04x11 - Florida's Night Out

[bunniefuu]

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Anytime You meet a payment ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Anytime You feel free ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Anytime you're
Out from under ♪

♪ Not getting hassled
Not getting hustled ♪

♪ Keeping your
head Above water ♪

♪ Making a wave when you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Easy credit Rip-offs ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Scratching And surviving ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Hanging in A chow line ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good Times ♪♪

[SOAP OPERA MUSIC PLAYS]

FEMALE [ON TV]: So, Dr. Farkas,

it was after I had
the hysterectomy

and the nosebleed.

That's when I found
out about Stephanie,

and that Fred had
paid for her abortion

and tonsillectomy.

And now, doctor,
with Father dead,

my marriage on the rocks,
and me with these ugly warts,

you have the unmitigated gall
to come to my hospital room

and tell me that my
symptoms are psychosomatic,

and I really can walk?

Well, girl, at least
your feet don't hurt.

Ma!

You talking to the TV set?

Would you like to say a
few words to the chair?

No, but I got a few
choice words for that sink.

You mean to tell me

Bookman ain't
fixed that sink yet?

No.

Let me go over there and see

what Old Faithful
is doing today.

[GURGLING]

In about four months,

we'll have a glass of water.

Mm.

That's the way it is, Michael.

Well, it's not fair, Thelma!

You can't have it both ways.

You always hollering about
equal rights for women,

but as soon as

Earth, Wind & Fire come to town,

you look around
for some poor sucker

who works his butt off all
week to pay for your ticket.

[CHUCKLES]

♪ Well, that's the way ♪
♪ Uh-huh, uh-huh ♪

♪ I like it, yeah ♪♪

You know, I wish
I had it that easy.

I took Judy out last week,
and I spent $3.85 on her.

Do you know what she did?

She went off with some jive cat

on some high-speed
plastic skateboard.

Aw.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

I'll get it, Ma.

These women, I say...

Hey. Hi, folks.

Well, well, well.

Bookman, it must be nearer
Christmas than I thought.

Oh, come on, Mrs.
Evans. You make fun of me,

but I'm really a
man of substance.

Yeah, about 300 pounds of it.

You know, I'd like
to chitchat with you,

but Mrs. Bookman is
holding dinner for me.

Now, where's that
window that needs fixing?

Oh, the window?

Michael fixed that six weeks ago

with a penknife
and a bar of soap.

Well, if you're gonna bring
in technical equipment...

Well, anyhow, the
window's taken care of.

Bye.

Hey, wait a minute,
man. What about our sink?

Something wrong with
your sink? I'll put it on the list.

But we already on the list.

You're on my window list.

Now I gotta put
you on my sink list.

Bookman...

Don't worry. We got
you on our list, too.

Well, kids, what would
you like for dinner?

Oh, Ma, don't worry about
cooking anything for me.

Jerry's taking
me to a restaurant

before the concert.

Okay, dinner for three.

Uh, not exactly, Ma.

I got a date with a
certain young lady

who's fixing me
some Ribs à la J.J.

Which means they're hot, spicy,

and stay with you for days.

Okay, dinner for two.

Uh, Ma, Coach said we can't

have anything before practice.

I'll pick up a
sandwich afterwards.

Oh, I left my
sneakers in your room.

Okay, Florida.

What would you like for dinner?

Oh, I don't know,
what would you like?

Oh, I don't know.

What have you got?

Now, listen, if you
gonna argue about it,

you can just fix
your own dinner.

You are talking to yourself.

TVoo!

Well, it beats
talking to the TV. set.

Mm-hmm.

Girl, what a day I had!

Yeah?

There is nothing worse

than our annual
going-out-of-business sale.

Mm.

Honey, every bargain hunter
on the south side of Chicago

came out today.

You know Mammoth Minnie Farrell?

The one that owns the
reducing salon? Oh, yes.

Would you believe

I spent my whole lunch
hour plus two coffee breaks

trying to push that
300 pounds of flab

into a pair of size
12 hip-huggers?

Oh, no. Oh, yes.

Can you imagine
hip-huggers on that hippo?

Well, you know, I had
one of those days, too.

Oh, you know what
I'm going to do now?

Mm-hmm.

You're going to
draw a tub of water,

load it with bubble bath, relax,

jump into bed,

and zonk out for the
rest of the night. Wrong.

Huh?

I'm going to get
myself together,

throw on some clothes,

and then there's rapping,

clapping, and finger-snapping.

Whoo!

Honey, Willona is going
to party this evening!

Flo, why don't you come
and go with me? Oh...

