03x01 - A Real Cool Job

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Good Times". Aired: February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


A spin-off of Maude, which itself is a spin-off of All in the Family, making Good Times the first television spin-off from another spin-off; revolving around a poor family making the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.
Post Reply

03x01 - A Real Cool Job

Post by bunniefuu »

♪ 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 ♪♪

All done, Ma.

Ooh, Thelma!

The cake is beautiful!

Thank you.

Oh... Hey, wait a minute.

Thelma made this cake?

She sure did.

This cake's supposed to
make Dad happy, not sick.

Well, then, we better figure
a way to cover up your face!

Ma!

You got some nerve...

All right, all right,
all right, children.

Now, I don't want any
of that fighting tonight.

Gee, Thelma, this
icing sure is good.

Thanks.

Hey, Ma, how you like my sign?

I spared none of
my ebony genius.

Hey, J.J., that looks great.

Oh, I'm getting so excited.

It's hard to believe

that your daddy is
graduating from trade school.

Well, just in case
he don't make it,

I got that covered too.

What you talkin' about, J.J.?

Daddy can't miss. He's
the highest in his class.

I know, Michael.
Just jivin', just jivin'.

Just think, children,

when your daddy
walks through that door,

he's gonna be a licensed
heavy equipment operator.

Ooh, yeah.

Driving all those big machines,

working on all those fancy
construction projects...

Whoo!

Yeah, I probably
might feel a little weird

walking up to Dad

and asking him for the
keys to the bulldozer.

Oh, J.J.

With on the floor,

my main woman Delilah is
gonna be beggin' for more!

I've seen Delilah,

and you need a
bulldozer to lift her.

You calling my girlfriend fat?

Yeah, I'm calling her fat.

Hey, Michael, come on down here.

Now, you done seen Delilah.

Do you think she's fat?

Well, J.J., let me
put it to you this way.

When you and Delilah
stand next to each other,

y'all look like the number .

All right, all right. Shh.

All right, children.

Michael, I'm surprised at you.

You're never in these hassles.

Mama, I've been in the sidelines

for years.

I think it's about time for me

to get into the game.

Lord, have mercy.

Now, I got three shouters
and only two ears.

Whoo-ee!

Flo, honey,

did you see a guy
running down the hall,

about -foot- , looking
like Harry Belafonte?

No.

Neither did I.

Y'all, now, go on.

Hey, here you go.

I had it gift-wrapped for
you kids at the boutique.

Your father's gonna
love your present!

Thanks, Willona.

Speaking of fathers,
where is the graduate?

He ain't back from school yet.

Oh, Flo, you gotta
be proud. Yep.

There ain't many
guys as old as James

that could turn
around and start over,

going to school at his age.

Wait a minute, Willona.

You are exactly
the same age he is.

I never knew that.

Willona, you mean
you're for... Fortunate!

Fortunate enough to be

to be as young as
your father, honey.

I'm still in the
Pepsi generation.

I intend to keep
those flip-tops popping

till the day I die.

Can you dig it?

James, honey, what happened?

Did you graduate?

Has a pig got knuckles?

[SCREAMING]

But it's supposed to be a party.

Let's get it on!

Oh, James, it's beautiful.

Ain't it?

You are now looking
at a skilled laborer.

No more busting my back
on the loading dock at Brady's.

This means good pay, good jobs,
and goodbye -cent muscatel,

and hello $ . champagne!

Well, hello, hello, hello.

Champagne.

Honey, that's nice,
but can we afford it?

Well, it's cheaper
than gasoline.

Every time I go out
with a dude now,

instead of using perfume,

I put two drops of
high-tech behind each ear.

[J.J. LAUGHS]

Now, what you think you doing?
You ain't old enough to drink.

I'm .

I'm old enough to
die for my country.

You don't put that glass down,

you gonna die in
your living room.

Get some Kool-Aid
with Thelma and Michael.

Oh, don't feel bad, J.J.

You may not be old
enough to drink yet,

but they can always use you

as a swizzle stick.

[ALL TALKING AT ONCE]

All right, quiet.
Quiet, everybody.

