A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) (TV)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

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)

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

• 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:

Just before her remarks about Christmas being a big commercial racket, Lucy refers to Charlie Brown simply as Charlie. This is the only time she does this in any of the TV specials: every other time it's Charlie Brown.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Charlie Brown consults Lucy for psychiatric help, her sign (as read from the front) says, "The Doctor Is Real In". However, when seen from the side angle, the sign simply says, "The Doctor Is In".

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:

Featured in It's Your 20th Television Anniversary, Charlie Brown (1985) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Christmas is Coming

We still love you, Charlie Brown!

I remember the first time that I saw this cartoon. I was about 6 or 7 years old, and I was starting to get into the Peanuts comic strips as I was learning how to read. From the first time I saw it, I knew there was something very different about this animated Christmas special that set it apart from others. Maybe it was the fact that it actually gave the true meaning of Christmas by having Linus quote Luke 2:8-14. Maybe it was able to capture charm and whit of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz. Maybe it was the jazzy background music by Vince Guaraldi. Maybe it was all the above. I'm gonna go with the last one. To this day I still find this Christmas special to be a very touching one.