Vince Guaraldi
A musical celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Christmas classic. Hosted by Kristen Bell.
A short documentary about Vince Guaraldi, the composer most well known for his work on several 'Peanuts' animated television specials.
Now, years later, fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this Christmas favorite. Hosted by comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, this program includes interviews with some of the actors who brought the Peanuts gang to life, and archive footage of the creator himself, Charles Schulz.
It's Valentine's Day again and Charlie Brown dreams the seemingly hopeless dream to receiving a valentine from anyone. All the while, the rest of the gang have their own trials whether it be Linus' struggle to get the biggest card he can for his beloved teacher, or Lucy trying to get some token from Schroeder while Snoopy and Woodstock are having fun spearing valentines on each other's nose.
A motorcross, a race of motorbikes through a series of obstacles, provides the occasion for Charlie Brown's latest attempt to win at something. He selects Linus as his pit crew and goes to a store to select a bike, and due to insufficient funds, he must settle for a tiny, run-down putt-putt. The majority of Charlie's opponents are eliminated in the race, and Charlie, wearing a makeshift helmet carved from a pumpkin, finds himself in close competition with his friend, tomboy Peppermint Patty, and the Masked Marvel (a.k.a. Snoopy, Charlie's dog).
Turkey, cranberries, pumpkin pie... and the Peanuts gang to share them with. This is going to be the greatest Thanksgiving ever! The fun begins when Peppermint Patty invites herself and her pals to Charlie Brown's house for a REALLY big turkey party. Good grief! All our hero can cook is cold cereal and maybe toast. Is Charlie Brown doomed? Not when Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock chip in to save the (Thanksgiving) Day. With such good friends, Charlie Brown - and all of us - have so many reasons to be thankful.
With the school election looming, Linus is talked into running for school president. With Lucy and Charlie Brown as his campaign manager and Snoopy and Woodstock assisting, he stands a decent chance of victory. Soon however, he makes unrealistic promises and learns the hard way that preaching about the Great Pumpkin can not be considered a sound campaign strategy.
School is out for the summer and Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder and Pig Pen are planning to spend it reading every comic book, watching television, practicing ballplay, and classical music, and having clean thoughts. However, Lucy tells them that she signed them up for camp. The girls are eager to go, but the boys hate the idea.(Linus adding that its 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 Schroder and Linus are mixed up during this scene.
After Charlie Brown's team loses their first game of the season (123-0), his team throws down their caps in disgust and quits. Frustrated and depressed, Charlie Brown wanders around aimlessly until Linus meets him with good news: Mr. Hennessey, operator of a local hardware store, is offering to sponsor Charlie Brown's team, place them in an organized league, and even buy them new uniforms. The excitement gets the better of Charlie Brown, and he eagerly tells the team the good news. Lucy is apprehensive, but states that if Charlie Brown can really get the team uniforms, they will give him another chance and return to the team. Later at home, Charlie Brown gets a phone call from Mr. Hennessey, and is told that the league does not allow girls or dogs. Charlie Brown tries to reason with Mr. Hennessey, but is told that the stipulations are rules set by the league. Unwilling to sacrifice his friends, Charlie Brown reluctantly declines Mr. Hennessey's offer.
When Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees amongst everyone during the Christmas season, Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant. Charlie Brown accepts, but is a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, he needs Linus' help to learn the meaning of Christmas.
This documentary goes behind-the-scenes with Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. This film paved the way for the future success of the Peanuts animated television specials, bringing together for the first time Schulz, animator Bill Melendez, producer Lee Mendelson, and composer Vince Guaraldi.
