Original subtitles

Mom, this place is beautiful. It is, isn't it? And let me tell you, there

many clubs like this left in the city.

Rudy. I just want to hear what it sounds like. It sounds like any other piano

sounds, which is exactly why we don't have one in the house.

This is our school.

Clarence Thornhill. Mr. Thornhill.

How are you? I'm fine, thank you. Oh, this is Vanessa.

How are you, Vanessa?

And, uh...

My other daughter here, Liberace. How are you, Liberace?

Mr. Thornhill, I really appreciate your setting this up. It's my pleasure. Your

letter was so beautifully written, and it demonstrated such great love.

I gave the letter to Miss Horne, and she would like you and your entire family

to sit at her personal table.

Oh, well, I don't know if that's such a good idea or not, because, um, well,

Cliff is such a big Lena Horne fan, he might try to reach out and touch her.

Listen, you know, you really didn't have to come down here.

We could have made all these arrangements over the phone. Mr.

Thornhill, you don't know my husband.

You see, when it comes to finding out what we're getting for him on his

birthday, there is nothing that the man will not do. He'll even interrogate his

own children.

Yeah, Dad's tricky.

Why don't you prepare a big dinner?

Make him think he's staying at home. Well, that's just not sneaky enough for

man like Cliff. I think that what we should do is pretend like we're making

a big dinner and let him find out about it. And then when he's sitting there

bragging about how he's at Fox's again, we bring in the pizza that he sent out

for him.

Mushroom pizza. He hates mushroom pizza.

Mushroom pizza. By the time we finish with this man, he won't know whether

coming or going.

Now, that's a great plan.

Mom's tricky, too.

My birthday present is around here somewhere.

Dave Hinton.

Hello. Hi, Dad. Oh, you're all home from school a little late, aren't you?

Uh, traffic.

At this hour there was traffic?

Where was there traffic?

Between home and school.

Between home and school.

Vanessa? Well, Dad, I've got to take a bath.

I see. So I can take for granted that your being late had something to do with

my birthday. Am I right, Vanessa?

I've got to take a bath.

Rudy!

Okay, so you guys are going to make it tough for me. Well, I love it. The joy

a birthday is finding out what the present is before one gets it.

And you know I always... always do not this year not this year

you say that every year and every year i find out so what do you want to do you

want to tell me what it is now sweetie or do you want me to start working on

children you can work on whoever you please really but you're not going to

out anything let the games begin

The dreams I dream are not my own.

I walk alone.

I walk alone.

So?

Daddy!

I walk alone.

Is this what you think about your life? No.

But, you know, my teacher said we couldn't write about the good stuff,

and politics.

Oh, so all that's left was self -pity.

You don't like it because it's not jazz.

Okay.

Have you read it for your brother yet?

Yes, she did.

I don't want to hear that song again until I'm really happy.

You know, that's just what I love about you guys.

So supportive.

All right. Well, maybe it isn't a man song.

Now, have you read it or played it for your mother?

Yes. And what did she say?

I walk alone. Yes, you do.

I'll be 48 years old. Right, Dad.

It's stuck on my calendar.

Oh, man, thank you.

You did it.

So, I know there's going to be a present for me, my boy.

So, what is it?

Come on, Dad. You know I can't tell you. I know that.

How old are you now?

14. 14.

Two years?

From now, you're going to want a car.

I'm the only one who can buy it for you.

So, my boy, what you gonna be?

Okay, Dad.

Okay.

This year, everyone is pitching in to get you something they're really gonna

love.

what is it?

They won't tell me.

You're pitching in.

And they won't tell you?

I'm serious, Dad.

All they said was, do what we say, and that was it.

They know I'm always one of the greats. So this year, they're keeping it from

me, too.

Well, I'm going to tell you something right now, man. I think it's just awful

that people would ask you to pitch in and not tell you what it is.

And if it was me, I would go upstairs and demand to

know what you are getting me for my birthday.

You know something, Dad?

They said you would try that.

I'm going to make this a beaut only because it's going to be my birthday and

going to get some presents.

Well, maybe.

You're going to look funny walking when you're 23.

hours left in dad's birthday.

When are you telling me?

You did not see that.

Yes, I did.

Cliff, those kids have been in there working their hearts out trying to

a surprise dinner for you. Now, you did not see that. If they knew you found

out, they'd be crushed.

My lips are filled.

Now, somehow I'm supposed to trick you into getting all dressed up in your

tuxedo and get you down to the dining room in about half an hour.

Consider me tricked.

But let the record show that I found out about my present ahead of time.

You're just... I gotta admit it, Cliff.

You are smarter than the rest of us.

croutons and dear i just can't wait until i chew on my

beef wellington and dear i just love gazpacho soup

Here you go, here.

All right?

Sit down.

If you like. All right. You ready?

Uh -huh.

Open your eyes.

Oh,

is this for me?

Golly, I never would have guessed this.

