07x13 - They're Closing Inspiration Point

[bunniefuu]

♪ Sunday, Monday, happy days ♪

♪ Tuesday, Wednesday, happy days ♪

♪ Thursday, Friday, happy days ♪

♪ The weekend comes, my cycle hums ♪

♪ Ready to race to you ♪

♪ These days are ours ♪

- ♪ Happy and free ♪
- ♪ Oh, happy days ♪

♪ These days are ours ♪

- ♪ Share them with me ♪
- ♪ Oh, baby ♪

♪ Good-bye, gray sky, hello, blue ♪

♪ There's nothing can hold me when I hold you ♪

♪ It feels so right it can't be wrong ♪

♪ Rocking and rolling all week long ♪

[organ solo plays over rhythmic hand claps]

♪ Sunday, Monday, happy days ♪

♪ Tuesday, Wednesday, happy days ♪

♪ Thursday, Friday, happy days ♪

♪ Saturday, what a day ♪

♪ Groovin' all week with you ♪

♪ These days are ours ♪

- ♪ Share them with me ♪
- ♪ Oh, happy days ♪

♪ These days are ours ♪

- ♪ Happy and free ♪
- ♪ Oh, baby ♪

♪ These happy days are yours and mine ♪

♪ These happy days are yours ♪

♪ And mine, Happy Days! ♪

I found my thrill, oh blueberry.

The Fonz, Fonzie, Howard, Marion,
Joanie, Potsie Weber, Ralph Malph,

Leather Tuscadero, Laverne DeFazio,
Shirley Feeney, Arnold's Drive-In,

Cunningham Hardware, Leopard Lodge, live studio
audience, laugh track, sitcom, 1950s, rock and roll.

Boys, boys, boys!

Now, what's all the excitement about?

Al, put it out there!

This is the expressway, Al!

Ah, that's exciting!

Well, bigger roads means more cars, more cars means more
people, more people means more customers, more customers.

Early retirement.

Al, Al, you don't understand.

The expressway goes right through Inspiration Point.

Yeah!

Yeah, that goes to my early retirement.

The important thing to remember here is we are not licked.

You hear that, everybody?

We're not licked yet!

All right, this is what we're going to do.

Yeah.

We're going to do this.

We're going after the big guy, the
head guy, in charge of this dastardly plan.

We're going after the head guy.

Tell us, Fonz.

Give us the word.

All right.

Fonz is known as the East Boulevard Business Association.

Let's get him!

All right.

Yeah, we don't have to get them.

We just have to get the guy on top.

Lead me to him, Fonz.

Yeah, yeah, who is he?

Let's tar and feather him.

Sure, who is he?

Howard Cunningham.

Another Howard Cunningham?

What a coincidence.

b*tch, there's no coincidence.

Coincidence?

No coincidence?

My Howard Cunningham?

Yours.

Mine and theirs.

My Howard Cunningham?

My dad?

My dad who bounced me on his knee when I was a little baby?

You know, he gave me my very first basketball.

My dad.

You know something?

When my front tooth fell out, he put it under my pillow.

The next morning, I woke up and I got a nickel.

My very own dad.

Come on.

Joanie, would you please cool it?

You're going to be in no condition to talk to
dad when he gets home the way you're acting.

Talk to him?

Why should I talk to him?

He is ruining my life.

Because, Joanie, in this country, every
man is innocent until he's proven guilty.

And besides, see, I don't think dad even knows
that the off-ramp is going to ruin Inspiration Point.

I only started going up there six months ago.

Cut down in my prime.

Oh, hello, children.

We're home.

I am going to be an old mate, and it's all his fault.

You what?

You're going to be an old mate?

Yes.

Oh, Howard.

Did you tell her that she can't get married?

I didn't even know she was considering it.

No, dad, it's not that.

It's something really simple, you know?

You know that simple little expressway and that
simple little off-ramp that they're planning to build?

So, Richard, what's your point?

Well, see, I told him that I didn't think
you knew anything about the fact that the

off-ramp is going to totally ruin Inspiration Point.

What?

He's ruining my life.

Howard, Howard.

Mom, see, now you're acting like everyone else.

Dad is innocent until he's proven guilty,
and I wish both of you would keep that in mind.

Richard, I did know the off-ramp was going
through Inspiration Point.

He's guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Why did you do such a thing?

Wait.

Why did you do such a thing?

Wait.

Will you just wait a minute?

Look, if you cared so much about it, why didn't
you show up at the planning commission hearings?

