ANNOUNCER: From Television City in Hollywood:
♪ Good Times ♪
♪ Any time you meet A payment ♪
♪ Good Times ♪
♪ Any time you meet A friend ♪
♪ Good Times ♪
♪ Any time 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 ♪
Will you hold still, girl?
How can I paint you when you're moving like that?
What you doing, anyway?
Dancing to the music.
What music?
The music in my head.
I guess there is room for a hi-fi up there.
Are you calling me stupid?
If you answer to any other name, it'd be an alias.
Well, I don't dig this modeling jive.
I'm quitting it.
Then I gather, little sister, you are no longer interested
in these tickets to the Marvin Gaye concert,
which I will only relinquish
upon the completion of this portrait.
You're a cold dude, JJ.
You got what I want, so you hassling me, right?
That's right.
Right now it's me and the Arabs running the world.
Now get back to posing.
Waste of time posing for an amateur like...
Hey!
Are you crazy, JJ?
You got me 7 feet tall!
I look like Wilt Chamberlain!
You're looking at a James Evans original.
I paint part impressionistic.
You made me ugly.
That part is right on.
Well, I think it's junk.
It's a fine painting!
Fine painting my foot, JJ!
Hey, kids... kids...
[GASPING] Y'all know the elevator...
the elevator...
I just walked up 17 flights of stairs.
[BICKERING]
Mama, what's the matter?
I never have any trouble
landing in the right apartment.
I just pick up kids screaming
and come in on automatic pilot.
The elevator is broke.
I just walked up 17 flights of stairs.
Here, take this.
That's terrible, Mama.
Man, they tried to put up an "Out of Order" sign
but every time they tried to nail it up,
they knocked down a wall.
Ma, what I'm gonna do with the milk and the eggs?
What you always do with milk and eggs, Thelma.
Put 'em in the refrigerator.
I thought you knew, Ma.
The refrigerator broke down again.
Oh, no. Now all my food is gonna spoil.
No, it won't, Mama.
The heat went off a half-hour ago.
This is the worst run building in this whole project!
Nothing is ever fixed!
Damn!
Ma! Ma!
Forgive me, Lord,
but under the circumstances,
that is the politest word that comes to mind.
Well, I'm gonna call this project manager
and shake him up a bit.
It won't do any good, Ma.
All you're gonna get is one of those recordings saying,
"Leave your message after the sound of the beep."
She's right. It just beeped.
Oh, yeah? Well, dig this, Mr. Beep,
either you get this project into A-1 condition,
or I shall see to it personally
that you are out of a job, and I mean rapido.
This message is signed Mayor Daley or Muhammad Ali,
whichever scares you the most.
Give me that phone!
Florida, guess what.
The elevator ain't working.
I just walked all the way from the laundry room.
You went down to that laundry room by yourself?
You're taking a chance.
You could have been attacked by...
I doubt it.
There ain't nothing in this building that's operating.
You know, there are eight machines down there,
and I finally found the one that was working.
You wanna see how it was working?
Look at it.
10 percent acrylon, 90 percent confetti.
Oh, I know the machine you got.
It's the one with that special cycle...
wash and tear.
Aunt Willona, that's terrible.
You better believe me,
them dudes gonna pay me for my sweater.
You should make them pay for it.
[CHATTERING]
The elevator ain't working.
I had to walk up 17 flights.
[EVERYONE CONTINUES CHATTERING]
Guess what.
The elevator ain't working!
You know something? A man's home is supposed to be his castle.
But in this one, the drawbridge is always stuck.
Well, drawbridge or no drawbridge,
ain't you gonna kiss me hello?
Baby, I'm so mad, I might bite.
I'll accept anything.
Boy, you work hard all day
to pay the rent on a building that's falling down.
You come home and half the light bulbs
in the hallway ain't working.
The elevator ain't working.
Hey, it's cold in here!
Don't tell me the heat ain't working.
It decided to keep the refrigerator company.
Well, I'm gonna get out of all this.
I opened a fortune cookie last night and listen to this!
"You are about to meet a tall, dark handsome man
"who will take you away from your present rundown pad
"to a fancy apartment overlooking Lakeshore Drive
"with heat, hot water,
and an elevator that runs all the time."
Willona, what does it really say?
"Chicago Noodle Company."
Well, I'm gonna make some hot tea for everybody.
WILLONA: Oh, that sounds good.
