Peanuts - A Boy Named Charlie Brown Reviews

• A "Peanuts" Classic

  
  By A3OMDSHIGTFY84 on 2000-04-17
  I, like the other reviewer before me, remember watching this in a movie theater when it was first released; my grandfather took me to see it and I must have been about 4 or 5 years old. I remember being totally mesmerized at the thought of seeing my "heroes" on the big screen, and I didn't move a muscle the entire time the movie was rolling. And yes, I will also agree that the film's end can have you shedding a tear or two, with Linus' reminder, "Did you notice something, Charlie Brown? The world didn't come to an end", after Charlie Brown feels that he has humlitated himself one too many times. You can imagine, this film has a very special place in my heart. It retained several of the original character voices, including Peter Robbins, the first and best Charlie Brown. This is also the only one of the four theatrical features to use Vince Guaraldi's trademark theme music. I take issue with the statement that the additional songs composed for the movie by Rod McKuen are "absurd". I thought the title tune was very touching, featuring the lyric, "We're all a Boy Named Charlie Brown". Indeed.......That was the genius of Charles Schulz in a nutshell; he created characters that mirrored all of us. Please get this film and introduce your kids to it.......Help pass along Mr Schulz's legacy. (If you can find the out-of-print soundtrack album for this film, I highly recommend it as well.)
  
  

• A premium in entertainment for people of all ages

  
  By AF52QIA0HEPNB on 2001-06-12
  Though I highly recommend this film for children, it is by no means a movie that can be enjoyed only by children, with mindless dialogue and aimless plot. On the contrary; I am a 19-year-old college student, and even though I should technically be writing a review on Fellini's "Satyricon" as I sip some kind of mocha and smoke a cigarette, I instead choose to rave about the merits of this intelligent, wonderful little film. I would first like to state that the soundtrack is absolutely ASTOUNDING. Vince Guaraldi really outdoes himself in this film, with my favorites being "Baseball Theme" and "Surfin' Snoopy". I'm sorry to say that many of the songs on this film can only be acquired through the VHS medium; though there is a soundtrack, it provides music from an NBC Charles Schultz special, not this film. Consumers, beware! :) Secondly, the original compositions by Rod McKuen, such as "Champion Charlie Brown" and "Boy Named Charlie Brown" are heartwarming and delightful, again with paradoxically smart and mature lyrics (these too, unfortunately, are unavailable on CD). The animation is delightful. I love the bright, cheerful hues of the wallpaper in Charlie's hotel room and his bathroom. And yes, the visual rendition of Beethoven's "Pathetique Sonata" is stunning, with animation reminding you of the "Eleanor Rigby" scene from "Yellow Submarine" (NOT the psychedelic type); for some, it can definitely be a tear-jerker. Snoopy's graceful skate at Rockerfeller Plaza in New York City is additionally delightful. If you're a parent concerned with the lessons your child may learn from this film, allow me to present you with a list: gleeful content with who we are, acceptance of failure, healthy appreciation of victory, and perhaps most of all, how to be a friend. Charming. Beautiful. It will bring a smile to your face even after years of viewing. You will NOT be disappointed with this buy.
  
  

• Charming film, but they Letterboxed a Full Frame movie!

  
  By A42GFMF12V7XR on 2006-03-30
  This movie was shot full frame, and meant to be seen full frame. When you compare the movie to the old Full Frame Laserdisc you will see that this Letterboxed DVD cuts off the top & bottom and ads little to the sides.
  
  Enough complaining, there are positives about this DVD. The picture quality is 100 times better than the old, yellowed & grainy Laserdisc. The colors look true and the image is smooth & clean. Even the soundtrack is punched up.
  
  The movie itself is a delight. This is Peanut's first full length theatrical movie, and the story of Charlie Brown & the gang going off to a spelling bee will keep the young ones watching. Even the old ones like me.
  
  The false letterboxing will not distract from the enjoyment of the film.
  
  

• Charlie's finest hour!

