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Money Dearest

‘Money Dearest’

Season 5, Episode 3 -  Aired October 9, 1986

Cliff has the idea of setting his mother, Esther Clavin (Frances Sternhagen), up with a wealthy widower, Duncan Fitzgerald (Richard Erdman). 

Quote from Norm

Cliff: Hey, everybody! Wedding bells at the Clavin compound! [cheers]
Woody: When's the happy day, folks?
Esther Clavin: Tomorrow.
Cliff: Sammy, champagne! Oh, Duncan, I'm gonna throw you the biggest bachelor bash Beantown's ever seen! Normie, call all my friends.
Norm: I think he moved.
Cliff: Well, then call all yours.

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Quote from Woody

Cliff: Woody, I'm gonna make you entertainment chairman, huh?
Woody: Hot dog!
Cliff: Get on the horn there, call the Parker House and, uh, order me up their fanciest room.
Woody: You got it. Wow, my first bachelor party. No dates, right?
Sam: No.

Quote from Carla

Carla: Hey, uh, congratulations there, Fitzie.
Duncan: Thank you.
Carla: Listen, if things don't work out with Esther, here is my mother's number, okay? Let it ring ten or 15 minutes. She'll get there.

Quote from Cliff

Woody: Mr. Clavin, it's the Parker House. They want to know if you want the Embassy Court or the Grand Ballroom.
Cliff: Give me that! Give me that phone! [takes the phone] Fraternity prank. [hangs up] What, are you nuts, Woody? I can't afford a party. Parties are for rich people. I'm poor. I've always been poor. I'll always be poor. I'm gonna die poor!
Woody: I'd like to resign as entertainment chairman.
Sam: Listen, I don't know how to say this to you without offending you, but you're behaving like a class-A jerk.
Cliff: Oh, am l? Well, what have I got to celebrate?
Sam: Well, for one thing, your mother's met a very nice man who's making her very happy.
Cliff: And?
Sam: Cliff!

Quote from Sam

Cliff: Eh, so, Fitz, how are you enjoying your bachelor party so far?
Duncan: I haven't been this excited since I first trapped vapor in my input valve.
Sam: No man forgets his first time, huh?
Duncan: Oh, my!
Cliff: Hey, don't worry, Fitz, they're not gonna bite.
Sam: Yeah, he's right. That costs extra.

Quote from Diane

Sam: Where, uh where's Diane?
Carla: We ditched her.
Diane: [enters] There you are!
Esther Clavin: How on earth did we get separated?
Diane: I have no idea. I thought we all got in the taxi, but when it pulled away from the curb, I was the only one inside.

Quote from Esther Clavin

Diane: You know, instead of going to that club you suggested, we could try Cafe au Lait. They have a wonderful new harpist, I hear.
Carla: Oh, great.
Esther Clavin: No, that sounds like fun. I'll hail a cab. [winks at Carla]

Quote from Frasier

Paul: Come quick! This is terrible! Fitz is really sick!
Cliff: Oh, my God!
Frasier: [comes out of Sam's office] Okay, I've got it! [Irish accent] "Glory be. Nobody knows the rubble I've seen." [laughs while everyone is silent] No, no, that wasn't it.

Quote from Esther Clavin

Cliff: Ma you okay?
Esther Clavin: I'm fine. I just was gonna straighten up in here a little.
Cliff: You don't have to do that, Ma.
Esther Clavin: No, I want to. Oh, will you look at the rings on this table. Don't people use coasters anymore?
Cliff: Ma... Whenever you're trying to hide something inside, you always pick up some household chore to do. Now, I don't know if you realize it, but since Fitz passed away, you you haven't cried, you you haven't got upset, you haven't shown any kind of emotion.
Esther Clavin: Well, what's there to be upset about? I barely knew the man. We just had some good times together, that's all.
Cliff: Ma stop wiping. [Esther sobs] That's it, Ma. You just let it all out now. [sobbing continues] Good, good. Now, don't you feel better? [Esther sobs loudly] Yeah, that should just about do it, huh? [sobbing continues] Good. One last little spurt. [sobbing continues] Ma, you know, there's a fine line between expressing your feelings and blubbering.
Esther Clavin: [crying] [chuckles] I'm sorry. I guess you're right.

Quote from Cliff

Cliff: Isn't this beautiful, huh? Hey, why don't you two finish up your reminiscing over some nice baked sea bass, huh? That's the, uh, special up there at Melville's.
Duncan: Well, I could use a bite.
Esther Clavin: Well, I guess I'm feeling kind of peckish, too.
Cliff: Great. Hey, and listen, it's my treat. Now, I absolutely, positively insist, dinner is on me.
Duncan: Oh, I can take care of it, Cliff.
Cliff: You got it!

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