Thank heavens the stove still works.
Yeah, hallelujah!
Take back your hallelujah.
The water ain't running.
You've gotta be kidding.
The elevator ain't working, no heat,
no nothing, no water.
I had better conditions than this in Korea.
Boy, pretty soon we're gonna have to go to the bathroom
at the gas station.
We only gonna be able to go on odd-numbered days.
You know, James, I really think
we ought to make a noise about this.
Baby, that ain't gonna do no good.
You know we've been to that manager over a hundred times.
Maybe Michael's got the answer, Dad.
He's been sending letters to the newspaper
making complaints about this place.
The Militant Midget strikes again.
Can you believe that a newspaper
would print a letter from an 11-year-old kid?
Besides, where'd he get the money for the stamps?
He don't need no money for no stamps.
The last six letters, I painted them on.
JJ!
Well, I'm gonna get on back to my place
and look at my favorite daytime serial.
It's even sadder than this building.
Willona, what could be sadder than this building?
The 4:00 news.
Well, JJ, I'm gonna need some water for dinner...
I know.
So I want you to go...
Go downstairs 17 floors, get some water.
Here goes Jack without Jill.
Baby, it's down to 55.
Feels like 40.
I sure am glad I got me an ample woman
to sleep with tonight.
Speaking of ample, I bet you sorry
you didn't marry Emmaline Watson.
How you remember Emmaline Watson?
How can you forget Emmaline Watson?
She weighed 300 pounds.
Daddy, you used to go out with a lady
that weighed 300 pounds?
Yeah, but I only went out with her one time.
See, I was courting your mother,
and so I had this friend of mine fix me up
with a heavy date to make her jealous.
Lord knows I didn't know the date
was gonna be that heavy.
Hey, Ma, were you jealous?
Well, I was before I saw him
dancing with Emmaline Watson.
He was showing off, you know,
being real cute.
So when they got by where I was sitting,
he dipped her real deep.
And it looked pretty good for a while.
Only when your daddy was done dipping,
Emmaline wasn't.
She couldn't come out of it.
It took your daddy 10 minutes
to squirm loose.
JJ, what you doing back so soon?
Somebody mugged my buckets.
That's just too much.
This building's about to drive me... James!
What the hell is that? Are you all right?
I'm all right, but the floor ain't.
It's so cold in here, one of the tiles has popped loose.
It could be termites.
Mom, Dad, guess what.
ALL: The elevator's working?
No, they printed my letter in the "Chicago Defender"!
Is that the one I painted the Eisenhower stamps on?
Uh-huh.
Couldn't be too bright at the post office.
I painted him black.
You putting us on, boy?
Daddy, "boy" is a white racist word.
Michael, you mean they actually printed
something you wrote?
They sure did.
[EVERYONE SPEAKS AT ONCE]
FLORIDA: Come on, Michael, I want to hear it.
Listen to this. "Dear Sirs.
"It's time people knew about the terrible conditions
"in the projects area.
"They are becoming a slum.
"Complaints are ignored,
"and it's a disgrace to our fair city
"and the entire United States.
"Signed Michael Evans, Esquire."
Well?
You better get your esquire off that chair.
Daddy, you've been trying
to complain about this for months.
Mama, we supposed to fight for our rights, ain't we?
Well, we're all for that, Michael,
but we also got to remember
that we were on a waiting list for two years
to get into this project.
And it's a whole lot better than that cold water flat
we used to live in with the bathroom in the hallway.
Did we live in one of those?
Yes, we did, son.
I don't remember being cold, Mama.
You weren't. You were warm in my belly.
I'm glad you waited to have me last, Mama.
[TELEPHONE RINGS]
Well, at least the phone is still working.
Hello.
Yeah, this is Mr. Evans.
The housing authority?
Look, about that letter in the newspaper...
Uh-huh.
We'll be here, but I think I ought to tell you that...
Uh-huh... uh-huh.
Yeah, okay.
Well, that was the man from the housing authority.
They read about your little letter in the newspaper,
and they want to talk to us. They gonna be here at 5:00.
See, Daddy? We're getting some action.
Yeah, I ought to give you some action.
Well, thanks a lot, Michael.
In about two hours, if we want water
we won't have to send JJ down into the street.
We'll be living down there!
I ought to light your behind up right now.
Baby, it's down to 45 now.
My teeth are chattering so much,
it sounds like a crap game.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
That's got to be the man.