Well, what commission?

I don't know anything about a planning commission.

Well, there were notices in the paper.

Well, I guess we didn't see them, because
if I would, I would have gone down there.

You're ruining my life.

I am not ruining your life.

Besides, I told all of you about the
off-ramp right here one night at dinner time.

You're not easy to understand when your
mouth is full of food, Howard.

Dad, I don't think you said anything.

I don't remember.

Hold it.

Hold it.

I did.

Richard, you were sitting right there
talking about some future dance at the

fraternity house, and Joanie, you were
trying to decide what shade lipstick to

use, and Marion, you were concerned about
the price of ground round.

Well, Dad, you should have made us listen.

Yeah.

Really, you should have.

That's not easy in this family.

Oh, come on, Dad.

Besides, that off-ramp means a lot of
business for East Boulevard.

Well, it's going to mean an increase in
traffic, a traffic of 5.3% in the business district.

Marion.

Joanie.

Well, there's nothing I can do about it.

The bulldozers start today.

Bulldoze?

Yeah.

The bulldozer?

The bulldozer?

The bulldozer?

The bulldozer?

Now, I see that you're discussing what is
on everybody else's lips.

Yeah, and I can't believe it.

Well, the bulldozer's...

There's only one question to be answered here.

Mr. Segal, are you going to put a stop to this?

All right, now hold it.

Just hold it.

I will not be bullied in my own house.

Well, then, will you be begged?

It's too late, Fonzie.

It is never too late.

Okay, tell that to the bulldozers.

All right, what's the plan?

All right.

It's a plan.

All right.

It's a plan.

It's a plan.

You're meeting right now.

Okay.

You go down there and you keep it going
until I can think of something.

All right, all right.

Well, how will I stall?

I mean, what should I say?

Are you kidding?

Just ramble on like you always do.

Yes, Fonzie.

Get on the phone, you get an army together.

Consider it done.

But you see, you hold the fort.

I'm on my way.

Geronimo.

You know, Marion, not all families agree about everything.

Well, that's true.

Howard.

Good.

What's for lunch?

Make your own lunch.

This is w*r, bucko.

I have come to speak about a subject which
is very close to my heart.

Nay, close to many hearts.

I've come to speak about progress, sir, which,
when allowed to run amok, can be very, very dangerous.

Progress?

Progress must be tempered with sanity.

Thank you.

All right.

And what about the squirrels?

And what about the fauna?

And what about the flora?

Young man, we have a slight problem here.

We don't know what you're talking about.

Sir, you see, I am here representing a group of
citizens who would like you to stop those bulldozers.

As it states in the Constitution...
Young man, I admire your enthusiasm.

I'd like to see the young people of this
town show an interest, but it's too late.

That concludes our meeting for this week.

I have not yet yielded the floor, Mr. Chairman.

Good family, Mitch.

In 1776, a small group of... Commissioner,
Commissioner, we got troubles.

What troubles?

Well, our bulldozers on the East Boulevard
off-ramp are all shut down.

Shut down?

All right.

Yeah, some ding-a-ling has chained himself
to a tree right in the middle of the...

Texas.

Uh, was this ding-a-ling, I mean,
this person wearing a leather jacket?

Yeah.

Boots?

Yeah.

Surrounded by a lot of girls?

Yeah.

You know who he is, huh?

No.

Another ding-a-ling.

As long as the commissions are going to see
us this afternoon, let's hit them with all we've got.

Well, I've been rehearsing my presentation all morning, but,
you know, sometimes it's not working right, this speech.

It's got to be more dramatic.

Hey, what if we would actually dramatize the thing?

Yeah.

Yeah, you know, I'm beginning to feel like
I'm in a Mickey Rooney movie.

Yeah.

Hey, Rich, don't attack that to get Arnold's, please.

What do you think of this, huh?

Business trends since 1936.

Yeah, yeah, that's excellent.

You know, I think it might be a little too
technical, but...

Hey, wait a minute.

Cut that upper part out in the shape of a moon, will you?

It'll work into my new plan beautifully.

You got it.

Hey, this is going good.

This is going good.

Rich, Rich, Rich.

Rich, everyone in the room sign this petition.

What next?

Oh, great, Joanie.

All right, all right.

Down to Jefferson High School, because I bet you
can get four or five hundred other signatures down there.

Oh, yeah.

What a great way to meet, huh?

Yeah, right.

Don't you mix business and pleasure.

We're cooking.

We're really rolling.

We're really rolling.