  
  By A26VNYTGSFO9EU on 2005-01-02
  Charlie Brown is at his best in his first film as Charlie addreses his own insecurities and gets the remarkable achievement of going to a major spelling bee only to loose when final victory is so close. Along the way we are treated to a brilliant rendition of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata with some wonderful gothic imagry. We have Snoopy at the Rockefeller plaza skating around and letting his imagination run wild, and we have a great flying sequence as Snoopy does an air battle. There's so many wonderful moments it's hard to list. Rod McKuen's theme is just so poignant for the ending. After Charlie looses he realizes through simple images that life has indeed moved on and that he's going to be OK. The ending is just so moving and to have that juxtiposed with smart and quite witty scenes early on is such a rare thing in any film. The biggest shame is that this is NOT available on DVD. This is a lost treasure and I'm glad at least we can see it on VHS!
  
  
  Rod McKuen
  
  

• Never Say Die, Charlie Brown!

  
  By A295P2KZIWUAWI on 2000-03-15
  I remember 1st seeing this movie in the theatre when I was 3 years old. It's a poignant piece with a lesson about trying your best and never giving up.

  In spite of all the failed attempts to win a baseball game, kick the football from Lucy, or fly a kite (Charlie Brown tries all of the above), he never gives up! Linus tries giving Charlie advice (and refuses to take Sally to the movies!) and Lucy tries to figure out what's really wrong with the "blockhead" (when not driving poor Schroder crazy: "By the way, is this George Washington?").

  It seems like Charlie Brown's bad luck may get better with a chance to win the Spelling Bee. Linus and Snoopy later join him, so as to get back Linus's beloved blanket!

  It's fun watching Snoopy iceskate at Rockefeller Plaza and Schroder imagine he's playing a grand piano.
  
  

• One of the best animated films ever made.
  By A30VNW6P3JSNPO on 2000-02-04
  I love this movie. With the exception of Pepermint Patty and Marcy, it has all the classic elements of the Peanuts gang that made them so cute: Charlie Brown can't fly a kite because he's afraid the trees will eat it, his baseball team always loses, Snoopy thinks he's a WWI fighter, Shroeder plays great symphonies on the tiny piano, Linus adoring his blanket, and of course, Lucy pulling away the football. I love the songs and kiddie jokes which tell of how Charlie Brown is enrolled in the national spelling bee. All 84 mintues of it are pure delight, even the long musical interludes. And is it possible to not want to shed a tear at the end?
  
  
• Epitomizes the work of Charles M. Schulz
  By on 2000-06-11
  I bought this film the day before Charles Schulz died and it seemed like the most touching, poignant tribute to the man when I watched it. Enjoyable for kids who can find humor in Snoopy's antics, and Linus going nuts looking for his blanket, but if you're an adult, you'll understand what this film is REALLY about. When Charlie Brown loses the spelling bee, he comes home and stays in bed for an entire day. Finally, when Linus entices him to get out of bed, he shows him something very important------Life Goes On! "Did you notice, Charlie Brown? It wasn't the end of the world." That brilliantly-executed scene is so well-written and sums up what Peanuts was all about. Flies over your head when you're a kid, but when you see it as an adult, you realize how skilled we've become at dealing with life's disappointments. And we learn, as Charlie Brown did, that life goes on, and it wasn't the end of the world. The songs of Rod McKuen also help explore the theme very well. For the Charlie Brown in all of us, and more importantly, the Linus in all of us.
  
