It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown
Encyclopedia
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is the 15th prime-time animated
TV special based upon the popular comic strip
Peanuts
, by Charles M. Schulz
. It was originally aired on the CBS
network on March 16, 1976. It was released as a bonus feature with DVD release of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
on March 4, 2003. It will appear in remastered form in the DVD boxset "Peanuts 1970's Collection Vol. 2".
, everybody works together to plant a garden. Unfortunately, the garden is located in Charlie Brown
's baseball field, and he has a game with Peppermint Patty
's team approaching. However, Charlie Brown works to make the best of the situation by attaching baseball gloves to the trees as well as caps (to make them look like scarecrows), which results in Peppermint Patty's team being unable to score due to the large number of fly outs from the balls being hit into the gloves. Schroeder says he will kiss Lucy if she hits a home run
, which he figures she will not. However, Charlie Brown is happy to see Lucy indeed hit a home run and score the only run in the game. The game is cut short by rain, and although Charlie Brown expresses agony that "We were winning!", he accepts it as a de facto victory and one of the few times his baseball team has won a game.
, who was best known for the Peanuts' signature tune, "Linus and Lucy
." 47-year-old Guaraldi died of a heart attack
several hours after completing the soundtrack for this special. The end credits include a dedication, "For Vince."
With the untimely death of Guaraldi, later Peanuts animated specials lack the same jazzy musical score as previous entries. As such, It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is seen by some fans as marking the swan song
of the "golden era" for Charlie Brown's television run.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
TV special based upon the popular comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, by Charles M. Schulz
Charles M. Schulz
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.-Early life and education:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz grew up in Saint Paul...
. It was originally aired on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network on March 16, 1976. It was released as a bonus feature with DVD release of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz...
on March 4, 2003. It will appear in remastered form in the DVD boxset "Peanuts 1970's Collection Vol. 2".
Plot
To celebrate Arbor DayArbor Day
Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States during 1872 by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day.Many...
, everybody works together to plant a garden. Unfortunately, the garden is located in Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...
's baseball field, and he has a game with Peppermint Patty
Peppermint Patty
Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. A freckle-faced auburn/brunette, she is one of a small group in the strip who lives across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends...
's team approaching. However, Charlie Brown works to make the best of the situation by attaching baseball gloves to the trees as well as caps (to make them look like scarecrows), which results in Peppermint Patty's team being unable to score due to the large number of fly outs from the balls being hit into the gloves. Schroeder says he will kiss Lucy if she hits a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, which he figures she will not. However, Charlie Brown is happy to see Lucy indeed hit a home run and score the only run in the game. The game is cut short by rain, and although Charlie Brown expresses agony that "We were winning!", he accepts it as a de facto victory and one of the few times his baseball team has won a game.
Reception
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown received mixed reviews during the time of the original airing. The special was considered by many to be a low point in terms of the history of the Peanuts animated TV specials. Many critics at the time questioned the purpose of the special, even though Arbor Day is a national holiday. The special is often held up by critics as an example of the downward decline in quality of the Peanuts specials, in terms of resorting to obscure holidays for storyline ideas. As such, the special has rarely been aired since its original broadcast, though it was included in the syndication package of Peanuts specials that aired on Nickelodeon in 1997. In its actual content, however, many rank it among the better specials to come after the "early period".Vince Guaraldi dies
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown was the last Peanuts special to feature original music composed by Vince GuaraldiVince Guaraldi
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Guaraldi was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip...
, who was best known for the Peanuts' signature tune, "Linus and Lucy
Linus and Lucy
"Linus and Lucy" is a popular jazz piano tune written by Vince Guaraldi appearing in many of the Peanuts animated television specials. Named for the fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was released in 1964 on the Vince Guaraldi Trio's album Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown...
." 47-year-old Guaraldi died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
several hours after completing the soundtrack for this special. The end credits include a dedication, "For Vince."
With the untimely death of Guaraldi, later Peanuts animated specials lack the same jazzy musical score as previous entries. As such, It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is seen by some fans as marking the swan song
Swan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
of the "golden era" for Charlie Brown's television run.
