Original subtitles

Who can turn the world on with her smile?

Who can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?

Well, it's you, girl, and you should know it.

With each glance and every little movement you show it, love is all alone,

need to waste it. You can never tell, why don't you take it?

You're gonna make it after

If I have something to do tonight, I'll go crazy.

How much longer will your wife be away, Mr. Grant? She'll be gone another week.

It's a trick, Edie Pulse.

Visits her sister in Ann Arbor once a year so that I go batty and miss her.

Works every time.

Hey, Murray, how about it? It's been a while since we went out to dinner

together. Hey, yeah, a little terrific. No,

I can't. I got a PTA meeting.

How about tomorrow night?

No, tomorrow I don't need you.

Thanks a lot.

I got dinner with my daughter and son -in -law.

What am I going to do tonight?

I don't know, Lou.

How quick can you join computer dating?

Mr. Grant, Rhoda and I are going to go to dinner and a movie. If you care to

come along, we're going to see the new Fellini film.

Fellini?

Oh, yeah.

It's in Italian. They have all the words at the bottom. You have to read it and

then look at the people. Then read it again in case it's changed.

Then rush back to look at the people in case they've changed.

I guess you can take that as a no, ma 'am. I guess.

Hey, Lou.

Look, there's a John Wayne picture playing.

There is? Yeah.

The Duke, huh?

No. Why not?

Oh, I don't want to go to a movie alone.

Oh, go on, Lou. He would.

Say, Mayor, I need opinions.

These two pictures, which one do you like the best? It's for my official fan

club picture.

Oh, Ted, they're both nice.

You see, in this one, I really think I look a little too perfect, you know what

I mean?

I mean, you can frighten people with too much perfection.

Well, then pick the other one.

But the other one's even better.

Hey, Lou, here's something you can do tonight.

Oh, are you free tonight, Lou?

So am I.

Murray, what do you mean, something I could do tonight?

You know I already have plans.

Sure, I forgot, Lou, I'm sorry. He already has plans for tonight, Ted.

plans. What are they, Lou?

Well, I'm gonna... Well, uh... All right, Murray.

You tell him.

He's, uh, gonna take Mary to the movies.

Exactly.

I'm taking Mary to dinner and then to the movies. Right, Mary?

Uh, right.

Hey, Greg, can I come?

like Fellini, do you, Ted?

No, I don't eat Italian food. It's too fattening.

Better call me out, guys.

Hey, Mr. Grant, you really gonna go see Fellini with us? No, that was just to

get rid of Ted.

We'll go see John Wayne.

Mary.

I'm going to go back and get some candy. So will you save me a seat? Hold on.

You're going to get candy after that huge meal we just ate?

Sure. It'll help me take my mind off how much weight I think I gained.

Hey!

What do you know, Billy?

Hi.

Mary, I don't think you've met my favorite son -in -law, Bill Phelps.

is Mary Richards. So, this is Bill. Well, he talks about you and Sarah

constantly. Bill and Sarah. Bill and Sarah.

associate producer.

I mean, I wouldn't want you to think, you know, that we were... Not that you

would, you know, but we just went to a business dinner and now we're going to

see a business movie.

Mary. Hey, listen, Billy, there's someone with us, but there'll be enough

Mary, you and Rua to go on in there.

So, William, I'm really looking forward to that dinner tomorrow.

Where's Sarah?

The lady's... Oh, no, she's...

Sarah? Oh, she's... Sarah.

Yeah. She's home.

Home? How come?

Well, you know, she doesn't like John Wayne.

My Sarah? I brought her up better than that.

Oh, that's right. Well, she's not here because I'm working late tonight.

Uh -huh.

Well, I gotta go now. You're gonna love the movie.

I'll see you. Well, you did. Isn't this the first show?

Oh, yeah. Excuse me.

Excuse me.

I'm up. How much more up can I get?

You're sitting in my seat.

No, I'm not. Lou, you are.

I'm afraid you are.

not licorice, right? Oh, licorice, right.

Oh, this is Patty.

I can't remember your... Woods, with two O's.

We just met.

In here? You just met in here?

Oh, no, not in here.

Out there.

In the world.

We've been kind of smiling at each other for over a year, but we just made it

official today.

My wonderful guy.

And this is Mary Richards.

I knew somebody would say that. I knew somebody would say that.

Hey, Lou, what do you think of my neatness system?

See, first they eat all the popcorn.

That's giving me a trash barrel for the candy wrappers.