Look, y'all let me deal with this here.
Daddy, I think you should show some unity.
Michael, if you don't be quiet, I'm gonna unify
your behind with my belt. Amen!
Guess what.
ALL: The elevator ain't working.
Oh, you know already.
Maybe you better sit down.
You don't look so good, man.
Seventeen flights.
Do you know somebody's mugging somebody
on the 14th floor?
You're lucky the mugger was busy with somebody else.
Otherwise, you'd have been the muggee.
I'm sorry.
In all the excitement, I didn't introduce myself.
I don't live here.
Oh, I would have never known that.
I'm William Stonehurst from the housing authority.
Now I know I'm late,
but I had a terrible time getting a taxi here.
Every time I told them where I was going,
they turned on the "Off Duty" sign
and slammed the door in my face.
I finally got one.
He's waiting for me downstairs, so I'll be brief.
Mr. Evans, that letter you wrote
caused some commotion down at the office.
When a letter like that is made public,
it can cause a lot of trouble.
You shouldn't have written it, Mr. Evans.
I didn't. You're not Michael Evans?
No, the Mr. Evans you want is my son.
I'm Michael Evans, Esquire, and I just want to say...
Michael!
What my son wrote is true.
There is an awful lot wrong with this building,
but we didn't expect our complaints
to be printed up in the newspaper.
Good, then it was a mistake.
You just see to it that the boy learns to...
"Boy" is a white racist...
Just see to it that the little fellow
learns to be a little more discreet in the future.
Remember, all we're trying to do is satisfy the tenants,
be economical and keep these buildings in the black.
Ah... eh... ah... well, good-bye.
Extra! Extra! Hear all about it!
What happened?
The War Lords and the Dukes are having a rumble again,
and... whoo.
Sorry, I didn't know you had company.
This is Mr. Stonehurst.
From the housing authority.
The War Lords and the Dukes?
Does that mean there's a gang fight going on?
They ain't having a block party.
I better get down to my cab.
Oh, was that your cab?
What do you mean "was"?
It just took off at 60 miles an hour
on three wheels.
Goodness, Mrs. Evans, what do you do
when there's a gang fight?
Well, we count our children,
thank the Lord that they're not in it and sit it out.
And this rumble's gonna be a longie.
Some cats done set up a food concession.
When you say "long,"
how long?
We've seen 'em go till 2:00,
maybe 3:00 in the morning.
Yeah, this one could last longer than that.
The War Lords and the Dukes are fighting for the championship
and a chance to work their way up in the Super Bowl Rumble.
Goodness, I guess that means I'll have to stay here.
Look at the bright side, Mr. Stonehurst.
If the rumble lasts long enough,
Bob Hope will come into the neighborhood
and entertain the troops! Ha, ha!
I'll keep you all posted.
Oh, oh!
Something hurting you, Mr. Stonehurst?
I suffer from migraine headaches.
They're brought on by tension.
Well, you came to the right neighborhood for tension.
Thelma, get Mr. Stonehurst two aspirins, please.
Okay, Ma.
Would you mind if I telephoned my wife?
She's expecting me home for dinner.
Oh, no, use the phone. It's right over there.
Oh, thank you.
You're perfectly welcome to stay for dinner.
It's not top sirloin.
We're just having corn bread, fatback and turnip greens.
Oh, soul food!
Sounds delightful.
You'll find our diet has too much starch
and not enough vitamins and proteins.
Will you get off the soap box,
and go and set the table?
And put an extra chair up there for Mr. Stonehurst.
Hello, Emily?
Emily, this is William.
Look, I had to stop by one of the projects,
and I can't get away right away.
Well, it's going to be fine.
I'm having dinner with this family.
We're having fat greens and turnip backs.
No, no, no, no, no. There's nothing to worry about, dear.
It's perfectly all right. It's safe.
Good-bye.
Here's the aspirins, Mr. Stonehurst.
Oh, thank you. May I have some water?
We don't have any.
No water?
Oh, we have water,
but it just ain't making a personal appearance today.
Say, how about washing them down with a little muscatel?
Muscatel?
Yeah, that's the champagne of the people.
It don't sparkle, it don't bubble,
it just kind of lays there.
Mr. Stonehurst, let me make a wild guess.
You've never been around many black families, have you?
Well... oddly enough, you're right.
But we do have a colored... Ne...
black maid.
