A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) (TV)

Director:

Bill Melendez

Writer:

Charles M. Schulz (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

9 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown! (2008 DVD re-release)

Plot:

Repelled by the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Meaning Of Christmas | Christmas Tree | Commercialism | Tree

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Ann Altieri	...	Freida (voice) (uncredited)
Chris Doran	...	Schroeder / Shermy (voice) (uncredited)
Sally Dryer	...	Violet (voice) (uncredited)
Bill Melendez	...	Snoopy (voice) (uncredited)
Karen Mendelson	...	Patty (voice) (uncredited)
Geoffrey Ornstein	...	Pig-Pen (voice) (uncredited)
Peter Robbins	...	Charlie Brown (voice) (uncredited)
Christopher Shea	...	Linus Van Pelt (voice) (uncredited)
Kathy Steinberg	...	Sally Brown (voice) (uncredited)
Tracy Stratford	...	Lucy Van Pelt (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Bill Melendez

Writing credits
Charles M. Schulz		(written by)
Charles M. Schulz		(comic strip "Peanuts") uncredited

Produced by
Bill Melendez	....	producer
Lee Mendelson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Vince Guaraldi

Film Editing by
Robert T. Gillis

Animation Department
Bob Carlson	....	graphic blandishment
Herman Cohen	....	graphic blandishment
Bernard Gruver	....	graphic blandishment
Ruth Kissane	....	graphic blandishment
Ed Levitt	....	graphic blandishment
Bill Littlejohn	....	graphic blandishment
Manuel Perez	....	graphic blandishment
Beverly Robbins	....	graphic blandishment
Frank Smith	....	graphic blandishment
Dean Spille	....	graphic blandishment
Reuben Timmins	....	graphic blandishment (as Ruben Timmins)
Russ von Neida	....	graphic blandishment
John Walker	....	graphic blandishment
Eleanor Warren	....	graphic blandishment
Rudy Zamora	....	graphic blandishment
Alan Zaslove	....	graphic blandishment

Music Department
Vince Guaraldi	....	conductor
Lee Charlton	....	musician: drums (song: "Surfin' Snoopy") (uncredited)
John Copolla	....	musician: trumpet, "Surfin' Snoopy" (uncredited)
Eddie Duran	....	musician: guitar (song: "Surfin' Snoopy") (uncredited)
Pat Firth	....	musician: bass, "Surfin' Snoopy" (uncredited)
Jerry Granelli	....	musician: drums (uncredited)
Vince Guaraldi	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Fred Marshall	....	musician: bass (uncredited)
Frank Snow	....	musician: trumpet, "Surfin' Snoopy" (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Lee Mendelson Film Productions
• Bill Melendez Productions
• United Feature Syndicate (UFS) (in co-operation with)

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Nacional Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Shell Oil Company-Special Promotional Products (1992) (USA) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Producers' Sound Service  sound
• Coca-Cola Company, The  sponsoring
• Dolly Madison  sponsoring
• Nabisco  sponsoring
• Peter Paul Cadbury  sponsoring

Also Known As:

Runtime:

25 min | Argentina:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | UK:U | Canada:G | USA:TV-G | Singapore:G | South Korea:All

Company:

Lee Mendelson Film Productions

Trivia:

Patty in this special is not Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt. The latter first appeared several years later in the strip. The former was phased out gradually, disappearing completely by the end of the 1970s, despite being one of the four original Peanuts characters.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): While at her psychiatry stand and naming Chalie Brown's possible phobias, Lucy says, "How about cats? If you're afraid of cats, you have ailuroPHASIA.", If Charlie Brown were indeed afraid of cats he would have ailuroPHOBIA. Ailurophasia is, literally, "Speaking cat".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Charlie Brown:[Charlie Brown and Linus stop at a wall on their trip to the pond for ice skating] I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel.
[begins to walk with Linus again]
Charlie Brown:I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.
Linus Van Pelt:Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Ready, Willing and Disabled (#3.15)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Skating

It's great......

.......and certainly by far this is the best of the Peanuts specials. Odd that the first one was the best, ya know? (And in running down the long list here in the Schulz credits-what were some of those-You're a Good Man Charlie Brown? You'll Find Her Charlie Brown? It's Arthritis, Charlie Brown, etc....You got the point...too much of a good thing...) I associate watching this w/ seeing it back to back w/ Frosty or the Grinch, coming inside after sledding outside in the snow, that famous CBS whirling Special intro, and those York Peppermint Patty(TM) ads. Just somehow all seemed to fit, back in '74 and now.

The animation-sure it's sloppy, typical TV '60's stuff-Schulz always said he didn't like this show nearly as much as everyone else seemed too-it was too rushed-but it does work. The best parts-the singing at the end, the great Linus speech-have resonated down thru the years and continue to hit home even now.

I don't expect there to be a better Christmas special ever.

****