A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) (TV)

Director:

Bill Melendez

Writer:

Charles M. Schulz (written by)

Release Date:

9 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | 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 | Commercialism | Christmas Tree | Tree | Für Elise

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 8	8:00 PM	ABC
Tue. Dec. 15	8:00 PM	ABC

Cast

Ann Altieri	...	Freida (voice) (uncredited)
Chris Doran	...	Schroeder / Shermy (voice) (uncredited)
Sally Dryer	...	Violet (voice) (uncredited)
Mimi Gibson	...	Charlotte Braun (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)

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

Original Music by
Vince Guaraldi

Film Editing by
Robert T. Gillis

Music Department
Vince Guaraldi	....	conductor
Vince Guaraldi	....	musician: piano
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)
Fred Marshall	....	musician: bass (uncredited)
Frank Snow	....	musician: trumpet, "Surfin' Snoopy" (uncredited)

Other crew
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

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

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

Runtime:

25 min | Argentina:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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

Company:

Lee Mendelson Film Productions

Trivia:

The original broadcast included some brief animated sections which included the logo of Coca-Cola, the show's original sponsor. These have been edited out of subsequent broadcasts and the video release. Right after the opening title, Linus (or Charlie Brown, sources disagree) crashed into a sign advertising Coca-Cola after being tossed by Snoopy. (Look at current versions and you'll notice that we never see where Linus lands!) The closing carol originally included the complete verse (instead of fading out) with a final on-screen "Merry Christmas from your local bottler of Coca-Cola" right after the United Feature Syndicate credit at the end.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the final scene, the gang is singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". Shermy, the boy in the yellow on the right side of the screen, disappears after the gang greets Charlie Brown. In Shermy's place is the boy in a blue coat who is still on the right side of the screen. So Shermy disappears and out comes a clone of the blue boy.

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:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Jack Black/Neil Young (#31.9)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Linus and Lucy

Completely Irresistible

How can you not love it? I'm a 46-year-old Jewish agnostic, and this still makes me laugh and brings a tear to my eye after dozens of viewings; and I don't think it's just nostalgia. I think if you can't enjoy this, you might as well just pack it in. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without this and the ORIGINAL Grinch. Too bad the follow-ups, with the exception of course of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, have never matched its humor, charm and heart. Favorite funny line? Lucy complains about always getting toys and bikes and clothes. "What do you want?" Charlie Brown asks. "REAL ESTATE!" Favorite touching moment? The transformation of the scrawny tree into a beautiful one of course.