Oh,

I can't wait.

So, Dad, the big 4 -8, how does it feel?

Never felt better.

Oh, I'm glad to hear you say that. You know, 48 can be a very tough age for a

man. It's traditionally the time that the midlife crisis sets in.

Really?

A man reaches dad's age and he looks back and he sees almost half a century

gone. And then he looks ahead and he realizes that he has less than a third

his life left.

Sandra,

I think you ought to get a job writing birthdays.

Please hurry up and eat your pizza because there's more.

After this, we're taking you someplace.

Oh, really?

Will you take me down to the city dump?

I hear people.

Must be in the funeral parlor.

personal table i don't let just anybody sit here i let diplomats and potentates

and birthday boys you don't look like no diplomat and you ain't no potentate

i'm just joking i know all about it this

is dr heathcliff what else

everything his wife did to make this possible tonight.

You better kiss her hand.

I want to tell you something. I ain't going to sing Happy Birthday to you.

Anybody can sing Happy Birthday.

I have in mind another song.

It's a kind of old song, but I think you know by now, looking at me, I like old

songs.

There ain't nothing wrong with the new ones. Some of them are fantastic.

But then there are the others.

He wanted to say, oh, baby.

My baby.

When, baby?

Now, baby?

I'm sorry, baby.

See, happy birthday is all right, but it doesn't have any feeling.

I'm going to sing a song to you, Dr.

Heathcliff Huxtable.

It just about covers what you and your wife mean to each other.

In this world of ordinary people,

extraordinary people,

I'm glad there is you.

Please come in. Your phone will be with you in one moment.

It really wasn't necessary.

Well, Miss Horne insisted upon seeing the family after the show. Are you sure

she didn't say just me alone?

I'm afraid not, sir.

Make yourselves comfortable.

Thank you, Mr. Horne.

Don't sit down, anybody, and don't touch anything.

Look at this beautiful family.

Come on, sit up.

Make yourself comfortable.

Please, sit.

That was a fantastic show, Miss Horne.

Miss Horne, how old are you?

48. You're 48 and you call me Miss Horne?

What are you trying to hide?

Mr. Smith has always said you were the only woman he'd ever leave me for.

Honey, don't worry about it. If he ever did, I would send him right back.

And who are these beautiful children?

I'm Sandra.

She goes to Princeton.

Oh, are you having fun there?

Oh, mostly it's hard work.

Oh, that's a good answer, especially right in front of your parents.

And who's the handsome young man?

Theodore.

Does he give you a lot of trouble?

Maybe once in a while.

Hang in there, baby. In about six months, you're going to be twice as big

is.

I'm Vanessa, and this is Rudy.

Do you have a boyfriend?

No, ma 'am. What about me?

I saw you on Sesame Street.

You did? Yeah, I was singing a song with Kermit the Frog.

Can I meet him?

I'll see if I can set up a date for you, okay?

It's fine.

I'm Denise.

Hello, Denise.

How old are you?

Sixteen. I wish I could get that year back.

I blew sixteen.

I walked around on a blue funk all the time feeling sorry for myself.

You sure hit that on the button.

Well, she's going to grow out of it, though. When?

When she realizes what she's got.

And she's got a whole lot. I noticed it while I was out there singing.

You got a whole lot of love right here in your family.

That's why I wanted you to come back and say hello to me tonight. I like to be

around that kind of love.

Thank you, Miss Lauren.

I think we should be going now.

Oh.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Goodbye, Mr.

Huxtable. Goodbye, Mr.

Huxtable. Goodbye, Mr.

Huxtable.

was the best, I'm telling you.

And what that woman did with that club was fantastic.

Isn't she something else? To think she started singing in the Cotton Club when

she was 17 and to hear her now.

But I'm talking about the job she did with that hotel.

It's beautiful.

I heard her father left her that place when he died when she restored it. You

know what I want for my birthday next year?

What? I want you to buy me a hotel.

But I'll tell you one thing, though. I noticed that even after that song, the

rest of her show, she just kept centering on me.

Well, of course she did, Cliff. It was your birthday.

No, no.

She invited me back to her dressing room. Cliff, she invited all of us back

her dressing room. She did not want to be rude.

you just face up to it, that every once in a while, in a superstar's life, there

comes along a man that she cannot resist.

What? Shut up.

Hey, Denise, what are you doing up? Working.

After tonight,

I came home and took another look at my song, and I decided to change it just a

little. What, did you want to walk with somebody while you were alone?

Could we hear it?

My mother

and my father are my best friends.

When I'm all alone, I don't have to be.

It's because of me that I'm all alone, you see.

Their love is real.

Their love is all mine.

I have faith in them all the time.

The best living friend.

The best living lover till the end.

Their love is real.

Never have they lied to me.

Never connived me.

Talked behind my back.

Never have they cheated me.

Their love is real.

Their love is real.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The Cosby Show is taped in front of a live studio audience.