It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.

Director:

Bill Melendez

Writer:

Charles M. Schulz

Stars:

Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Sally Dryer

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Peter Robbins	...	Charlie Brown (voice)
Christopher Shea	...	Linus Van Pelt (voice) (as Chris Shea)
Sally Dryer	...	Lucy Van Pelt (voice)
Cathy Steinberg	...	Sally Brown (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ann Altieri	...	Frieda / Violet (voice)
Lisa DeFaria	...	Patty (voice)
Bill Melendez	...	Snoopy (voice)
Glenn Mendelson	...	Schroeder / Shermy (voice)
Gabrielle DeFaria Ritter	...	Pigpen (voice) (as Gail DeFaria)

Storyline

The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween, with Linus hoping that, finally, he will be visited by The Great Pumpkin; while Charlie Brown is invited to a Halloween party.

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Plot Keywords:

pumpkin patch | halloween | pumpkin | peanuts | trick or treating | 

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Taglines:

Peanuts, pumpkins, and pleasure for the whole family! (2008 DVD re-release)

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

ABC [United States] Snoopy.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Bill Melendez Productions, United Feature Syndicate (UFS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actress Cathy Steinberg had almost finished recording all her lines of dialog as Sally when the producers received a phone call from Steinberg's mother informing them that one of Cathy's teeth was loose. Fearing that a sudden lisp would ruin the continuity dialogue, the producers rushed the young actress into the studio to finish recording her lines. Just as Steinberg was speaking her last line, the tooth came flying out of her mouth.

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Goofs

In the opening scene, Linus tries to roll a pumpkin through a hole in a fence. When it doesn't fit he rolls it around the fence, but you never see him pass by the hole while going to the far end.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Lucy scoops out the innards of the pumpkin Linus brought]
Linus: [groans] You didn't tell me you were gonna kill it!
[bawls]

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Crazy Credits

Linus and Charlie Brown are at the wall and Charlie tells Linus that he's done stupid things in his life, too. Then Linus keeps on shouting during the credits about how sitting and waiting in a pumpkin patch wasn't stupid.

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Alternate Versions

The original 1966 version had longer opening credits to acknowledge the sponsors. Modern broadcast versions and home video releases have the opening fade away after an owl approaches. One scene that followed was the gang, in their Halloween costumes, being frightened by a ghost dancing on a pumpkin. They run away, and the "ghost" then throws off his white sheet, and we see it was actually Snoopy, who continues dancing.

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Connections

Followed by The Peanuts Movie (2015)

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Soundtracks

It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary
(uncredited)
Written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams
Arranged and Performed by Vince Guaraldi

User Reviews

Here's the World War I Flying Ace with his review...

I've been a lifetime Peanuts fan; I grew up with the comic strip and a number of the TV specials. It was always a cause for celebration to see these endearing characters and laugh at their assorted escapades.

Here, the character of Linus, ordinarily the most sensible of the children, indulges in his ongoing personal fantasy involving the almighty Great Pumpkin who in Linus' mind is the Santa Claus of the Halloween season, appearing in the most sincere of pumpkin patches and distributing toys to the faithful.

One can't help but be charmed by his dedication to this concept, even as it prevents him from enjoying the more conventional trappings of the holiday - specifically trick or treating, which his admirer Sally forgoes in order to be with him.

This lovable story does of course display a constant disarming sense of humour, in particular poor Charlie Browns' tendency to get rocks in his treat bag in place of candy - yet he doesn't let it get him down. Good old Snoopy continues to be a major cut up - whether he's indulging in his own flights of fancy, taking on the persona of the World War I Flying Ace forever facing off against his arch rival The Red Baron, and pretending to be making his way across enemy lines (this sequence features some of the best animation in the special), or stealing the show at Violets' Halloweeen Party. It's just too cute when he bops along to Schroeders' piano music and then sobs uncontrollably when the music turns dramatic.

The special remains bright and upbeat all the way through, with Linus ranting his way all through the closing credits about the supposed "stupidity" of waiting in a pumpkin patch. Everything about this can continue to appeal to all ages; 45 years later, it's still a charmer.

10/10