopped to tell you,
don't worry about tomorrow.
I mean, it's gonna be a breeze.
And look here,
you use up all this Kleenex
you want in here, all of it.
Good night, honey.
Good night, baby.
God bless you.
And me too.
Ooh, this place hasn't
changed much in a week.
Y'all don't know how
good it feels to be home.
Let me take that for you, Ma.
Thank you, honey.
Come on over here
and sit down for a while.
I'll put the flowers in water.
Is it too cold for you in here?
You want a blanket
or something, baby?
Oh, now, wait a
minute, everybody.
I'm fine really.
The doctors say I can
do anything I used to do.
Are you sure, baby?
I'm positive.
Well then, Ma,
I got this jacket that
needs sewing up.
I got an ink stain in my jeans.
Yeah, Ma, I have a
big hole in my sock.
Yeah, and I popped
a couple of buttons
on my other work shirt.
Welcome home, baby.
♪ 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 ♪♪
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 ♪♪
Howard, Howard... Sit down.
I have a confession to make.
I've... I've been
an unfaithful wife.
We will return to
An Affair of the Heart
right after these
messages from our sponsor.
Thelma, are you watching
that jive soap opera again?
Mm-mm. Ooh!
Don't touch that dial!
Howard's about to leave Cynthia!
He's been leaving her
since I was 12 years old.
I wanna watch Win a Fortune.
Win a Fortune, are
you serious J.J.?
You watch that stupid program?
Michael, it's not stupid,
and I love to watch them women
win them prizes.
The emcee always goes,
"Annabelle, are you ready?
"Pull the curtain.
"Annabelle, you have just won
a genuine Hollywood mink coat!"
She goes crazy!
She kisses and hugs the emcee.
Then she grabs the coat
and runs out and hawks it.
We have got to see that!
Not today, we won't!
All right, Michael,
what you doing?
I don't like those game shows
or those daytime soap operas.
I wanna watch the news.
Hey, what's so
special about the news?
It's this new family
programming.
It's the only place a kid
can see sex and violence
before 9:00.
Well, Michael, if you
wanna see and violence,
look out the window.
We're gonna watch Win a Fortune!
Hey!
Who put you in charge of the TV?
I did, because I'm the biggest.
The biggest what?
The biggest fool, I'm gonna...
Hold it, you two!
Hold it!
Something's wrong with Ma.
She walked right past
all the hollering and screaming
without hollering and screaming.
What's the matter, Ma?
Oh, I'm all right.
Don't worry about me.
Probably just a
little upset stomach.
Well, then why
didn't you tell me, Ma?
Because when your tummy
hurts, and you don't feel right,
that's the time
to call Doctor...
Dy-no-mite!
I'm gonna check here in
the medical encyclopedia.
Well, I don't think
you're gonna find
much in that book, J.J.
I already checked there.
Well, maybe you didn't
look in the right place.
These things take a
certain medical savoir faire.
Are your toes numb?
No.
Well, then it ain't frostbite.
J.J., look under brain damage.
Thelma, that's not Ma's problem.
No, it's yours.
Well, Thelma, let me
diagnose your problem.
In simple medical terms,
you got a bad
case of the uglies.
I must have caught it
from you, fungus face.
Fungus face?
You got some nerve,
you old amoeba-head!
I don't wanna hear that!
Thelma and J.J.,
why don't y'all cool it.
Can't y'all see Mama
doesn't feel well,
Here, Mama, have a seat.
Honey, I'm all right.
Just a little tired, that's all.
Too much tooting that barge
and lifting that bale.
You could have a
tropical disease, Ma.
You ever been
bitten by a tee-see fly?
J.J., there are no
tsetse flies in Chicago!
Well, when you get
bitten by a tee-see fly,
you don't ask him what
he's doing in Chicago.
J.J., stop that nonsense.
But Ma... Now, listen.
When your daddy gets home,
I don't want y'all saying
nothing about this to him.
You hear me?
It'll only worry him.
Mama, why don't you
go to see a doctor?
I'm sure it's nothing, Michael.
Besides, you know I always
hated going to those clinics.
How about a tapeworm, Ma.
Feel anything wiggling?