Listen, I want to make a toast

to my husband, the graduate.

Hey. Hey. Hey!

Now, there are not many men

who has his love and
courage and devotion.

And good looks.

And modesty.

Here's to it.

Wait a minute! Hold
it. Hold it. Hold it.

I wanna make a toast here.

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Oh, please, J.J.,
short and sweet, honey.

Dad, until recently,
we just been getting by,

and getting by
without getting a taste

starts getting to you.

Get me?

But starting tomorrow,

we gonna be
starting getting more,

so we can start getting over,

so we can start getting to
the business of getting down.

Oh, boy!

Junior... MICHAEL:
Let me, Daddy.

ALL: Shut up, J.J.!

J.J., if I were you,

I wouldn't get too carried away.

Your daddy don't have
that construction job yet.

Oh, Florida, with that diploma,

there ain't gonna be no problem.

That school practically
promised me a job.

Oh, Daddy, we all
made this for you.

Yeah.

What you got there, baby?

Surprise. Surprise.

Let me see here.

Well, look at this.

Well, I bet you ain't
nobody in the city

got one like this.

Let me try it on you.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Hail to King James...

a man of courage,
a man of might,

and the proud father
of Kid Dyn-o-mite!

Oh, James...

Honey, it looks fine, just fine.

Yeah, baby, looks like
we gonna finally grab ahold

of some of the things
we been dreaming about.

Yeah, and Dad,

why don't you
start the ball rolling

by giving me a raise
in my allowance?

That's a good idea, Junior.

How much you getting now?

Nothing.

Well starting tomorrow,
I'm gonna double it.

Y'all hear that?
He's gonna double it!

[LAUGHING]

Wait a minute.

I'm just jiving, Junior.

Look here.

In honor of this
special occasion,

you can have some champagne.

Thanks, Dad.

Looks like you got
double nothing again.

Ah-ooh!

[ALL TALKING AT ONCE]

Well, Ma, how do I look?

Kind of like a skinny
brown mushroom.

I think it looks good, Ma:

a hard hat for a soft head.

Ah, Thelma, why don't
you go tickle yourself

with a collard green.

All done, Michael.

Hey. Great, Ma.

Why don't you try it on.

Okay.

Now I have a club jacket
like all the other guys.

Hey, Michael, what's
that emblem stand for?

You don't know what
Black Action is, J.J.?

Sure. It's J.J.'s mouth running.

Thelma, please,
don't start that again.

Black Action is a club.

We try to hip young
brothers to black pride,

awareness, and get
them into self-respect.

Mama, can you fix this
zipper? It seems to be stuck.

Hmm, I'll rub a little wax on it

so it could move easier.

Come on, go in the bedroom.

All right.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Will one of you kids
get the door, please?

Sure, Ma.

The eldest will get it.

Hello.

Hello. Are you Mr. James
Evans, the man of the house?

I'm James Evans, Jr.

The freak of the house.

Well, is your father in?

No, he isn't, but my mother
will be out in a minute.

Good, good, good. I...

My company likes to keep an eye

on trade school
grads in the area.

We have a fine
investment opportunity

for people like your parents
who are moving up in the world.

Well, then, uh, you
want to talk to me.

Sit down there, man.
Go ahead, sit down.

Well, thank you. Thank you.

Now, uh...

What kind of investments
are you talking about here?

Stocks, bonds, dream books?

No, no, land.

Land? What kind of land?

Cemetery plots.

Ma!

Oh, hello.

Hello, Mrs. Evans.

I was just telling your children

about something that I
know you'll be interested in,

my company's new project.

It's called Eternal Estates.

Eternal Estates. Mm-hmm.

Is that one of those
retirement communities?

No, Ma, it's the next step.

Well, if my husband gets a job,

we just might consider
making that move.

Ma, you don't understand...

Is it in a nice, quiet area?

Don't worry, Ma,

you won't hear a peep
out of the neighbors.

Mrs. Evans, I really
think I should explain.

JAMES: I went from
long bread to short bread!

