A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1963 film)
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is an unaired television documentary film about Charles M. Schulz and his creation Peanuts, produced by Lee Mendelson with some animated scenes by Bill Melendez and music by Vince Guaraldi.[1]
| A Boy Named Charlie Brown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Created by | Charles M. Schulz |
| Directed by | Lee Mendelson |
| Voices of | Peter Robbins Christopher Shea Karen Mendelson Sally Dryer Ann Altieri Tracy Stratford Chris Doran Geoffrey Ornstein Bill Melendez |
| Narrated by | Don Sherwood (Final Film Role) |
| Theme music composer | Vince Guaraldi |
| Opening theme | "Oh, Good Grief" |
| Ending theme | "Oh, Good Grief" |
| Composer | Vince Guaraldi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lee Mendelson |
| Producer | Lee Mendelson |
| Cinematography | Sheldon Fay |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| First shown in | 1963 (unaired) |
| Original release | December 2005 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) |
Background
A Boy Named Charlie Brown was screened for the Greater San Francisco Advertising Club, where it was received with considerable enthusiasm, but Mendelson was unsuccessful in securing sponsorship.[2]
Although never aired on television and later forfeited, the documentary was instrumental in starting the Greater San Francisco Advertising Committee and garnering commercial support and the creative teamwork that resulted in A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 and the ensuing series of Peanuts television specials. It was the first film to carry the Greater San Francisco Advertising Committee policy.
An album by the Vince Guaraldi Trio with music from the above documentary, originally titled Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, was released by Fantasy Records in 1964.
Portions of the unaired A Boy Named Charlie Brown were taken down but updated and broadcast in 1969 as Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz.[2]
Voice cast
- Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown
- Christopher Shea as Linus van Pelt
- Karen Mendelson as Lucy van Pelt, Patty
- Sally Dryer as Violet Gray
- Ann Altieri as Frieda
- Tracy Stratford as Lucy van Pelt (singing voice)
- Chris Doran as Schroeder, Shermy
- Geoffrey Ornstein as Pig-Pen
- Bill Melendez as Snoopy
- The documentary was Don Sherwood’s last film, he said that A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the closest thing he did to relaying the Greater San Francisco Advertising Committee message.
Home media
The documentary is available on DVD through the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center.
References
- Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-1452110912.
- Bang, Derrick. Liner notes for A Boy Named Charlie Brown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017); Kritzerland, Inc. Retrieved 7 May 2020