J.J., if I have to get sick,
will you please do me a favor?
Yeah, what, Michael?
Keep your jive turkey hands off!
Hey, y'all.
Hey, Dad! Hey, Dad. Hey, Daddy.
Baby, you are looking at
a man who has it made.
We are moving up financially.
Oh, yeah, what you doing,
giving up your job for
unemployment insurance?
No, baby, I got a 15-buck raise.
Oh! Hey! Right on!
Oh, James, that's wonderful.
Yeah, I just asked
for it, and I got it.
I walked right up
to the foreman,
and I said, "Hey, Pete,
seen you having lunch
with the boss's wife."
James. THELMA: Ooh!
Just jiving, baby. Just jiving.
But I did get the raise,
kids. That's for sure.
Great, Daddy. That's great!
Now I can get a new
pair of patch jeans.
I can get a
basketball and a hoop.
Where are you
gonna hang it, in here?
Well, Bill Russell's
got one in his office.
Step aside, young'uns.
Let the eldest
offspring get in here.
Now, Dad, what I would
like is an Eldorado Cadillac...
stereo tape deck,
power ashtrays.
Junior... On second
thought, Dad,
make that a skateboard.
Oh, J.J.
Baby, you ain't saying
nothing. Ain't you proud of me?
Oh, of course, I'm
proud of you, James.
That's the biggest
raise you ever got.
Florida, are you
feeling all right?
Sure. I'm feeling fine, honey.
Couldn't feel better.
Sure, Dad, Ma's okay.
Yeah, I couldn't find a
thing in the medical book.
Medical book?
What you looking in
the medical book for?
Baby, what's wrong?
What's the matter?
Nothing, James.
Florida, I said,
what's the matter?
Honey, it's nothing.
I just got a little pain
in my side, that's all.
Baby, how long have you had it?
Not long.
How long?
Promise you won't get upset?
Baby, I promise you
I'm not gonna get upset.
Now, how long did you have it?
Two weeks. Two weeks!
What the hell you
mean, two weeks?
Well, at least you
didn't get upset.
You been hurting
and you didn't tell me?
How come you didn't tell me?
Well, honey, I thought maybe
it would just go away.
Well, now, Florida,
that ain't no ordinary
stomachache,
to be hanging around
here for two weeks.
Yeah, even Thelma's
oatmeal don't hurt that long.
Well, we ain't
waiting around here
for you hurt another two weeks.
I'm taking you down to
the county hospital now.
Oh, now, James, you
know how I hate that clinic.
It's too much trouble.
Besides, those doctors
don't even know who you are.
It don't make no difference
if they know who you are,
as long as they
know what you got.
See y'all later.
All right. See you, Dad.
Wait a minute, y'all.
Maybe Ma's only got...
a deviated spectrum.
Dum-dum, that's deviated septum,
and it's in the nose.
Well, you never know.
When they deviate, they deviate.
I sure do hope Mama's all right.
She didn't feel too
good when she left.
Well, it's probably
nothing, Michael.
Try to remember, Mama's strong.
Yeah, all us Evanses is strong.
It's in our blood.
The day after I was born,
Ma was up and walking.
She wasn't walking.
She took one look at
you and started running.
Oh, yeah?
Well, the day after
you were born,
when the nurse held
you up behind the glass,
every father in the room said,
"I hope that one ain't mine."
Boy, that clinic... I tell you,
people ain't nothing
to them but bodies.
Take it easy, James.
It's gonna be all right.
No, it ain't either.
Where do they get off
talking to you like that
and treating you like that?
While we were down there,
we should have had your
blood pressure checked.
If you don't slow down,
you're going to pop.
I should have popped
somebody down at that clinic.
What happened, Ma?
What did they find out?
They took a lot of tests,
and then they found...
Boy, and the way
they boss you around...
"Wait in line! Fill
out that paper!
"Follow the yellow line!
Sit down until we call you."
Mama, are you
gonna be all right?
Oh, sure. Sure, honey.
I'm gonna be all right.
They just said that I have...
"Where's your application?
"Can't you read?
Look at the sign.
"Go back upstairs and
fill out an application.
"What are you doing up here
"without a registration slip?