James, what's wrong?

What's wrong is

there ain't a construction
job open in this town.

But your school practically
guaranteed you a job.

Yeah, but they didn't
check with President Ford.

Maybe the recession
is over for him,

but it ain't for us.

He's swimming and we drowning.

Well, what the
hell are you selling?

[CHUCKLES]

Cemetery plots.

What?

Cemetery plots?!

Oh, that's just great.

The economy done k*ll me,
now this dude wants to bury me.

Well, forget it, man.

Mr. Evans, you're
really making a mistake.

Out.

But Mr. Evans... Out!

All right, Mr. Evans, you
know, it's your funeral.

You can either pay me now,

or you know you're
gonna have to pay me later.

You want a down payment?

Honey, you're just
gonna have to calm down.

Now, why should I
calm down, Florida?

I invested a lot
of time and money

in getting that diploma,

and it ain't worth a nickel,

because there
ain't no jobs open.

I thought we was moving up.

Have you tried the
union hall, Daddy?

Yeah.

They gave me the want ads

and a map of the city.

Well, James, there seem
to be a lot of want ads there.

Yeah, that's because a
lot of people want jobs.

Well, there must be
some jobs in this paper.

Yeah, here's one:
Wanted, fry cook.

Here's another one:

Wanted, Topless waitress.

Wait a minute.

They both for the same job.

Ah, you see what
I mean, Florida?

James, honey,

there's still no
need to get so upset.

You can't fight the economy.

Fight it? I ain't even
laid a glove on it.

This diploma, I got
a good mind to...

Oh, no, James, don't, please.

THELMA: Daddy, don't do that.

Oh, what's the use?

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

No, honey, I'll get it.

[SIGHS]

Hello?

Yes, he is.

[WHISPERS] James, it's for you.

[GRUMBLES]

Come on, honey, it's the union.

Come on.

Yeah?

Speaking.

What?

Oh, you jiving.

Really?

Yeah, I'll...

Wait a minute. How
much does this job pay?

Wee! I'll take it,
man. I'll take it.

[CHEERING]

Shh!

Now, where's the job located?

You want to say that again?

No, no, it don't matter.
I'll take it anyhow.

I'll be down there
tomorrow to sign up.

Right.

[SCREAMS]

Y'all get yourself together,
because this construction worker

is taking you out for
dinner tonight, yeah!

[CHEERING]

The union got me a job.

Wow, J... And
that ain't all, baby.

I got a contract for one
year at $ a week.

[ALL SCREAMING]

Five hundred greens a week?

We don't have a pot big enough

to hold that kind of cabbage!

Then we'll buy one!

Oh, James, that's fantastic.

Where's the job?

Uh, out of town.

Come on, all, let's go.

Where out of town, James?

Uh, out west. Come on.

Where out west, Peoria?

No, further west. Let's go, now.

Oh, Moon Socket, South Dakota?

Will you please?

I know, Daddy,
Seattle, Washington?

No, but you getting warm.

Now, come on, let's go now.

James, where's the job?

Oh, baby, the good
job is good for one year

at $ a week.

Let's go eat. James!

Where is the job?

Alaska.

ALL: Alaska?!

Yeah, that's right,
baby, Alaska.

I'm gonna be working
on the pipeline.

James, I don't know if I
could just pick up and move

to such a godforsaken place.

Yeah, Daddy,

and I don't want to
leave all my friends.

Neither do I, Daddy.

And what about me?

I'm gonna have to start
going out with Eskimo chicks.

Rubbing noses don't
exactly turn me on.

Try it, J.J.

You'll be the first nappy
nanook of the north.

You got some
nerve, your igloo...

All right, knock it off.

Daddy, where would we live?

Alaska's too new
to have ghettos.

Look, there's something you
all don't seem to understand.

We ain't going to Alaska.

I am.

James, what you mean?

Oh, baby, that pipeline

is out in the middle of nowhere.

Well, you just can't
pick up and go off

and leave us for a year.

Well, what am I
gonna do, Florida?

I can't find no good
paying jobs around here.