Voice actors and their characters
- Dylan Beach: Charlie Brown
- Gail M. Davis: Sally Brown
- Sarah Beach: Lucy Van Pelt
- Stuart Brotman: Peppermint Patty
- Greg Felton: Schroeder
- Liam Martin: Linus Van Pelt and Rerun (Credited as "Vinnie Dow")
- Michelle Muller: Frieda
- Vinnie Dow: Pigpen
- Bill MelendezBill MelendezJosé Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series...
: Snoopy and Woodstock
Production credits
"IT'S ARBOR DAY, CHARLIE BROWN!"- Written and Created by
- Charles M. SchulzCharles M. SchulzCharles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.-Early life and education:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz grew up in Saint Paul...
- A LEE MENDELSON-BILL MELENDEZ PRODUCTION
- Directed by
- Phil RomanPhil RomanPhilip Roman , is an animator. He is the founder of animation studios Film Roman and Phil Roman Entertainment. Roman is of Mexican American descent....
- Produced by
- Bill MelendezBill MelendezJosé Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series...
- Executive Producer
- Lee MendelsonLee MendelsonLee Mendelson is an American television producer. He is best known as the executive producer of the many Peanuts animated specials....
- Music Composed and Performed by
- Vince GuaraldiVince GuaraldiVincent Anthony "Vince" Guaraldi was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip...
- Story
- Larz BourneLarz BourneLarz Bourne was an American cartoon writer for Famous Studios.-Work:* The Astronut Show* Hot Stuff the Little Devil* The Tom and Jerry Show * The All-New Popeye Hour* Casper's Halloween Special* The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show...
- Designed by
- Tom Yakutis
- Ellie Bogardus
- Evert Brown
- Bernard GruverBernard GruverBernard Gruver was best known as one of the original animators of the Peanuts cartoon series. He also was an animation professor at the University of Southern California School of Cinema. He was killed in a car crash in Los Angeles in 1985.-External links:*...
- Animation by
- Don Lusk
- Sam Jaimes
- Bill LittlejohnBill LittlejohnWilliam Charles Littlejohn was an American animator and union organizer. Littlejohn worked on both animated shorts and features from the 1930s through to the 1990s...
- Bob MatzBob MatzRobert "Bob" Matz was an American animator. He worked on various animated shorts, films, and television projects, such as Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, The Pink Panther, and The Transformers: The Movie.-1960-1961:...
- Bob Bachman
- Rudy ZamoraRudy ZamoraRudy Zamora was a Mexican American animator and a prolific animation director who was a veteran actor in George of the Jungle.-External links:...
- Warren BatchelderWarren BatchelderWarren Batchelder was an animator on many Warner Bros. and DePatie-Freleng cartoons. He also worked as animation director on the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon show.-Career:Batchelder began his animation career in 1936...
- Assisted by
- Al Pabian
- Larry Leichliter
- Patricia Joy
- Jeff HallJeff HallJeff Hall is a cartoon animator and director.-External links:*' at the Internet Movie Database...
- Joe Roman
- Backgrounds
- Anton LoebAnton LoebAnton Loeb was a cartoonist, illustrator and theatrical animator.Loeb illustrated children's books in the late 1940s, including a collection of Aesop's Fables in a book called Storytime Favorites. Loeb worked primarily as Paramount's lead theatrical animator throughout the 1950s, and then moved on...
- Ink and Paint Supervision
- Joanne Lansing
- Checking:
- Eve Fletcher
- Peggy Drumm
- Eleanor Warren
- Ink and Paint
- Chandra Poweris
- Pat Covello
- Pat Capozzi
- Sheri Barstad
- Roubina Sarkissian
- Cheri Lucas
- Valerie Pabian
- Editing
- Chuck McCannChuck McCannChuck McCann is a film actor, television actor, stage actor, and a voice actor from Brooklyn, New York.-Early career:...
- Roger Donley
- Production Manager: Carole Barnes
- Recording: Coast Recorders, Radio RecordersRadio RecordersRadio Recorders, Inc. was a recording studio based in Los Angeles, California. Famous musicians to have been recorded in the studio include Charlie Parker, Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and The Carpenters among others. In its prime, the studio was known...
- Dubbing: Producers' Sound Service, Don Minkler
- Camera: Dickson/Vasu
- Production Assistant: Sandy Claxton
- For Vince (1928-1976)
- THE END
- "IT'S ARBOR DAY CHARLIE BROWN"
- ©1976 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.