Okay, Rich, check this.

Pretty nifty, huh?

Oh, yeah.

Excellent sign.

How's Potsie coming with his sign?

Don't ask.

You know how slow he is?

He cooked dinner last night.

It took him an hour and a half to make minute rice.

So the sign's not ready yet, huh?

Come look.

He's been painting for over an hour.

Over an hour?

What's it supposed to say?

Stop Howard Cunningham.

Finished yet, Pots?

Just about.

There.

S?

That's all you've got is an S?

It's going to take you a month to finish
at the rate you're going, Potsie.

Don't bug me, Malph.

I'm an artist.

I've got to go at my own pace.

The tearing down is free for boys and youths in no time.

You're a temperament, Ralph.

Take it easy.

That's a very nice S.

Thank you.

I'll go cook some rice.

Report.

Things are going very well.

We're going to be ready.

All right, good.

Hey, man, Fonz, you've got to tell me what happened.

First, I chained myself to a tree.

Hey, that's showing them.

They cut down that tree.

Yes, they did.

I dare you.

Pour that cement.

Ah, I'm late for my appointment with the chiseler.

Yes, Bernice, I love my husband.

I love my children.

I'm not going to take sides.

I'm not going to say that to Howard.

What did she call me?

I'm not going to tell you.

The old windbag?

That's what she called you.

Marion, I...

Are you with me on this or not?

I'm with you 100%.

Good.



Now hear this.

Fight for your right to woo and coo.

Sign a petition to stop Howard Cunningham.

Chachi, will you knock it off?

You can stop me, but let me tell you, there's a
thousand others out there ready to take my place.

Oh, this whole thing is getting out of hand.

Come on, Marion, we've got to get down to that.

Hey, sign a petition before you leave, will you?

What petition?

Well, you know.

Don't want to stop you.

Chachi, would you do me a favor?

Sure.

Leave.

Sure.

John Howard Cunningham.

Fight for the right to woo and coo.

He is so cute.

Isn't he cute, Howard?

Wouldn't you like it if he were?

Our son.

I certainly would, Mary, and then I could disown him.

Sweetheart, you understand what I'm trying
to do here, don't you?

Well, I understand, dear.

I mean, that off-ramp is going to mean
more business for the store.

I'm thinking about our future.

I know that, dear.

Kids will find another place to park.

After all, Inspiration Point is not the
only dark spot in town.

Well, that's true, dear.

What are you doing?

I didn't want to be recognized.

You just said you were with me.

I am.

I'm going in the car.

Well, that's something.

And I'm going to scrunch down the back seat.

And don't look back at me.

And these figures indicate that
the East Boulevard off-ramp is

going to bring much more
traffic into our business district.

And the greater the flow of traffic, the greater profit.

Now, I think that's, to all of us, very stimulating, huh?

Well, at any rate, Mr. Chairman,
as head of the East Boulevard.

Businessmen's Association, I strongly
support this off-ramp.

Thank you very much.

And thank you for restating your position, Mr. Cunningham.

Now to state the case for the opposition,
Richard Cunningham.

Richard, be sure to stand up straight, dear.

Yeah.

Come on.

Two, four, six, eight, what's a girl without a date?

We don't want to sit and muck.

Richie is our only hope.

Yay!

That's my little sister, you know.

She gets a little carried away.

Mr. Chairman, commissioners, and concerned
citizens, in order to further illustrate

our case, we have prepared for you a short dramatization.

Would everyone take their places, please?

Four, three, two, one.

We deserve to have some fun.

One, two, three, four.

Please, sirs, do not close the door.

She wrote those tears herself.

Oh, thank you.

I'll tell her you like them.

I can get you some copies if you... No, I'm fine.

Oh, I see that everyone is ready.

Act one.

Well, here they are.

Our hero and heroine.

Ah, what a lovely couple.

As they drive up to Inspiration Point.

Find a nice spot.

And park the car.

Isn't this a lovely scene?

Just two people enjoying a little innocent romance.

You're overacting.

You want me to be convincing, right?

Alas.

Alas, build an expressway, break a heart.

The guilt is on your head.

Thank you.

Lori Beth kisses good, Rich.

Mr. Chairman, this is ridiculous.

If the young people need a place to go,
I propose we build them a club.

We don't want to hang out joint.

We want Inspiration Point.

All right, that's enough.

Now look, Mr. Cunningham.

Yes?

No, this, Mr. Cunningham.

We realize that you young people like Inspiration Point.

I'd like to speak as someone who's not so young.