Hey, Willona.

WILLONA: Hi, Fatso.

Flo, why don't you come with me?

What do you say?

Oh, thanks for the
invitation, honey,

but all of the kids
are going out tonight.

And while you're out

rapping, clapping, and snapping,

I'll be home napping.

WILLONA: Girl, as
hard as you work,

you owe it to
yourself to go out.

If you don't go out of
this house once in a while,

you gonna forget how
to have a good time.

No, Willona, I'll just
spoil your night out.

Flo, there's got to be
something happening here.

Something always
happening in Chicago, honey.

Let's see now.

Here's an under-35 dance.

Under 35.

Sure, all it says
here is $3 admission.

It don't say nothing
about honesty.

And they even got a couple
of church socials going.

Oh, now, that sounds
more like my speed,

but I think I'll pass.

You sure you wanna
stay home? Mm-hmm.

Well, Mother
knows best, I guess.

But if you change your mind,
you know where to find me.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, Flo, later.

Hey, J.J., what's going on?

I'll tell you what's going on.

As senior male member
of this household,

I got something to announce.

I don't think you all realize
how lonely Ma has been.

Thelma, Michael,
you're going to have to

give up your plans
for this evening.

What?

Uh, Michael, I think he's right.

You know, we should
spend more time with Ma.

Well, I'm glad
this is all settled.

Wish I could join you all.

Hey, hold on, J.J.!

Hold on there, buddy.

Do you really think I'm
gonna give up the concert

while you go out

with one of your weirdo chicks?

Yeah, J.J., if we stay
home, you stay home.

That's right.

Wait a minute.

I had Charlotte
cooking ribs all day

so she could squeeze
my ribs... All night.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You can rattle all you want to.

All I know is we
all staying home

with Mama tonight.

Yeah, J.J. What do you say?

Well... I guess Ma should have

one bright, mature,
intelligent adult

to stay with her tonight.

Well, I'm here.

Thelma, Jerry's here.

Well, how have you
been, Mrs. Evans?

Oh, just fine.

Good.

Oh, hey, hey, good-looking.

Hi, Jerry.

How you doing? How you doing?

All right, you ready to go?

Uh, uh, well, look, Jerry.

Come here. I have something
to talk to you about, okay?

Yeah, sure. What's happening?

Well, um, I'm sorry,
but I can't go tonight.

What? You can't go tonight?

Did you say something, Jerry?

Yeah...

Oh, he said that
there's no show tonight.

The concert's been cancelled.

Cancelled? Thelma,
you do know...

Come on, Jerry, please.

THELMA: Now, if
you just be quiet,

I can explain this whole thing.

JERRY: All right, explain.

Hello there, sweet mama.

Yeah, look here.

This is the man,
when you think of love,

I'm the only one
you can think of.

No, this ain't Harold.

This is J.J.

Remember those big plans
we had for this evening?

Well, I'm sorry. I
gotta cancel them.

No, I don't have Harold's
telephone number.

Hello?

Hello?

The chick's in a state of shock.

Well, Michael.

Aren't you going to
your basketball practice?

Uh, no, Ma.

It's a mistake to overtrain.

Thelma, do you have any idea

how much those
tickets set me back, huh?

What did you say, Jerry?

I'm trying to tell her...

He said that he had
a crick in his back.

Thelma, come on, now...

Come on, Jerry, now.

Come on, this is for my mother.

Oh.

Well, isn't this wonderful?

I mean, the whole
family here together.

Michael, Thelma,
myself. Isn't this cozy?

Now, just a minute.

Every one of you had
something to do tonight.

Now, all of a sudden,
everything has changed.

I don't know where
you got the idea from,

but you kids seem to
think I need a babysitter.

Well,

you old folks can sit at
home and twiddle your thumbs

if you want to, but
I'm going out tonight.

[PEOPLE CHATTING INDISTINCTLY]

Here we are.

Willona... You didn't tell me

the Meeting Place was a saloon.

I don't think our coats
are safe back there.

Flo, will you stop worrying.

You know I wouldn't
take you any place

that wasn't
perfectly respectable.

It's a friendly, honest
place to meet people.

Look on it as an adventure.

It's as new for
me as it is for you.

Willona!

Hey, girl!

You want your
usual table, honey?

As new for you
as it is for me, huh?

Willona, how you doing?

Uh, I think they got me
confused with another Willona.

Willona... Huh?

Here's a nice, quiet
table back here.

No, no. Flo, sit up here.

All you're going to meet
back there is a busboy,

and he's 87 years
old, got arthritis,

and does a lousy hustle.