  
• We're all a boy named Charlie Brown
  By AVYVI5MEUOZAV on 2004-09-20
  Although I was not born until over a decade after this film premiered in 1969, I have seen it several times over the years through TV airings (i.e. on the Disney Channel). It was the first of four "Peanuts" full-length animated features to be produced through 1980, and although I've seen all four and all are good, this is my favorite. The central plot revives around Charlie Brown's trying to prove that he can win at something by entering a spelling bee. He manages to, believe it or not, win the school spelling bee and is off to the national competition and makes it all the way to the very end, and then... well, I'm not going to spoil the ending. Naturally, none of the other kids (except Linus, who goes with him to the tournament) believe he can win - hence the song "Failure Face," sung by Lucy and the other girls when they learn that Charlie wants to enter the spelling bee. But Charlie Brown still believes in himself, and for him to make it as far as he does is something to be proud of. I also remember the earlier "baseball" vignettes very well, with Frieda's bubble gum popping all over her face when the ball hits her bubble and bursts it, Charlie Brown being hit by a line drive and Lucy proclaiming that the injury's not serious enough to merit first aid - "second or third aid will do," and so on. Even Charlie Brown's old nemesis, the Kite-Eating Tree, puts in an appearance. Also, the music is well done. Some of the songs rank a little high on the corn factor (i.e. "I Before E Except After C"), but the title song is more memorable and more moving than you might expect it to be (with someone like Rod McKuen writing and singing it, how could it not be?). While the "Star Spangled Banner" and Beethoven vignettes and Snoopy's figure skating scene may not have been necessary to the plot, they are visually and aurally stunning. Overall, this movie is very faithful to the comic strip, adapting many classic "Peanuts" strips dating back as far as the late 1950s, and, like the strip itself, is a delightful mix of the humorous, the bitter, and the bittersweet.
  Incidentally, another reviewer wondered why Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Woodstock aren't in this movie. The character of Marcie was not introduced into "Peanuts" until 1971, and Woodstock was around but was not named Woodstock yet (not until 1970). As for Peppermint Patty, she was around too, having first appeared in "Peanuts" in 1966, but she was not yet a "main" character - her involvement in the strip at that point was more or less limited to being a tomboyish girl who played baseball with Charlie Brown (i.e. the strip hadn't yet started to delve into her problems in school). For a "Peanuts" movie that features Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Woodstock at their best, watch 1980's "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!)."
  
  
• In a word: Nostalgic
  By A2S1H4MY1FURDE on 2006-01-27
  A Boy Named Charlie Brown has got to be one of the cornerstones of my childhood. The story of a low-esteemed kid seeking to understand his purpose in life and finds momentary glory in making it to the spelling bee finals makes for great storytelling by one of history's most beloved cartoonists, Charles Schulz. The film is terrific, from the endearing cast of characters, to the poignant storyline, down to Vince Guaraldi's mellow jazz rhythms (which may or may not have been responsible for introducing countless of kids to jazz at the time). I think A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a must-see for every child who wonders and wanders.
  
  
• This is one of the Essential Peanuts movies. I love this.
  By A2WKKTVYS5H61M on 2002-03-14
  When I was a little kid back in the day I loved this movie so much. It was so magical and the music just could not be compared. I enjoyed everything about the film, from the characters to the dialogue to the words they would flash on the screen. Even when Snoopy was ice skating in the park I loved that to death. This was everything to me when I was a kid and I will show this to my kids if I ever have them.
  
  
• A Boy Named Charlie Brown
  By A1PLRFZI50PFBX on 2003-10-06
  I am an 18 year old college student who, after completing high school, have never learned any lessons as important as the life lessons that I have learned from this film. Poignant, sentimental, and heartwarming, this film delivers moving memories and gentle reminders for the older audiences and instills a sense of innocence and natural truth in the younger ones. Truly a classic of the 20th century. Film highlights; original music compositions and various other selections, musical montages, and the excellently portrayed messages of loss, discovery and acceptance.
  
  
• Good, but weaker than other Peanuts features...
  By A35GHITTG3WX7E on 2006-02-20
  This Peanuts full-length feature, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown", originally released in 1969 was the first of a series of four full length Peanuts features, all of which turned out great. That said, this is definitely the weaker of all four films, partly because of the absence of two great characters, Peppermint Patty and Marcie and also because of a somewhat depressing plot-line.
  
  The film starts with Charlie Brown complaining about his life as usual, feeling that he is a total failure and that he isn't good for anything. The story continues as Charlie Brown shows everyone that what he believes is true, he fails at Baseball, at kite-flying and at other activities, but then his opportunity to prove himself worth something comes when his school becomes part of a national spelling-bee and he decides to enter the competition. Unfortunately for good old Charlie, he doesn't really receive a lot of support from his school-mates, who put him down saying he'll just make a fool of himself, but with the help of Snoopy and Linus, he manages to defeat his class' other competitors and enters the spelling-bee. Charlie Brown then travels to the city, where the spelling-bee is to continue, but will Charlie Brown be warmly welcomed back when it is all over?
  
  The story-line is a Peanuts classic, unfortunately it is still not very interesting and it seems the film-makers had to add way too many out of place sequences to actually make this feature a full-length one. Sequences such as Snoopy's play of a National Anthem record, Schroeder's classical piano-playing or Snoopy's ice skating are totally out of place and un-needed to the uneven flow of the film. The animation is Peanuts standard, so that's something in its favor, but the music and songs leave a lot to be desired, songs such as "A Boy Named Charlie Brown," "Failure Face", "Champion Charlie Brown" and "I Before E" are rather weak and not very memorable. Still, as a Peanuts film, it holds a little charm, but it is definitely the weakest of all four Peanuts features.
  