"Go back downstairs
and fill out a
registration slip."
James, James, James.
"Wait in line. No,
you in the wrong hall.
Go down the hall.
Pick up this number."
Even had to wait 20
minutes to get a parking pass.
But, Dad, we don't own no car.
You try telling that to them.
James, it's not
the clinic's fault.
They just got too many patients.
Mama, you still didn't
tell us what they said.
Well, children,
I'm gonna have to
have an operation.
Operation! No, Mama. Oh!
Hi, everybody. Hello, Willona.
What's happening?
Mom and Dad have
been to the clinic.
They're gonna have to operate.
Oh, James, I'm so sorry.
Not Dad. Ma!
James, how come you sitting down
and Flo's standing up?
Uh, yeah, you right, Willona.
Come on, baby, sit down.
Flo, honey, what's the matter?
Well, they say it's gallstones.
Gallstones!
Yeah, they're fixing to operate
on your mother's gall bladder.
When do you go in?
Tomorrow afternoon.
What's a gall bladder?
Well it... oh, never mind.
Oh, one of those
girl things, huh?
No, it isn't one of
those girl things.
Then what's it do?
I don't know, Michael,
but whatever it does,
mine ain't doing it right.
Then it must be one
of those girl things.
Well, don't worry about
what you're gonna wear.
I'll loan you my peach
gown with the ruffles.
Sexy. You'll blow their minds!
Thank you, Willona.
That means I'll be the
belle of the operating room.
Don't they give
gowns at the hospital?
They do,
but don't turn your back
on the air-conditioner.
Boy, you ain't got
no privacy at all,
no privacy at all.
All them interns poking at you
like you're some
kind of Guinea pig.
James, it's free, and
the doctors are good.
Well, Flo, the last
time I was in there,
I had five interns
listening to my chest.
I thought you had a
broken ankle, Willona.
I did.
Well, didn't they know
what they was up to?
They knew what they was up to.
But I cooled them.
Florida, I don't want you going
to that county hospital again.
Oh, James, please,
don't upset yourself.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Florida, I'm gonna send
you to a private doctor
and see that you get to
the best hospital in town.
Now, James, don't start
even thinking that way,
because you know
we can't afford it.
Well, why not, baby?
I mean, I just got a raise,
and I got health
insurance at Brady's.
What's it all good for if
we ain't gonna use it?
I mean, you'd like
that, wouldn't you?
Yes, honey, but...
Well, then you got it.
Florida, you my
queen, and I love you,
and for once in your life,
you're gonna have
the very best...
A semi-private room.
Oh, James.
Oh, James, this is so nice.
Just look at this room.
Yeah.
Almost like our
honeymoon, ain't it?
Yeah.
Semi-private.
How are you feeling, baby?
Scared.
But being here makes
me feel a little better.
Oh, that's good.
James, how much
did this room cost?
Oh, don't you worry about that.
James?
Only 95 a day.
If that's dollars, I'm
really going to be sick.
Don't worry about that, Florida.
I got the insurance.
And I mean, after all, I'm
assistant loading foreman.
My wife ain't got no
business sitting up in a ward
at the county hospital.
Now, now, James,
let's not pretend
we're something we ain't.
Well, hello there.
I'm Mrs. Andrews.
I'm sharing the room with you.
Oh, I'm Florida Evans, and
this is my husband, James.
How do you do? Hello.
Oh, you're so fortunate
to have your husband here.
Leon had to fly to New
York. He's an attorney.
Are you a professional man?
Yes.
I'm in... I'm in
cargo management.
Oh, how interesting!
Yes.
It's quite a load
on his shoulders.
Oh, I'll be so glad to get home.
We have a place
on the north shore.
Oh, where do you live?
Um, summer or winter?
Can we come in now?
Oh, come on in.
Hey, Mama. Hey, Daddy.
All right, man.
How are you doing, Ma?
Gee, this is some
kind of place, Ma.
They even have light
bulbs in the elevators.
Oh, Ma, you look so pretty.
Thank you, sweetheart.
I tell you, boy, real
class, real class.
You even got your own john.
Oh, the kid's just joking.
He's trying to
cheer his mother up.
Of course.