Oh, Flo. It ain't no
crime to be alone,

but it is dumb to be lonely.

Okay, so I tricked
you into coming,

but now that you're here,

why don't you relax
and have a drink?

I'll be right by your
side all evening.

Have a ball, girl.
You owe it to yourself.

Okay, Willona.

I guess you're right.

Oh, good, good, good.

Woo-hoo.

Hey, ladies.

Two cats at the bar just
want to buy you a drink.

Oh, no, thank you...
Momentito, honey.

Which cats?

Them the cats.

Lord have mercy.

I wouldn't let those two turkeys

buy me cranberry sauce.

I'm sure glad you
turned them down.

Mm-hmm!

In a place like this, you
gotta pick and choose,

because a drink is
more than just a drink,

it's a calling card.

You know, it's a nice,
friendly way to say hello.

Like, for instance, if
you were in a restaurant,

a gentleman might send
you over a fancy dessert,

and if you were in a florist's, he
might send you a dozen roses.

I'm glad we're not in a stable.

Oh, Flo.

That's funny.

That's funny.

Your usual, Willona?

[CLEARS THROAT]

Seven and seven, Miss.

Flo, what are you gonna have?

What's seven and seven?

Fourteen.

What you drinking?

What in the world is a
Rodney Allen Rippey?

That's a Shirley Temple
with a black olive.

Oh.

I'll take it.

MAN: You know,
this domestic ripple,

it don't taste as good
as the imported stuff.

You know, that voice
sounds so familiar.

I know I've heard it
somewhere before.

You ought to. You
know everybody here.

I do not, Flo.

Oh, Willona, look, look, look.

Now, either he works
in a hardware store,

or he just rolled Isaac Hayes.

Hello, foxy mamas.

The name is Lenny.

You may have had many,

but till you tried sweet Lenny,

you ain't had any.

Well, any of Lenny
ain't worth a penny.

Whoo!

Oh, Willona,

weren't you a little
bit rough on him?

Rough on him?

Honey, he was a complete nut.

Here we go, ladies.

Here we go.

Here's your usual, Willona.

Oh, well, thank you, darling.

And, honey, this
should truly set you free.

Well, Flo, let's make a toast.

To your first night out.

Have a natural gas!

Thank you, Willona.

Mm, not bad.

Hey, listen. What?

If you feel like taking
off with somebody,

don't let me hold you back.

Are you kidding?

We're in this together.

You are my best friend.

There's no way I'm gonna
leave you by yourself.

MAN: And then, after I got my
engineering degree from M.I.T.,

that's the Michigan
Institute of Toolology...

You know what? I was only 16.

I went right into
private industry.

You know, Willona, you're right.

That voice does sound familiar.

I told you. I know.

It's you!

I spotted you clear
across the room

the minute I walked in.

You the only woman
in the world for me.

n*gro, please.

It's you!

I spotted you clear
across the room

the minute I walked in.

You the only woman
in the world for me.

This room must have an echo.

It's you!

I spotted you clear
across the room...

Willona, you know,

I'm beginning to
have a lot of fun.

I'm kinda glad you
tricked me into coming.

Oh, I'm glad, too, Flo,

and the fun has just begun.

That's right. Stick with me.

If you stick with me.

It would take a wild horse

to drag me from this table.

The rest of the
men in this place

must be crazy

to let a beautiful
woman like you

go to waste.

Dance with me.

Arrivederci, Flo!

Hey.

Where's Willona?

She ran off with a wild horse.

MAN: Believe me.

Boy, I been all over this world,

and through all my travels,

I ain't never seen nobody
gorgeouser than you.

Oh, do you mean it?

Of course I do,

and that's the
gospel truth, honey,

or my name ain't
Barry Belafonte.

Are you any relation
to Harry Belafonte?

Listen to this.

♪ Day-o ♪

♪ Day-o ♪

♪ Daylight come And
me wanna go home ♪♪

If you're through
climbing the walls...

Oh.

Would you care to dance?

Oh, no, thank you.

Well, maybe I could
buy you a drink?

No... Sure, why not?

A drink is like a calling card.

That's a nice thought.

My name is Ben Foster.

I'm Florida Evans.

Got lucky, huh?

What you drinking?

Another round, please.

Uh-huh.

Uh, make mine a small one.

Ooh.

Uh... You know,
this is the first time

I've been to the Meeting Place.

Have you ever been here before?

I used to come here
often... With my wife.

But I haven't been here
since she passed away.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I lost my husband recently.

Rough, isn't it?

