Original subtitles

Now the world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for

you may not be right for some. A man is born, he's a man of means.

Then along come two, they got nothing but the genes. But they got different

strokes to take, different strokes to take, different strokes to move the

Everybody's got a special kind of story.

Everybody finds a way to shine.

It don't matter that you got not a lot. So what? You'll have yours and I'll have

mine. And together we'll be fine.

Different strokes to move the world. Different strokes to move the world.

those disco skates.

What are you doing?

Disco dancing on roller skates.

Looking more like your underwear on fire.

Man, I'm going to get me a pair of those disco skates.

You keep twisting them around like that, you're going to need another pair for

your behind.

How much do those skates cost?

That's the problem.

$114.

$114?

Is that the convertible or the hardtop?

Where are you going to get that much money, Willis? I don't know.

Where am I going to get that kind of money?

Don't look at me.

I ain't lived long enough to get $114.

Well, I got about $9 I can lend you, Willis.

Thanks, but that wouldn't help much.

Well, why don't you ask Daddy? I'm sure he'll get the skates for you.

He's given us so much already.

I just couldn't ask for a present that cost that much.

Then how are you going to get them?

Hand handling ain't what it used to be.

Hey, I know how I can get those skates.

I'll get me a job and earn the money myself.

That's a terrible thing to do.

Why is that terrible, Arnold?

Because if he sets a good example, he'll ruin it for the rest of us.

Willis, why don't you ask Daddy to help you? He finds jobs for lots of people.

Now that I wouldn't mind asking him.

I'll ask my dinner.

You mean you'll ask Mr. Drummond for a job, but you won't ask him for a pair of

skates? You got it.

Let's keep in touch after they take you to the funny farm.

Well, Willis, I think it's terrific that you want to get a job to buy your own

skates. But it's just too big a load for you right now.

See, you've got your schoolwork, you're on the basketball team.

That is enough.

Basketball season's almost over. I can handle it.

He really does want those skates, Daddy.

I'll tell you what, Willis. I'll give you a loan. You get a job next summer

vacation. You can pay me then. But I'll give you the money right now.

You mean you'll pay me not to work?

Now, that's my kind of job.

Mr. Drummond, does that offer apply to redheads?

Mr. Drummond, I don't feel right being paid not to work.

Okay, then you'll never work for the government.

Oh, come on, Daddy. You know a lot of people. Help Willis get a job.

Mr. Drummond, I think you should let Willis take a job, if I may say so.

Oh, I guess I already said so.

Aside from your schoolwork, I'm trying to save you from wasting time and being

disappointed. Now, you're a great guy, and I know you mean well.

But, you know, sometimes you get all steamed up about doing something, then

don't finish it.

That's because I get bored so easy.

Yeah. I once saw him fall asleep in the middle of a jump shot.

I really want those disco skates, and I'll work hard to get them.

Well, okay. If you've really thought a lot about this, and you're willing to

make the sacrifice for what you want, then more power to you, if you can do

I can, Mr. D.

I'll even find my own job and stick with it and earn $114 no matter how long it

takes.

Willis, you may be the first guy to ever wear disco skates at the old folks'

home.

If I don't find a job in these want ads, I'll go look for one at the school

tomorrow.

Hey, how about that one?

$15 ,000 a year just to be at ACCT.

That's wonderful.

That's terrific.

That's... So what is the ACCT?

That's abbreviated for accountant, Arnold. It means keeping book.

Hey, Woodard, you're good at keeping book.

You're always overdue at the library.

I think you have to be a college graduate, Arnold. Yeah, and first I

out of junior high school.

Wow!

There's a job for $25 ,000.

Whatever it is, I'll do it. What kind of job is it, Arnold?

Forget it. You gotta kill somebody.

What do you mean kill somebody?

Says right here.

Wanted. Die maker.

Arnold, that's not what it means. Don't you know anything?

Apparently not.

Hey, this one that sounds good.

Delivery boy. Make up to $150 a week.