Oh, isn't that nice.
Come on, Thelma, help me put the dinner on the table.
Here we go, Mr. Stonehurst.
This ought to wash those aspirins down.
Oh, thank you.
Mmm...
I'm sure three out of four physicians don't recommend this,
but it's a very pleasant way to swallow aspirin.
Yeah, sometimes you don't even need the aspirin.
Want some more, huh?
Oh, don't mind if I do.
Well, since this is wine,
I suppose we should propose a toast.
Well, I ain't no expert in making toasts.
I know a very clever one I use down at my club.
Yeah?
Under the teeth and over the gums.
Look out, stomach, here she comes.
Well, imagine that.
That's the same I use down at my club.
Well, you can't keep a great line from getting around.
We can sit down now. Come on, JJ.
I'd leave my coat on if I were you.
It's cold in here.
Well, I've been meaning to ask you.
Why haven't you turned up the heat?
'Cause there ain't no heat, Stoney.
I'm sorry. Well, don't be.
We know you ain't personally responsible.
Gee, it all looks so good,
especially the green backs and corn fat.
Nice try, Mr. Stonehurst.
Come on, sit down.
I'm not really as much at ease as I appear.
I guess we should be thankful it's cold.
With the refrigerator not working,
it keeps the food from spoiling.
Your refrigerator is out of order too?
Isn't anything working in this house?
Just my husband... at two different jobs
to afford all the things around here that don't work.
I hate to bring you people down,
but it's awfully depressing to hear things like that.
Forget about it right now, Mr. Stonehurst.
Michael, baby, say the blessing.
JJ!
Thank you, Lord, for the food we are about to receive.
And I hope what Mama cooked for five
will go into six.
Amen!
Michael!
There's nothing to reprimand him for, Mrs. Evans.
Your son has every right to be angry.
It is disgraceful that a nice family like yours
has to be subject to such conditions.
I guess we get so bogged down in paperwork,
we get out of touch with people.
Look, we know the projects is a big operation.
You ain't got time to get around to everybody personally.
No, Mr. Evans, I'm not going to accept that as an excuse.
Not for me nor for my colleagues.
No, something's got to be done about all this,
and I'm going to do it.
Oh, Mr. Stonehurst, I've heard that song before.
We've been down to see that manager
over a hundred times.
No, no, you don't understand.
I'm from the district office.
I'm one of the top men down there.
I can get things done.
[EVERYONE TALKS AT ONCE]
Well, I'm starved! Let's dig in.
Extra, extra! The latest bulletin...
the rumble is off. Bye.
Well, I want to thank you all very much
for your hospitality.
Ain't you gonna stay and have dinner with us?
Well, I'd love to really, but I should get on home.
Well, what about the building?
I mean the refrigerator and the heat...
Well, unfortunately this is Friday night.
But mark my words.
I'm going to be there bright and early Monday morning
and really get things moving!
Well, did you hear that, kids?
That's wonderful! All right!
I like the way you're talking now.
You have my word. Everything that's wrong
in this building is going to be fixed!
That's the best news we've had in weeks.
JJ: You all right, Stoney baby!
How long do you think it'll take?
I guarantee I'll have this place
in perfect shape just like that!
Dy-no-mite!
Now that's the kind of talk I like to hear.
But, Mr. Stonehurst, you didn't tell us how long it would take.
Thirteen, 14 months tops. Good-bye.
Well, pass the corn bread.
And don't forget the green backs and turnip fat!
Guess we gonna have to wait till JJ gets back
with the water before we wash the dishes, Thelma.
Okay, Mama.
Oh, mercy, the water is on!
Hey, James! James! The water's running!
Oh, that's great, baby.
With the heat still off, I can take a bath in my overcoat.
Oh, James!
Baby, come back here and keep me warm.
You know, I could always trade you in on Emmaline Watson.
Just you try it!
[♪♪]
♪ Mmm ♪
♪ Just looking out Of the window ♪
♪ Watching the asphalt grow ♪
♪ Thinking how it all Looks hand-me-down ♪
♪ Good Times, Good Times ♪
♪ Keeping your head Above water ♪
♪ Making a wave When you can ♪
♪ Temporary layoffs ♪
♪ Good Times ♪
NARRATOR: "Good Times" is recorded on tape before a live audience.
♪ Ain't we lucky We got 'em ♪
♪ Good Times ♪