Smart, huh? Fat but smart.

No? Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

What did I say, Lou?

What?

Fat but smart?

Lou, I didn't mean you.

Really, I didn't. Do you think that's what I said?

Oh, no. I mean, you're a broad person. True.

They expect me to sit here and watch a movie.

A movie.

Something, a drink or some coffee?

A drink or some coffee. She puts them in the same sentence.

No, nothing.

Mary, will you please tell me what he's so angry about?

Well... I'm not angry.

What makes you think I'm angry?

Mr. Grant, do you think you might feel better if you, you know, talk about it,

sort of get it off your chest? Get what off his chest? Please give me a hint,

you two. What does it sound like? What letter does it start with? It starts

I.

tonight. You saw your son -in -law in the movie? Yeah.

Your son -in -law? Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

Mr.

Grant, maybe the whole thing was perfectly innocent.

You think so? Well, I mean, look, you and I were there, right? I mean, maybe

they work together like we do.

I don't think so. Well, why not?

He owns a gas station.

Girl, you can tell me. What's she like?

Well, see... Forget it. I don't want to know.

Well, Lou... I said I don't want to know. Lou, please. What I'm trying to

I don't know anything about her.

Oh. Is there anybody you could ask?

See, the thing is, it was a long time ago. You know, I mean, it was seven

ago. I knew her slightly.

We were in the same ceramics class together.

Uh -huh.

Do you think you should?

Since she went to Ann Arbor, I call her every night. If I don't call her tonight

and act like nothing happened, she'll worry.

She'll start to think that maybe I saw her son -in -law at a movie.

a bunch of guys and they rolled around a lot in the mud and he rode out.

Yeah, it was good.

Listen, Edie, I gotta go.

Take care of yourself.

Don't worry.

It'll turn out all right.

It's always darkest before the dawn.

Goodbye, Edie.

Oh, boy, it was tough keeping that in.

I don't think you kept much of it in, Mr. Grant, I think a lot of it went out

there to Ann Arbor.

It's all so unbelievable.

You know, Mr. Grant, I still think you'd feel better if you'd stop trying to

control yourself and just let it all out.

Yeah, Lou, you gotta let it all out. I can't. I can't. I'm too upset.

No, Mr. Grant, it's okay. Really, go ahead.

I haven't been this mad at anybody since 1944.

Yeah, 1944.

That was the last...

to town in Germany.

Okay. All right, all right.

I'm telling you, this is the worst he's ever been.

This whole day he's been absolutely crummy to everybody.

Well, Murray, if he has been acting that way, there must be a perfectly good

reason for it, and it's not going to kill either one of us to just let it

But the way he was talking to me, the way he was talking to you before, like

were nothing, like you didn't exist.

I mean, he was treating you like... like I treat Ted.

All right, Mary.

Harris just called in from sales, and the requisition forms aren't in yet. Why

aren't they on his desk? Because his secretary just gave them to me. Well,

never seen such a bunch of... I'm sorry, Mary.

Just this lousy mood I'm in.

I know it's hard, but try to ignore it. Oh, Mr. Grant, look, I understand.

Really, it's already forgotten.

And will you stop being so disgustingly understanding?

I'm being unbearable, itching for a fight. Why don't you come back at me?

Mr. Grant, I don't come back at you because I know what's bothering you.

Ah, you do, huh?

You mean, uh, last night?

Look, Mr. Grant, maybe you'd just like to talk. Just leave me alone. I don't

want to talk to anybody.

At this moment, I don't like your face, your voice, your fingernails, your name.

Now, what do you say to that?

You think you might like it better in green.

First Mary, now you. What's wrong with everybody around here?

You're taking all the fun out of being a louse.

There's no feedback.

It's like trying to play handball without a wall.

I'll play with you, Lou, if you like.

Maybe some other time.

Just say the word, Lou.

Mary, I want to talk to you.

Me?

Yes,

sir?

Figures. He said he just couldn't make chit -chat with Bill, knowing.

You know something, Rhoda, maybe the whole thing is a misunderstanding.

You know, there could be a logical reason why a married man is seeing

woman. That's the whole point, ma 'am. There is a logical reason.

Not necessarily. I mean, Rhoda, look, they were in a theater in the middle of

town, right out there, open and above board where everybody could see them.

The usual place for a couple like that to go is someplace dark and cornerish,

right? Then the guy thinks, wait a minute. If I take her someplace open and

above board, people will say, look, it's open and above board. So, Mary, anytime

you see a couple in a place that's open and above board, you've got to be sure

that it's closed and below board.