And there's a phone number. I'm going to call it. Oh, man. He's got a handle

scape. Yeah. Come with the extra money and get some new shit.

Hello. This is Willis Jackson calling.

They don't call him the Velvet Throat for nothing.

I'm calling about that job.

I sure do.

I sure do.

I sure do.

I sure don't. Isn't that a good job, Willis?

Terrific. Delivering pizza. But you gotta have a car.

You got a car.

Deliver pizza in Mr. Drummond's limousine.

I'm not taking any help from Mr. Drummond. Then deliver pizza in a taxi.

I can't afford a taxi.

Get a job.

Arnold, that's the whole idea in the first place. Willis needs a job.

You get the picture? I am unemployed.

Then why don't you collect unemployment insurance?

Arnold, to collect unemployment, you gotta not be working at what you're

at before you stop working.

What you talking about, Willis?

I

hear

the pitter of little feet, but I don't hear the patter of big feet.

Where's Willis? I guess he's still out looking for a job.

Willis is really serious about this.

I gotta give him credit.

If he had credit, he wouldn't need a job.

Phyllis Diller.

Hey, Mr. Drummond.

I was thinking about getting a job myself one of these days.

Oh, really?

What would you like to be when you grow up, Arnold?

You mean the size tall?

Well, I can't make up my mind between a rock star or a brain surgeon.

Why don't you do a service to humanity and be a brain surgeon that operates on

rock stars?

Okay, so I'm not Phyllis Diller either.

Lay your eyes on this.

Well, that's what you're doing.

Practicing to be mugged.

I'm talking about my hands.

Check out my hands. I got grease on them.

Yeah, you probably got it on the front door, too.

Yep, that's definitely grease, all right. You've had dirty hands before.

we celebrating now?

Because. This is from Big Harry's gas station.

They gave me a tryout today, and tomorrow I start servicing cars.

Isn't that sweet?

Oh, you brought the grief home so we could see it.

Hey, Willis, I think we ought to have your hands bronzed.

That is just great, Willis. How much salary are you pulling down?

Three bucks a day.

You sure don't have much pull.

It's only for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and in seven weeks, I'll have

those disco skates.

week. We could be back to the hula hoop by then.

I think you'll stick with it this time, Willis. I'm really proud of you. Thank

you. Me too, big brother.

You want to wash your hands for dinner, Willis, or shall I get you my rubber

glove?

Well, I guess I'll have to wash them, Miss Gary.

I'll turn on the water for you, Willis. And can I hand you the bar of soap?

Maybe a towel too, but... Jimmy, thanks!

He's so proud of himself.

He should be.

I remember my first job.

I was Willis' age.

Great big factory.

I worked all summer long, nine to six, half an hour for lunch.

Cleaning, sweeping, every menial task you could think of for only 50 cents a

day. 50 cents? Oh, that's terrible. Why didn't you quit and tell the boss what

you thought of him?

What, and have father disinherit me?

kind of cake is your kind of cake.

That's true. I've got what you call an equal opportunity stomach.

Well, you tell your stomach that cake is off limits till dinner. It's to

celebrate Willis's first day on his new job.

Got it?

And don't tell nobody.

Especially don't say a word of it at dinner till I figure out what to do.

Okay.

I want Mr. Drummer to know that you think I'm a failure.

And I want him to be proud of me.

Poor Willis.

I wish I could help him, but there's just no way.

Might as well eat the cake.

What a dream.

What was it?

A dream now.

I was at Big Harry's gas station, and the gas pumps tried to grab me.

That's what I call a gas attack.

Just before I got fired, I woke up.

Mr. Drummond's right.

Can't finish anything.

Didn't even finish my dream.

Willis, please tell me why you got fired.

You can trust me.

I didn't say anything at dinner about you losing your job.

Come on.

Didn't I eat half the cake like you was still working?

Come on. Come here.

Well, see, Arnold, I was cleaning this lady's window at the gas station, and I

wanted to do it right, so I sprayed cleaning stuff all over it.

That's good.

No, it wasn't. Her window was down.