  
• A Great Paramount Family Favorite
  By A37IAN2G2CA7SO on 2003-08-29
  Good grief. G-O-O-D G-R-I-E-F. Good grief. Even though Woodstock, Peppermint Patty and Marcie did not appear, (Neither
  did Rerun) This is still a great movie. Charlie Brown tries to
  volunteer for a spelling bee,But Lucy Van Pelt, Frieda (who blew
  bubble gum at the baseball game) and Violet think he's just a
  "Failure Face". There's not just that spelling bee, There's More.
  Before the spelling bee, Charlie Brown has a baseball game to play. Some parts are funny. Frieda blows bubble gum,Pig Pen puts
  dust on the ball,Snoopy ( Voiced by Bill Melendez, who produces
  with Lee Mendelson) yawns and gets the ball in his mouth, Linus
  Van Pelt (Brother of Lucy van Pelt) puts his security blanket
  (Which is his trademark) in his baseball hat and Frieda,Violet and Patty(Not related to Peppermint Patty) do not catch the ball.
  Although some parts could look like romance scenes like Lucy
  kissing Schroeder and Sally (Related to Charlie Brown) says to
  Linus "Isn't He The Cutest thing", This film is great and is
  the 1st full-length film. F-I-L-M. Film. Cinema Center Films,CBS
  Video,Cbs/Fox Video,Fox Video,Paramount Pictures,1969,Rated G.
  
  
• A long time but worth the wait
  By A2N8AFQV49WYJI on 2006-04-11
  I will agree that some special features would have been nice, but it is not enough for me to bump this down to 4 stars.
  
  The picture quality is great! The transition from video to DVD went very nicely for film that was done in 1969 (that's almost 30 years ago for those of you in Rio Linda).
  
  I don't know if anybody has mentioned this, but this appears to be the FULL length of the original movie. When it aired on TV some time in the late 1970's, the song, 'Failure Face', was totally omitted. Probably considered too mean spirited. In addition, there are a lot of scenes such as Lucy video taping Charlie Brown kicking the football, Charlie chewing on the weed out of the sidewalk, the Kite flying (fight?) scene. All of these are NOT on the VHS / clamshell version that I bought in the 1980's.
  
  If you grew up with Charlie Brown as I did and miss Charles Schultz, I highly recommend it. It is great one for kids - be they 9 or be they 40.
  
  I hope that they will continue with the other two Charlie Brown movies and all the television specials to DVD.
  
  
• Brilliant animated movie!
  By A1COW0UIB5HA9J on 2006-07-27
  A 9 year old loser named Charlie Brown is just down on his luck for he can't do anything right and has a few friends like Linus, Lucy and his beagle Snoopy. His skills at flying kites and playing baseball are rather poor and gets help sometimes from Lucy, but one day there's a class spelling bee and Charlie Brown decides to be in it so he can prove he's not a total loser. But suddenly as he spells some words correct he wins and becomes a class champion just enough to be in the national spelling bee in the big city, his friends have total faith in him that he could win the spelling bee and become a home hero.
  
  Entertaining and charming animated feature that is the big-screen debut of the popular comic strip characters "Peanuts" by Charles Schultz. The movie is a funny and thought-provoking piece of animation with a brilliant jazz score and some good songs like the theme song, this movie has always been a childhood favorite of mine that i still enjoy!
  
  The DVD has good picture and sound with widescreen presentation and some scenes that were cut out from the video version and back into the movie. There is a lack of extras but hey that's ok, this is a superb animated flick that kids and adults will enjoy.
  
  
• This movie was in widescreen.
  By A1H5DRTIYIMAFL on 2006-11-21
  I first saw this movie when it was released in theaters in 1969 and it was in WIDESCREEN. It was made for the big screen, not for TV.
  
  
• MARVELOUS
  By on 2000-08-04
  If one cannot appreciate the movie for its sweet and tender nature, on must marvel at the music. I ADORE the theme song "A Boy Named Charlie Brown." In a classical style like that of Mel Torme or Nat King Cole with sweet and genuine lyrics such as "To just see Charlie Smile, Makes you Stop and Think a while...We're all just a boy named Charlie Brown."