You still got your
job at Brady's.

You're assistant foreman.

Hmm, some assistant foreman.

They fired the one dude
that was working under me.

Besides, baby,

this job in Alaska
pays $ a week.

You know what that means?

Honey, the money is good, but...

But nothing, baby. It's
only gonna be for one year.

With that money,

we'll be able to save up
money for the kids' college.

We'll be able to move outta
here and start living good.

Oh, James, I don't
wanna live good.

I want to live with you.

Huh?

You know what I mean.

Yeah, Daddy, we
want to live with you too.

Yeah, Daddy, please don't go.

Yeah, Dad.

Now, look here, kids,

the seniority I get on
this job, when I get back,

I'll be able to get jobs

I ain't got a chance at now.

Yeah, being black in Alaska
has its definite advantages.

They'll never lose
Dad in the snow.

James, I just can't
believe you'd do this.

You're gonna
leave three children

without a father
for a whole year.

Now, wait a minute, Florida.

I thought about that.

But look at them.
They ain't kids no more.

I mean, they're
practically adults.

Michael is only .

A boy that age needs a father,

especially in this neighborhood.

Those streets are
full of bad habits

just waiting to be picked up.

Now, look, baby, we
didn't raise no ignorant kids.

I mean, they know
right from wrong.

And if they forget
while I'm gone,

just give them a
refresher course.

That's the father's job.

Now, wait a minute.

You the one always telling me

a woman can do
anything a man can do.

Well, I was wrong.

There ain't a woman on earth

as stubborn as you are.

Stubborn? Now, what
makes you say I'm stubborn?

I ain't stubborn.

I'm just saying

ain't nobody gonna
make me change my mind.

I'm going to Alaska.

Over my dead snowshoes.

Dad, you wanna know
what I think about this?

No.

See, Thelma, I told
you not to interrupt them

when they arguing.

I don't understand
you sometimes.

All I'm trying to do
is make a better life

for all of us.

James, is it worth it

leaving your family
for a whole year?

Do we live that bad?

Well let's face it, Florida,
we don't live that good.

I mean, we are poor,

and if you was to make
a list of all the things

that people want to be,
poor would be at the bottom.

Just above sick and dead.

So what?

We've been poor all our lives,
and we always got through

without you leaving
the family to do it.

James, why are you doing it?

I'm doing it for us.

It's the first time in my life

I had a chance to
accomplish something.

Then you're not doing it for us.

You're doing it for you.

I'm doing it for us!

Well, "us" don't
want you to do it.

Look, I'm taking the job,

and I don't wanna
hear no more about it.

I'm going to Alaska!

Now, let's go out and
celebrate the good news

and have some fun!

I'm going to a club
meeting. See you later, Mom.

Okay, sweetheart.
Bye-bye, bye-bye.

Okay.

James still hasn't
changed his mind, huh?

[DOOR CLOSES]

Well, I just wanna tell you

that whatever goes down,
you can count on me.

What does that mean, Willona?

Now, if I tell you something,
you promise you won't get upset?

Tell me.

You know Dwight Johnson.

The guy I used to go with? Yeah.

Well, honey, he used
to work on a pipeline too,

for months in Texas.

And those dudes were
stranded so far out in the sticks,

the company flew in
entertainment every weekend.

Entertainment? Mm-hmm.

What kind of entertainment?

♪ En-ter-tainment ♪

L-i-v-e, live entertainment.

Okay, Willona, I get it.

All right.

J.J: Oh, come on now.

I told you, the answer's
no! What's going on?

[DOOR CLOSES]

Ma, I told Daddy I
can get a full-time job

at the county hospital.

And I'll sell my art supplies.

And Michael's
trying to get a job

at the drug store
delivering orders.

You hear that, James?

They're all willing to sacrifice

to keep you home.

What kind of home is it gonna
be with everybody working?

There won't be nobody home.

The answer is no!

James, I tell you,
we could do it...

Case closed, Florida. Oh!

[CRYING]

[DOOR SLAMS]

Well, it's so nice to see

you're keeping an
open mind, James.

