It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown
Encyclopedia
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown is the sixth prime-time animated
TV specials based upon the popular comic strip
Peanuts
, created by Charles M. Schulz
. It was directed by Bill Meléndez
and originally aired on CBS
on September 27, 1969. This was also the first Peanuts special not to feature the majority of the original voice cast from the inaugural A Charlie Brown Christmas
, except for Peter Robbins
.
and Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder and Pig Pen are planning to spend it reading every comic book
, watching television
, practicing ball
play, and classical music
. However, Lucy tells them that she signed them up for camp. The girls are eager to go, but the boys hate the idea. (Linus adds that it's like finding out that he was drafted
.) The boys shove each other to get on the bus, while the girls line up in order. At camp, Charlie Brown is chosen captain of the boys camp. The boys and girls have a swim race which the girls win easily. Then they have a softball game, which the boys lose with only one run. Other competitions are just as lopsided.
Afterwards, the boys sit around the campfire and reflect on how miserable they are. In one scene, the colors of the shirts of Schroeder
and Linus
are mixed up during this scene.
Charlie Brown and Shermy, disillusioned by their continued defeat, see Snoopy arm wrestling with the boys. They realize that the boys might get even with an arm wrestling
game, with "The Masked Marvel" (Snoopy) as their champion. Snoopy goes into training, eating the camp's awful food, doing exercises, and drinking a nutritious and noxious concoction. In the contest, Snoopy goes against Lucy. They both get sweaty and tired in the match, which ends when Snoopy kisses Lucy. He pins her hand: but she says that kissing her was a foul, and she is the winner.
Back at school, Charlie Brown only came up with 13 words on his essay that he and Linus were forced to write during vacation. Linus got an A but Charlie Brown got a C-. Linus then says "Oh, well, it was a short summer, Charlie Brown", followed by Charlie Brown saying gloomily "And it looks like it's going to be a long winter".
ed form as part of the DVD box set, "Peanuts 1960s Collection."
This was the last Peanuts TV special for Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown.
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 specials 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...
, created 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 directed by Bill Meléndez
Bill Melendez
José 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...
and originally aired on 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...
on September 27, 1969. This was also the first Peanuts special not to feature the majority of the original voice cast from the inaugural A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was produced and directed by former Warner Bros. and UPA animator Bill Melendez, who also supplied the voice for the character of Snoopy...
, except for Peter Robbins
Peter Robbins (actor)
Peter Robbins is a former child actor best known for his voice-over work as Charlie Brown in the 1960s.-The original Charlie Brown:...
.
Plot
School is out for the summerSummer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
and Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder and Pig Pen are planning to spend it reading every comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, watching television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, practicing ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
play, and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. However, Lucy tells them that she signed them up for camp. The girls are eager to go, but the boys hate the idea. (Linus adds that it's like finding out that he was drafted
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
.) The boys shove each other to get on the bus, while the girls line up in order. At camp, Charlie Brown is chosen captain of the boys camp. The boys and girls have a swim race which the girls win easily. Then they have a softball game, which the boys lose with only one run. Other competitions are just as lopsided.
Afterwards, the boys sit around the campfire and reflect on how miserable they are. In one scene, the colors of the shirts of Schroeder
Schroeder (Peanuts)
Schroeder is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. He is distinguished by his precocious skill at playing the toy piano, as well as by his love of classical music and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in particular...
and Linus
Linus van Pelt
Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....
are mixed up during this scene.
Charlie Brown and Shermy, disillusioned by their continued defeat, see Snoopy arm wrestling with the boys. They realize that the boys might get even with an arm wrestling
Arm wrestling
Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...
game, with "The Masked Marvel" (Snoopy) as their champion. Snoopy goes into training, eating the camp's awful food, doing exercises, and drinking a nutritious and noxious concoction. In the contest, Snoopy goes against Lucy. They both get sweaty and tired in the match, which ends when Snoopy kisses Lucy. He pins her hand: but she says that kissing her was a foul, and she is the winner.
Back at school, Charlie Brown only came up with 13 words on his essay that he and Linus were forced to write during vacation. Linus got an A but Charlie Brown got a C-. Linus then says "Oh, well, it was a short summer, Charlie Brown", followed by Charlie Brown saying gloomily "And it looks like it's going to be a long winter".
DVD
On July 7, 2009, it was released on DVD for the first time, in remasterRemaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed form as part of the DVD box set, "Peanuts 1960s Collection."
Voice cast
- Peter RobbinsPeter Robbins (actor)Peter Robbins is a former child actor best known for his voice-over work as Charlie Brown in the 1960s.-The original Charlie Brown:...
... Charlie Brown, Pigpen (Singing Voice) - Pamelyn FerdinPamelyn FerdinPamelyn Ferdin is a former American television and film child actor, active both in live action and as a voice actress in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and has since appeared in several voice acting roles as late as 2009...
... Lucy van Pelt - Glenn Gilger ... Linus van Pelt
- Hilary MombergerHilary MombergerHilary Momberger is a former child actress from the late 1960s and early 1970s, known primarily for playing the part of "Sally Brown", Charlie Brown's little sister in the Peanuts motion picture and TV specials including: A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home...
... Sally Brown - Ann Altieri ... Frieda
- David Carey ... Shermy
- Christopher DeFariaChristopher DeFariaChris DeFaria is an American production manager and producer of television and movies, with credits including Cats & Dogs, Watchmen, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action...
... Peppermint Patty - Gail DeFaria ... Pigpen
- Sally DryerSally DryerSally Dryer is a former child actor best known for her voice-over work in the 1960s.-Career:...
... Shirley, Lara, Sophie - Matthew Liftin ... Boy With Black Hair, Kid
- John Daschback ... Schroeder
- 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
This was the last Peanuts TV special for Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown.
Production credits
- Written 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...
- Directed 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...
- Produced by Lee Mendleson and Bill Melendez
- Original score 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...
- Music supervised, arranged and conducted by John Scott Trotter
- Storyboard: Jan Strejan
- Animators: Bob Carlson, Brad Case, Herman Cohen, Sam Jaimes, Ruth Kissane, Bill Littlejohn, Don Lusk, Spencer Peel, Phil Roman, Frank Smith, Hank Smith, Rudy Zamora, Richard Thompson, Bob Matz, Hal Ambro, Manuel Perez
- Layout: Evert Brown, Bernard Gruver, Ed Levitt, Robert Givens
- Backgrounds: Ellie Bonnard, William Butler
- Ink and paint: Gwenn Dotzler, Faith Kovaleski, Beverly Robbins, Eleanor Warren, Manon Washburn
- Editors: Bob Gillis, Chuck McCann, Steve Melendez
- Voices: Radio Recorders, Sid Nicholas
- Music: United Recorders, Arte Becker
- Mix: Producers' Sound Service, Don Minkler, Bill Mumford
- Camera: Jim Dixon, Nick Vasu, Wally Bulloch