  As well the Visual Interpretation of the Adagio Cantabille of Beethoven's Pathetique sonata is absolutley breath taking. Full of energy life, spirituality and song one cannot help but be awed .
  
  

• Funny
  By A2GF5IC9G15K3O on 2001-07-20
  As I read reviews, I don't see the words "Funny" in here. This movie is very very funny. The opening scene w/ Chuck, Linus, and Lucy lying on the hill is something that still gets a chuckle out of me. While this movie is mainly for kids, it is easily enjoyed by many older kiddies. The wit and just ultimate feeling sorry for the boy in the yellow shirt with a black zig-zag, but in a way that most of us have felt at some time in our lives. Nothing's going right, everyone hates you, except for that one kid with the stupid blanket. Then suddenly, you find something you're good at, and suddenly your fairweather fans are eveyrwhere supporting you. You feel a huge pressure to do the best that you can, and you bumble up once. Suddenly, everything is back as it was at the beginning. Gorgeous irony in this flick. I reccommend it to anyone who's felt down in their lifetime.
  
  
• #1 top grossing film (for the week ending December 17, 1969)
  By A245KQJ9UJZG8K on 2001-08-20
  

  It earned $290,000 the very first week that it opened. Anyway, I was five when it came out and I remember those long lines that came out to see it - like a blockbuster, like Star Wars or Jurassic Park today.

  It was a great film and Charles Shultz had a wonderful way of sayin', "It's ok. It's ok to miss the mark. It's ok to fail. It's ok to be vulnerable. We're all very human. We're all just a boy named Charlie Brown."

  Everybody relates to it and we've all been there. We've all been that kid that nobody expects anything from, that who, no matter whatever he does, has to please somebody in order just to exist - staring up at that blackboard, on the spot, try'in to please everybody just to make some friends. Sacrificing himself. But you know what? We didn't come to see them. We came to see him. He's the one that Shultz drew for 50 years. He's the one that Rod McKuen wrote the song about. He's the one that all the other films and tv specials are named after. Cause he's pretty special and we all love him and can't get enough of him.

  "The word is...beagle?...beagle?...beagle?" Yeah, BEEGUL!
  
  

• The ending says it all
  By AYPCUQS6ARWFH on 2001-10-18
  Aside from a few overlong musical interludes (although the Beethoven segement, the Star Spangled Banner, and the final tune is wonderful), this is a wonderful movie that will stay in your mind forever if seen in childhood and that you will truly enjoy as an adult.

  The final scene with Linus, CB, and Lucy (along with Rod McKuen singing the title cut) says it all in this film. Don't know what I'm talking about? See it and you will.
  
  

• Good Grief, A Spelling Bee!
  By on 2004-02-14
  This is some good movie, but there's a sad ending. But I highly recommend it!
  
  
• FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A1TVD9XQ4R62PA on 2006-03-10
  Finally they release this on DVD. I am already lined up and waiting for my copy. This is the GREATEST of the Charlie Browns. The first and best. The movie has all the elements that makes Charlie Brown the king. Great story, classic lines, comedy, drama and Charlie triumphs in the end. I have been waiting patiently for this since DVD's were invented. Only drawback is no DVD extras. I mean, c'mon! A few Behind the Scenes, some cast interviews? Woulda loved to have seen that. Now I'm just waiting for Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown to be released on DVD. My second fav.
  
  
• Movie-5 Stars. Amazon-0 Stars
  By A1TVD9XQ4R62PA on 2006-03-30
  The movie is great, one of my favs. I actually had already written a review for it that was on the original listing for this DVD before Amazon, in its infinite wisdom, decided to replace the original listing with this new one this week and RAISE THE PRICE. The problem is, 2 days ago, in the middle of release week, Amazon, in a showing of just what kind of retailer they are, actually RAISED the price of this DVD on release week. This DVD was $9.99 for months on this site. all of a sudden, when the DVD was finally released, Amazon decided to bilk customers for another buck. They did the same thing with Snoopy Come Home, only there, they actually raised the price even higher. PATHETIC. Buy this DVD, but get it elsewhere, where they are actually interested in your business, instead of ripping you off.
  