That first step, getting
back into the world.

It sure is.

You know, if my
friend hadn't tricked me

into coming here tonight,

I'd still be home,

being mother hen to my children.

Okay, here we go.

Whoa.

Here's your Rodney
Allen Rippey, swinger.

How many children do you have?

Three.

I have two. Both are married.

Mm.

I'll bet that you have
pictures of your children.

Well, I may have one or two.

And I may have
one of my grandson.

Oh!

You have a nice laugh.

And then, after I got
back from Puerto Rico,

I went to work for the
federal government.

You know, I was working
on a top secret project.

Project!

That's it!

Well, hello, Barry Belafonte.

I beg your pardon, madam.

Do I know you?

You know, they always
get me mixed up with Harry.

Good lord, it's 11:00.

I gotta put a call in
to the White House.

Can't keep the Vice
President waiting, you know.

♪ Daylight come ♪

♪ And he wan' go home ♪♪

Yeah, well. Bye.

But, Mr. Belafonte...

I haven't told you
about where we live.

It's so ritzy

that Belafonte
there is our janitor.

Oh.

Mr. Foster?

Ben.

Ben... I feel like dancing.

It'll be my pleasure, madam.

J.J, do you know
what time it is?

It's 2:00, and
Ma's not here yet.

Well, aren't you
worried about her?

Look here, Thelma.

I can't worry on
no empty stomach.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

See, there she is now.

You over here knocking
to me in my head.

Hi. Hey, Willona.

I saw the light under the door.

Hey, where's Flo?

Willona, we thought
she was with you.

Well, she was, but
I got up to dance.

When I came back, she was gone.

Ma? Is that you?

No, Michael, it's not Ma.

Now, go back to sleep, okay?

I'm not sleep...

I wonder where Flo could be.

You mean my mother's
out on the street

this time of night?
Something could happen.

Don't worry. She
gonna be all right.

THELMA: No, no,
something could happen.

WILLONA: Don't worry, Thelma.

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Take it easy, now.

You all cackling like hens here.

Let the man of the
house handle this.

Yeah, what are you gonna do?

You just watch my
smoke, young lady.

You just watch my smoke.

I know how to handle
situations like this.

Hello, police?

My mommy's missing.

♪ I could have
Danced all night ♪

Ma!

♪ And still ♪

♪ Have danced Some more ♪♪

Ma, are you all right?

Well, of course.

What are you kids doing up?

Ma, we were worried about you!

Ma, is that you?

Yes, dear.

Stick with me, huh?

Flo, where did you go?

I looked all over
the place for you.

Well, you didn't look
in the right places.

Oh, Flo, tell me all about it.

Willona, it's getting late,

and we've both gotta
go to work in the morning.

Tell me what
happened. I wanna...

Good night, Willona.

That's cold. I always tell
you... Good night, Willona.

Now, wait a minute, young lady.

You better have a
darn good excuse

for this one.

I mean, I know you
were having a good time,

and I know the party,
and the happenings,

and the action was going on,

but there was a
phone in that place...

I just know it,

and you could've picked it up

and let your family,

who was sitting
here concerned...

You could have let us
know what was happening.

I hate to do this, but, Ma,

I'm gonna have to ground you.

J.J., I think you got
that all backwards.

You don't ground
me, I ground you.

You kids seem to think

that you got the market
cornered for having fun.

Well, I had a good time tonight,

and I'm going out again
as soon as I get a chance,

and if you don't like
it... Tough chitlins.

But, Ma, you know...
Ma, we know all that...

Good night, kids.

Good night.

They don't call me
Jesse Owens for nothing!

Hey! Hey!

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Good night... Hi, there.

What are you doing
here at this hour?

Well, you know,

I was just saying to
Mrs. Bookman, uh,

I couldn't sleep knowing that

your plumbing is out of order.

But that's the way it is

with old friends
like us, ain't it?

You know, one hand
washes the other.

Not in our sink, it don't.

That's exactly why I
got up out of a warm bed

to let you know
that I'll take care of it

the first thing
tomorrow morning.

Um, does that make
everything all right?

Good night, Barry.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Good night, Willona.

[SIGHS]

♪ I could've
danced All night... ♪

♪ Mmm... ♪

♪ Just looking
Out of the window ♪

♪ Watching the asphalt grow ♪

♪ Thinking how It all
looks hand-me-down ♪

♪ Good Times ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Keeping your
head Above water ♪

♪ Making a wave when you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

♪ Easy credit rip-offs ♪

♪ Good Times ♪

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

♪ Good Times ♪♪