All in the Family (TV Series)

Lionel, the Live-In (1974)

Carroll O'Connor: Archie Bunker

Photos 

Quotes 

• Archie Bunker : [Archie is trying to convince Lionel to honor his father's wishes to stop seeing his girlfriend, Jenny]  Lionel, I was watching an old movie on TV the other night, and it kinda put me in mind of your situation with your old man.

  Lionel Jefferson : Yeah, what movie is that?

  Archie Bunker : The Jazz Singer, with Al Jolson. It was about this Jewish guy who always wanted to pass as colored. Did you ever see that?

  Lionel Jefferson : No, but it sounds like it was way ahead of its time.

  Archie Bunker : Oh, it was. It was the first talkie. But anyway, in The Jazz Singer, there, this Jolson family, see there, they're very strictly religious kind of Jews, there. They're what you call the 'off the docks' Jews. They're the kind that start prayin' to God on Friday to get a two-day jump on the rest of us.

  Lionel Jefferson : [tongue-in-cheek]  Does it work, Mr Bunker?

  Archie Bunker : Nooooo, no way. God don't listen to nuttin' 'til Sunday... Well, anyway, in this picture, see, old man Jolson is one of them, whaddayacall, cantors. That's a singin' guy that sings in the temple, there, see, and he wants his son to folly in his footprints. But the young Jolson, he don't wanna do that, see. He wants to go on passin' as colored, so he has a big argument with the old man, and he leaves home. The old man sings a Jewish song and dies. You get the point of this story?

  Lionel Jefferson : [mock-seriously]  You mean I shouldn't try to pass as colored?

  Archie Bunker : [Archie continues trying to get Lionel to go back home, and Lionel continues to pretend to take him seriously]  Lionel, Lionel, we just had a 'man-to-man' here. I told you that whole Jolson story. Didn't you learn nuttin' from that?

  Lionel Jefferson : Yeah, if Pop don't lay off Jenny, then I ain't goin' home, and he's gonna sing a Jewish song and die.

• Louise Jefferson : We'll be going, since George is too pig-headed to make up with Lionel.

  George Jefferson : [disavowing his son]  Lionel who?

  Louise Jefferson : Lionel, who's gonna quit college and marry his girl if you don't get off his back. And you know what happens to blacks with no education and lookin' for a job. They are last on the list.

  George Jefferson : No they ain't. The Puerto Ricans are last.

  Archie Bunker : He's right, Louise, the Puerto Ricans are last, only they don't know it 'cause they can't read the list.