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

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)

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:

During his famed speech, Linus, who is well known to be dependent on his security blanket, actually lets go of it when he recites these words: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy," which is from Luke 2:10.

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:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Elijah Wood/Jet (#29.8)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Perfect Holiday Movie

One of the best Holiday movies of all time, I wonder why it's not on the AFI top 100 list?

****CAUTION SPOILERS*** THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH TELLS THE READER WHAT THE MOVIE IS ABOUT, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW, PLEASE DON'T READ ANY FURTHER.

In case you haven't seen the movie, here is how it goes. Charlie Brown (a local boy who seems to fail in everything he does), is upset because no one has given him a Christmas card, plus all of his friends seem to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. All his sister wants for Christmas are toys, she says, "I want what's coming to me." Charlie buys a tiny Christmas tree for the Christmas play, but it's made fun of by his friends. Fed up with everybody, Charlie finally yells, "Does anyone know the true meaning of Christmas?" What happens next is one of the best scenes in a Christmas movie ever! Charlie's friend stands up and announces to everyone in the room the true meaning of Christmas, quoting from the Bible.