And he got her riding her contact lenses.

No wonder you got fired.

That's not the reason I got fired.

And then Harry came over to see what I was yelling about, and I accidentally

squirted water down his pan.

That's what got you fired.

That's not the reason I got fired.

Then why did you get fired? Because Harry fell off the grease rack.

How'd he get on the grease rack?

Some fool pushed the wrong button.

Let me take a while there.

If I was to walk out of this room, would that fool be sitting here alone?

You got it.

Really? It's a tough break.

You're just trying to be a good worker.

Yeah. I just don't know how I'm going to tell Mr. Drummond I got fired on my

first day.

It'll prove that he's right.

Can't finish anything I start.

Aha! I thought I heard you guys.

I'll bet I know why you're up.

It's your new job, isn't it, Willis?

How'd you know?

Have you got our room, bud?

You're so nervous from your first day on the job you couldn't sleep, right?

That's it.

He guessed it right off, Willis.

Yeah, that's it.

All I'm thinking about is that job.

Well, that's just first day jitters.

It'll be over soon.

Maybe sooner than you think.

I just know you're going to see it through this time, Willis.

I'm proud of you.

Good night, boys.

Good night. You better get your sleep, Willis. You'll need it for the job

tomorrow.

Oh, Arnold, what am I going to do?

There's only one thing to do.

Run away.

I guess the only honest thing to do is to tell Mr. D what happened.

Yeah, that's right.

Tell them what happened and then run away.

You know, if I got that first job, then I can get another job.

Yeah, but this time stay away from the grease rack.

Yeah, and then I'll just tell Mr. Drummond I quit the first job because it

better. That's a great idea.

Yeah, now the first thing I got to do is to find another job.

Oh, that's the second thing you got to do.

What's the first?

Go to the bathroom so you won't wake me up again tonight.

Melissa, did you find another job?

Yeah, I found a job.

Then what do you look so unhappy about?

Because I got fired again.

It doesn't really count. I was only there less than ten minutes.

Ten minutes?

You broke your own record.

What happened?

Well, you see, Arnold, I got this job cleaning up in a Chinese restaurant, and

threw off some stuff that looked like garbage, and it turned out to be your

owner's lunch.

That's why he fired you?

That's not the reason I got fired.

I don't want you here anymore.

Did you look anywhere else for a job?

Yeah. Well, nobody... wants a 13 -year -old kid with 24 -hour experience.

Hey, there you are, Willis.

Willis, you're here.

What? No grease.

Grease? Oh, I forgot to put some on.

Aha!

The working man is home.

That's him, the working man.

Well, how did it go down at the gas station today? You know, Mr. John. Hey,

grease on those hands today.

No, there ain't.

Oh, I guess you washed it off at the station, huh?

That's it, at the station.

But he worked real hard, checking tires, cleaning windows, emptying ashtrays.

There's nobody like Willis when it comes to moving butts.

Final, how do you know so much about it?

Oh, well, I went over and visited Willis, didn't I?

Willis. Yes, right.

Tell him what you do, Willis.

Oh, you know, Mr. Drummond, usual. You know, I check tires.

batteries, air cleaners, and the other by pulling out the dipstick.

Yep, he's the best dipsticker in town.

Don't oversell it.

No, no, Willis, don't be modest.

Oh, I'm not being modest, Mr. Drummond. I can honestly say what I do at the gas

station is nothing.

But he does that great, Mr. D. You ought to see him.

That's exactly what I intend to do. Say what?

That's right. Tomorrow I'm going to drive the whole family down to the

and get the full treatment.

Oh, Mr. Drummond, why go out your way?

I can check your car right down in the garage.

Hey!

You want to know the truth, Mr. D?

Willis ain't that good.

He leaves streaks on your windshield.

That's right.

Big Harry calls me streaky.

Mr. Drummond, I'm really just learning.

No, you're not going to talk me out of it.

I'm going to drive in there, I'm going to tell him to fill the tank, and I'm

going to watch while my son cleans my windshield, streaks and all.