That is the... Where do you get ideas like that?

You'd want to wait.

Is it all right if I sit down here?

Well, yeah. Sure.

So, what have you been up to?

How was the movie?

Oh, John Wayne won.

Surprise.

Look, Mary, I don't know if you blame me for the other night. No, Bill, look.

You don't have to concern yourself with me. I mean, you know, just because I

happen to be at the scene of the... Oh, Mr.

Grant, look, your, um... is here.

Oh, Bill.

Uh, Murray Slaughter, this is my son -in -law, Bill Phelps. How are you, Bill?

How do you do?

Uh, Luke, can I, uh, can I talk to you?

Ah, sure.

Certainly can spare a few minutes to sit around and chew the old...

What happened? You saw me with another girl.

Come on, we gotta do this.

You saw me with Patty, um... Woods.

Right.

Lou, I, uh... I want to explain.

I knew there was an explanation.

Oh, Billy, I'm so glad. I was hoping there was, and Mary said there probably

was. Oh, Billy, what is it?

I was... planning to have an affair with her.

explanation. That's like saying you're not guilty by reason of committing the

crime.

I was gonna have an affair with her, Lou, but I didn't. Nothing happened.

She went home alone.

But you were going to. You were planning.

Oh, Lou.

Lou, listen to me.

The past few years, that sort of thing is all you hear about.

Movies, books, magazines.

I mean, at the Rotary meetings, we hardly ever get around to discussing

pride anymore.

So, well, I started thinking, well, if everybody else, why not me?

And there was this girl. She's been driving into my gas station over a year

I knew she liked me.

I mean, I'd be washing her windshield and she'd be smiling up at me.

Sometimes she'd come in for gas when her tank was still almost full.

Well, that particular day she comes in.

Well, I kind of figure she's interested because she doesn't have her car.

So, Lou, what could I do? I ask you. You ask me.

Oh, right.

Well, I figure I'll take her to some place open and above board so nobody

notice anything.

Who knew that at the movies I'd run into my wonderful guy?

Yeah.

So I...

I took that as a sign.

Someone was trying to tell me something. Yeah.

Someone is trying to tell you something.

Me.

I'm telling you that if that ever happens again, your wife, your widow...

Lou, you don't have to worry.

Right now, it's the furthest thing from my mind.

It better be.

Hey, Lou, I don't blame you for being upset.

But let's be frank, huh?

I mean, you're a married man. You know how it is.

You're... Man of the world.

Well... Well?

No.

I'm not a man of the world.

What? Since I'm married...

Well, haven't you even thought about... Sure, thought about. Who doesn't think

about?

But, uh, actually... Now, listen. If you open your mouth to anybody that I'm

not... No, no, I won't. I won't. I swear.

Because I'm known around this town. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah.

Not that there weren't temptations.

During the war, there were lots of times.

I... I remember this one time with this nurse.

A nurse, huh?

She was giving me a back rub, and I got to thinking,

well... But then, just like you, the next minute,

something happened that I took as a sort of sign to not.

So I didn't.

What was the sign?

The crowd started shelling the base.

That's the closest I got.

The closest I ever got.

How come, Lou?

I mean, you've been married over 20 years and you've never... I mean, how

I don't know.

Hey, look, I don't mean to pry into... I don't know.

I guess I love her.

I guess I love her.

I... I figure that there are enough things in life where you cop out and

compromise and make excuses.

There's got to be... One thing where you say, is this the way it should be? Yes

or no?

And if it matters enough so that it's yes, then that's what you do.

I love her.

So that's what I do.

But look, I'm not here to tell everybody how to live.

No, I mean, you can't tell everybody how to... No, just myself.

And you.

And all my other sons -in -law. Oh, yeah.

And I hope I made myself understood.

Yeah.

You had lunch yet?

No.

I'm having lunch in. You want to join me?

I'd like that, Lou.

Thanks. Good. I'm glad you can, kid.

Get the ice.

You remember what we thought we saw was happening the other night at the movies?

Oh, yes.

It didn't really happen.

I don't understand.

It didn't happen. None of it. Just forget it because it never took place.

Oh, well, then you mean everything is all cleared up about that?

About what?

Right.

Oh, and Mary, when you get home, just so it's all understood, you might mention

to Rhoda to keep quiet about it, too.

About what?

Good job.