Yeah, yeah, he's not so young.

I proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Now, it's true Inspiration Point.

Inspiration Point is a place of trees,
stones, and flowers, but it's also a place

of romance, a place of dreaming and
planning for the future, a place where two

people could share beauty and truth together.

Now, I personally, Mr. Chairman,
have never been to Inspiration Point,

but it's good to know that it's there if I ever need it.

And I really need it.

I, I am married to, uh, him.

And if you think that, that young people
are the only ones who care about saving.

Inspiration Point, well, you're just all wet.

Uh, romance is not dead among the middle-aged.

I may just be a mother, but I am also all woman.

All woman.

That's my mother talking.

Well, Mr. Chairman, as, as these two impromptu speakers
indicate why I, I believe that the citizens of this town.

We're having fun.

All right.

Fonzie, look.

What happened?

Not too good on the front, what's happening here.

Oh, well, it's, uh, I think it's going well.

It's really going well.

It's really going well.

Hey, Ed, please.

I take it you're the young man who's been
disrupting the bulldozers.

I cannot tell a lie.

I am the disruptee.

I heard about the tree.

They came at me with chainsaws.

And the challenge?

Concrete.

What is this?

Well, I chain myself to a, you know, a rock.

Well, Fonz, maybe you should have chained yourself to a,
you know, something big like Logan's Boulder or something.

This was Logan's Boulder.

But Logan's Boulder is really bigger than this whole room.

Oh, and this is so...

Mr. Chairman, this is a man who will not give up.

Well, uh, the senior Mr. Cunningham has
made quite a good case.

And despite your heroic efforts, we
must pay consideration to our businessmen.

Oh, Mr. Chairman, the businessmen...
Oh, good, good, good, Mom.

Uh, sir, do you think I can call a witness onto the stand?

Why not?

We've done everything else.

Fonz, uh, you're off.

Chachi, Bill, give me a chance.

I would like to call to the stand Howard Cunningham.

What?

Howard C.

Cunningham.

Boy, if this is your idea of a joke, Richard...

State your name, please.

Cunningham.

Speak up, please.

Howard C.

Cunningham.

Mr. Cunningham, do you have a family?

I have a lovely wife, a beautiful
daughter, and a smart aleck son.

Could you please tell us how you came to buy your house?

Oh, come on, Richard, you've heard this
story a million times.

Please, for the commission, please, Dad.

Well, we found this house.

We weren't quite sure whether we could buy it.

Your mother was excited about it, and I didn't know whether
I could afford it, so we just went and talked it over.

Where?

Where what?

Where did you go to talk it over?

Well, we drove up to...

Up to where, Dad?

Inspiration point.

Where?

Inspiration point.

I rest my case, Dad.

Mr. Chairman, may I say something?

Well, uh, up till a few minutes ago, I thought that
that off-ramp was the most important thing in my life.

I've just been reminded...
And pretty cleverly, I would say,

that there are things in life much
more dear to me than business.

You know, Charlie, you used to take your wife
up to Inspiration Point when you were courting her.

And, Phil, you were telling me just the
other day what a great time you and your

kids had up there on the 4th of July picnic.

Well, so it's just a place to go, but it's ours, and it
belongs to this community, and I like it, and I say it.

Let's save Inspiration Point, huh?

Way to go, Howard.

I like it, too.

Let's save Inspiration Point.

The last.

Song is dedicated to the hero of the day,
Howard Cunningham.

Come on, Dad, take a bow.

And, to further honor our hero of the day
and his lovely wife, Marion, you've sold us all.

And the house.

And, Howard, so are your 12 Sundays.

Just kidding, just kidding.

I know he'll lease four like I do.

Howard, you really are a hero.

Marion, I didn't do anything special.

No, you did.

How many people would give up a profit of 5.3%?

Well, Marion, you've always given me 100%.

Oh, Howard.

Well, Howard, where is everybody?

I don't know.

My favorite fella, oh, and my favorite gal.

Don't you feel terrific about what you did?

Pretty good, Fonz.

Where did everybody go?

Inspiration Point, you gave it back to us.

And trust me, Mr. C., we know how to use it.

These happy days are yours and mine, happy days.

By gray sky, hello blue, nothing can hold
me when I hold you.

It feels so right, it can't be wrong,
rockin' and rollin' all week long.

These days are ours, happy and free.

Oh, happy days.

These days are ours, share them with me.

Oh, baby.

These happy days are yours and mine.

These happy days are yours and mine, happy days.