[SLAMS POT DOWN]

Or at least you're trying.

[DOOR OPENS]

Oh, now, come on,
baby, stop crying.

It's gonna be just
as tough on me

as it is on you.

I ain't gonna be doing
nothing but working

and getting homesick.

And being... en-ter-tained!

Huh?

Oh, Willona told me what goes on

in them construction camps.

Oh, Willona. Princess
Running Mouth.

Look, I heard all
about them camps too.

But you don't think
I'm gonna be involved

in none of that stuff, do you?

I know you wouldn't, James.

All I'm gonna be doing is
marking on the calendar

and writing letters
to you every night.

Like this?

What's that?

It's a letter I got
a long time ago.

James, you know we
only been apart one day

in all the years
of our marriage.

Yeah.

That was one day
I went out of town

looking for work.

Mm-hmm.

You weren't even gone hours,

and you wrote me
a -page letter.

Yeah, every time I
tried to fall asleep,

I had to add another page.

James, this is only for one day.

What you gonna
do when you're gone

for a whole year?

Use up a hell of
a lot of pencils.

You know,

this is the only
love letter I ever got.

It better be. It's the
only one I ever wrote.

"I didn't get the job, Florida,

"but I don't care.

"Being away from
you hurts me too much.

I'll never leave you again."

Oh, Florida, that was
a young boy talking.

Whatever happened to him?

He grew up.

Florida, we're talking
about $ a week!

James, I'm talking about you.

But, baby, when
was the last time

anybody around here
even seen $ a week?

I've been knocked
around enough to know

you just can't pass up
a chance like this, baby.

Oh, now, come on, now.

Come on.

It's pretty quiet in there.

Maybe Ma gave in.

Not a chance.

Maybe Dad gave in.

Never!

Well, maybe I
should go in there.

They probably need some advice

from a neutral party.

J.J., you go in there, and
Dad will break you in half.

Just a thought that popped

inside of my head.

Hmm, it must have
been awful lonesome.

Ooh, Michael! What
happened to you?

Michael, what happened, man?

I'm okay.

Mama, Daddy, come
here! Michael's hurt.

I said I'm okay.

THELMA: Michael...

MICHAEL: I'm okay. Michael.

Honey, are you hurt?

No, Ma, I'm okay.

Michael, you been fighting?

Yeah, Daddy, I had to fight.

Keith got b*at up and robbed.

And I don't know
how bad Eddie's hurt,

but I barely got away myself.

Who is this dude?
I'll tear him apart!

Well, there was six of them.

Sounds like a job for Dad.

Junior, shut up.

Now, I want to know
what happened, Michael.

Well, Daddy,

we were down the block
selling The Defender,

trying to raise
money for our club,

when these six cats from
the Satan Knights came

and started pushing us around.

After they robbed Keith,

one of them pulled
a Kn*fe on me.

My God.

So I hit him with
a stack of papers

and ran.

Michael... baby, you
could have really been hurt.

Oh, now calm down, baby.

It's all over.

Yeah, for now.

But we gonna get
back at those dudes.

Now you ain't getting
back at nobody.

Daddy, what kind
of club would we be

if we let everybody
push us around?

That's what we
stand for: black pride.

If you come down on a guy
wearing one of these jackets,

you coming down on all of us.

Now, wait a minute, mister.

You just back up.

The only reason I
let you join this club

is because you said
it stood for self-pride

and awareness.

But if your club is
talking about revenge,

then they become
nothing but a g*ng,

and you just quit.

Hey, Daddy, you can't
take my jacket from me.

Looks to me like I just did.

Now, you want to discuss it?

No.

But what about Black Pride?

What about it?

You don't need no g*ng for that.

You black. Just be proud.

James, where are you going?

I'm going down
to the union hall,

see can I find me
a job here in town.

James!

Well, Florida, I'm
ashamed of you,

letting me go off to Alaska

knowing my son needs
me here in this jungle.

For a woman, sometimes
you really surprise me.

[♪♪♪]

♪ 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 ♪

ANNOUNCER: Good
Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪
Post Reply