Michael. Yeah, Daddy.
Go on downstairs
and get your mother
a dozen roses.
Okay, Daddy. All right.
Hello, Mr. Evans.
Doctor.
Well, how are you feeling?
Fine, Doctor.
That's good.
Doctor, is my mother
gonna be okay?
Oh, now, you mustn't worry.
Everything's going
to be just fine.
Now, if you'll excuse
us for a moment please.
Sure, doc. We'll
be out in the hall.
Okay, y'all be good now.
See you, Ma. Bye-bye.
See you, baby.
Uh, excuse me there, Doc.
Uh, I've been doing
a little research here.
I think it's time
that you and me
ought to consult here.
Uh, now, are you
aware of the symptoms
of the tee-see fly bite?
Dad, I'm so glad you
brought Mama here.
Me too, baby girl.
Now, look here,
that woman in there had a TV.
I'm going to see if can
order one for your mother.
Good decision. Good decision.
Excuse me, beautiful lady.
Are you doing anything tonight?
Looked like she
already done done it.
A dollar and a
half for an aspirin?
Yes, sir, that's
the normal charge.
That's just crazy.
Look at this bill!
While the doctors were upstairs
saving my life,
you were down here
killing my bank account!
Uh, good afternoon.
I'm Mr. Evans. My
wife is in room 425.
Yes, Mr. Evans.
What can I do for you?
Did I hear right,
$1.50 for an aspirin?
Yes, sir.
We have to charge
for pharmaceuticals.
Yeah, but I'm paying 95 a day.
But that only covers
room and board.
It doesn't include
the other charges,
like the operating room,
the recovery room, lab work.
Lab... what lab work?
Well, tests. You
know, blood, urinalysis.
You got to pay to go?
Just about.
They charge you
for everything else...
Phone calls, Kleenex.
Kleenex?
Damn, how much it cost
to breathe around here?
Oxygen's $50 a day.
Well, it's a good
thing I got insurance.
Oh, yes.
Reliable Mutual
Insurance Company.
Yeah, my boss said it
was good for up to 80%.
It is.
Up to a maximum of $42 a
day and after $200 deductible.
Well, just lay it on me.
How much am I in for?
Well, not counting
your doctors' fees
and deducting your
insurance benefits,
I'd say it's going to
cost you roughly $600.
Six-hundred dollars! Lady,
I work on a loading dock!
I can't afford that
kind of money!
Mr. Evans, we have
sick people here.
Yeah, you looking
at one of them.
Mr. Evans, believe
me, I know how you feel,
but hospital costs are
going up every day.
I work here and I
can't afford to be sick.
Mr. Evans? What was it you
wanted to talk to me about?
Well, I did come down here
to see if I could rent a TV
so my wife could
watch Red Foxx...
but after hearing these prices,
I think it would be cheaper
to get him here in person.
Mrs. Andrews?
Mrs. Andrews!
Yes?
Excuse me, but
could you help me?
I'd like to raise
my head a little bit.
Which one of these
buttons do I push?
The one marked "up".
Thank you.
That's the wrong up!
It's the button
on the other side.
Now on top of everything,
I'm gonna end up with whiplash.
It's the button on the
right-hand side, dear.
Now it's making a
sandwich out of me!
Oh, wait. I'll help you.
It's this button here.
Okay now?
Yeah, but it's kind of weird
laying in a bed that's alive.
Well, I got to pay for
the phone bills, the pills,
the operating room, not
to mention the lab costs.
Probably got a meter
on her electric bed.
I got the roses, Daddy.
You owe me two bucks.
Two... but I gave you 10.
They cost 12.
Take them back.
You mean, you're not
gonna get anything for Mama?
We already did... Kleenex.
Oh, come on, Dad.
Everything will be all right.
Hey, Daddy, it's
getting pretty late.
Can we take a taxi home?
Taxi? We taking a bus home.
You mean we
have to walk at night
in this white neighborhood?
Mister, just take
them flowers back.
Okay, Daddy.
I don't know how I'm
gonna pay for all this.
I can't afford it.
I mean, these dudes
here hit you for everything.
Oh, Daddy.