Yes, sir.

Tomorrow's a day I'll remember.

I won't forget it myself.

Next time you open your big mouth, make sure nothing comes out of it.

Sorry, Willis. I'm trying to help.

Hey, guys.

Daddy just told me that the family's gonna go see Willis in action tomorrow.

What's the matter?

Tomorrow's the matter.

We'd like to have it moved to 1984.

Kimberly.

If I tell you a secret you promise not to tell, cross your heart and hope to

live in New Jersey.

I promise.

I lost my job.

Twice.

Oh, no, Willis, that's terrible.

But we're all going to see you down at the station tomorrow. What are you going

to do?

Join the Marines.

Yeah.

Good thinking, Willis.

The Marines can't fire you. All they can do is court -martial and shoot you.

Why didn't you just tell Daddy, Willis?

Because I don't want Mr. Drummond to think I can't keep a job.

Well, then I guess we're just going to have to stop Daddy from driving down to

Big Harry's tomorrow.

Wait a minute.

I've got it.

We stop Mr. D from driving down to Big Harry's tomorrow.

You said that, Arnold.

How about that?

I think you're just like a high school kid.

Kids.

Is Mrs. Garrett ready to go?

She said she'd be just a couple minutes, Daddy.

Well, Willis is expecting us now. We don't want to keep him waiting.

Okay.

Willis is going to be so embarrassed if we drive down to the station today.

No, he won't. He won't be there.

He's not looking for another job.

Too bad the station isn't closed today.

Yeah.

What about me again?

I said, too bad the station isn't closed today.

Who says it isn't? Listen, go upstairs.

and phone me down here. I'm a phone.

What for?

I'll pretend I'm talking to Wallace. Go ahead. Follow me. What do I say?

It don't matter because I won't be listening. Go ahead.

Where are you going, honey?

I'll be... Just a minute, Daddy.

Oh, okay.

Where's she going, Arnold?

Who?

Kimberly. Oh, oh, Kimberly. Oh, you little women.

last minute when you're ready to go they have to powder up their eyebrows

all the gas hey willis now we can't see you working you're breaking our

hearts this is me breaking our hearts well let's go

we can't go talking to willis we can't go

grease rack and i slipped oh well as i can see you're really hurt oh i better

call the doctor oh no no mrs garrett i don't need no doctor big harry said two

weeks in bed watching tv and i'll be all better you poor thing oh tell me

when did it happen dear right after the fleet of trucks took all your gas

Tell Willis we'll come by and see him tomorrow.

Mr. Drummond says we'll come by and see you tomorrow, Willis.

You can't come tomorrow either?

The gas shortage.

Listen, Willis, don't feel any badder than we do.

Okay.

guy's up to. Huh?

Oh, well, let's just get down to the gas station. It sounds just like Willis.

Hold on, Arnold.

It's over.

Mr. Drummick, just get I'm not hurt.

Yesterday, I got fired on my first day.

Oh. And I was too ashamed to tell you.

But poor darling.

And when you wanted to come see me at work. Now, Willis, you needn't have gone

through all that.

Why didn't you tell me?

You said I never finished anything.

But you kept on looking for another job.

Doesn't that count, Mr. Drummond?

Well, it most certainly does.

So I'm getting fired isn't the same as not finishing things.

That's quitting. You didn't even quit even after you got fired.

I'm mighty proud of you, Willis.

Bye. Never be afraid to tell the truth.

Drummond residence.

Yes, he is.

Are you Willis? Me?

Hello?

Yeah, this is Willis.

I will, Big Harry.

Thank you, Big Harry.

Bye, Big Harry.

Guess what? That was Big Harry.

Right.

Mr. Drummond, he said he's been trying to call me for the last ten minutes.

But the line was busy.

He said he hired some other kids, but they're a bunch of goof -offs. And he

wants me back because I tried so hard.

Now you can get those disco skates, Willis.

Hey, Willis, maybe you can wear them to work. What for?

So the next time when Harry gets on the grease rack, you can make a fast

getaway.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.