Well, right away, I
get a 15-buck raise,
and I think I'm a big man.
Don't blame yourself, Dad.
You just wanted to do
the best you could for Ma.
Yeah, but how
good is that, Junior?
I couldn't even afford
to give her some roses.
No problem, Dad.
There's a dude
down in the ice box
that don't need
his roses no more.
J.J... what were you
doing down there?
Followed the wrong nurse.
Oh, there ain't no
way in the world
I can afford all this.
There ain't no way!
Oh, Daddy, we can
all pitch in and help.
Baby girl, it ain't
your problem.
It's mine.
What do you mean?
She's my mother.
Mine too!
Now look, kids, let's
just plain face facts.
We can't make it. Your
mother will understand.
We still got time to get
her over to the clinic.
Well, everything's
just fine, Mr. Evans.
I'm due over at county hospital.
I've got another
gall-bladder operation there.
You know you're lucky.
I know a lot of people
who couldn't afford this.
I'm one of them.
Oh, Daddy, it's not that bad.
It ain't, huh?
Thelma, I love
that woman in there
more than any man
in the world could.
They don't come no
better than your mother.
Here she is sick,
and I can't even afford to
put her in a nice hospital.
Ain't no sense wasting time.
She can't stay
here, and that's it.
Baby.
Oh, hello, honey.
I'm glad you're still here.
Yeah, well...
Florida, there's
something I got to tell you,
and it's... it's kind
of hard for me, baby,
because I don't
know how to say it.
Oh, James, I'm so woozy.
They just gave
me a sleeping pill.
Yeah, but why?
The operation
ain't till tomorrow.
Why you got to take a dollar...
I mean, a pill now?
To relax, I guess.
Oh, James, this
hospital is so nice.
They give you everything.
Baby, they don't
give you nothing.
You know, if I
press this button,
a nurse comes right away.
That's nice,
baby, but Florida...
You know, it sure
beats down there
in the clinic.
When you want a
nurse down there,
you got to bang on the walls
with your dinner tray.
You know, Florida,
I'm glad you like it here
and everything, baby.
You know I want
the best for you,
but we just can't...
Florida, we can't...
Florida?
Florida.
Baby, you got to wake up.
This is the most expensive
nap you done ever took!
Oh, Florida, please.
And the food here, James... Yes.
I wish you could taste it. Yeah.
It's just like eating in a...
in a downtown restaurant.
I hope you didn't tip the nurse.
You know, I found
out that the cook here
used to be the head
chef on a luxury liner.
Yeah, that's nice, baby,
but, Florida, look here,
what I'm trying to say is...
Oh, I'm so tired.
Florida... Florida.
Don't you go to
sleep till I done finish
saying what I got to say now.
Oh, Florida, please.
They even give you
a choice of entrees for dinner.
Yeah. Uh-huh.
Baby, all that's good, but...
you know I had
no idea that this...
James, I love you.
I love you too, baby.
Mm-hmm.
But, Florida, I had no idea
this hospital was gonna be so...
so fancy and so
expensive... looking.
And I feel so safe here.
Yes.
Whoever thought
I'd be treated like...
like a queen.
Yes.
Thank you, James.
Yeah, you welcome, baby.
Is anything wrong?
Oh, no, no, no. I just...
I just stopped to tell you,
don't worry about tomorrow.
I mean, it's gonna be a breeze.
And look here,
you use up all this Kleenex
you want in here, all of it.
Good night, honey.
Good night, baby.
God bless you.
And me too.
Ooh, this place hasn't
changed much in a week.
Y'all don't know how
good it feels to be home.
Let me take that for you, Ma.
Thank you, honey.
Come on over here
and sit down for a while.
I'll put the flowers in water.
Is it too cold for you in here?
You want a blanket
or something, baby?
Oh, now, wait a
minute, everybody.
I'm fine really.
The doctors say I can
do anything I used to do.
Are you sure, baby?
I'm positive.
Well then, Ma,
I got this jacket that
needs sewing up.
I got an ink stain in my jeans.
Yeah, Ma, I have a
big hole in my sock.
Yeah, and I popped
a couple of buttons
on my other work shirt.
Welcome home, baby.
♪ 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 ♪♪