  
• Why did the price go up once it was released?
  By A2A0ORAMUYQRR2 on 2006-04-04
  I agree with the last person, now that is out they raised the price.
  
  Target, here I come!
  
  
• This WAS a widescreen film
  By AK90V6W6C3X56 on 2006-04-06
  Once again a studio/dvd marketing company has cheated fans out of their money. FALSE letterboxing of full frame copies that have ALREADY been truncated should and needs to be considered a crime! Some time ago there was a class action lawsuit against MGM for bilking customers in this fashion. I hope I see when this one comes up.
  
  
• Boy, oh boy!
  By A3F0FQL345CUK6 on 2006-05-27
  I very much enjoyed seeing this film again as I had not seen it since it was released theatrically in 1969, when I was 12 years old. I hadn't remembered very much about the picture so this viewing was like seeing it fresh. Not surprisingly, A Boy Named Charlie Brown stands the test of time. The story is simple and, like much of the Peanuts vehicles, is somewhat anecdotal. By this I mean that some of the material in the script was clearly lifted from the classic comic strips themselves. Still, there is an overall theme that drives the plot. That is the story of the underdog (Charlie) doing his best, and learning to like himself in spite of his flaws. The animation, though far from Disney quality, is a step above the animation seen in the Peanuts television efforts and better than the later feature efforts. The voice work, by child actors, is also very good. The writing, as can be expected, was top notch. There is also a wonderful title song at the beginning of the film that I found very touching and very appealing. The song, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" was written and is sung by Rod McKuen. It is so good that I am really shocked that it has not become a modern standard. The film looks great, too. The print is sharp and clear and the color is eyepopping. This film is really as fresh as it must have been nearly 40 years ago and would be perfect for children but sophisticated enough that adults will also find it enjoyable.
  
  
• I recognize how artistic this movie is...
  By A3UHOON35DEPSE on 2007-07-16
  I just saw this movie for the first time in 35 years. My father took me to see it when I was four.
  
  Anyway, it was my first movie in the theatre and for some reason I remembered it. Watching it again with my own three year old was also quite interesting. Only now, I recognize how artistic this movie is. With music by cool jazz artist Vince Guaraldi, lyrics by poet Rod McKuen, and characters invented by Charles Schultz it almost becomes a period piece with somewhat psychodelic/pop art animation influenced by the times.
  
  My experience tells me that children will enjoy this movie on one level, but adults can also appreciate the aesthetics, as well as, the message which, I guess, reveals Charlie Brown as the American anti-hero trying to find meaning in a cruel world of inflated egos and office politics. His alter-ego Snoopy is also quite interesting as a "Walter Mitty" character who lazes around all day, but enjoys a rich inner fantasy life as a World War I fighter pilot/ star hockey player et. al.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• One of the best animated films ever made.
  By on 2000-02-04
  I love this movie. With the exception of Pepermint Patty and Marcy, it has all the classic elements of the Peanuts gang that made them so cute: Charlie Brown can't fly a kite because he's afraid the trees will eat it, his baseball team always loses, Snoopy thinks he's a WWI fighter, Shroeder plays great symphonies on the tiny piano, Linus adoring his blanket, and of course, Lucy pulling away the football. I love the songs and kiddie jokes which tell of how Charlie Brown is enrolled in the national spelling bee. All 84 mintues of it are pure delight, even the long musical interludes. And is it possible to not want to shed a tear at the end?
  
  
• Champion Charlie Brown, Esquire
  By A2SDM2D1X3HE7Z on 2006-03-13
  This is probably my favorite of the 4 Charlie Brown movies. Since the advent of DVD (particularly the release of the 3 classic holiday specials on DVD), we've waited patiently for it. Our patience is about to be paid off later in March 2006. Charlie Brown may not win a baseball game or fly a kite very well or ever kick the football from Lucy (he's tried all 3 of the above here) but what he lacks in success, he makes up for in persistance! Charlie Brown's luck changes as he wins a spelling bee (he, Linus and Snoopy compose a little song with one rule "I Before E Except After C" and when Snoopy's playing a version on the jew's harp, he wins). But it doesn't stop there. Charlie Brown must compete with other students in New York City on national television. I don't want to spoil the ending here, but Charlie Brown does learn a valuable lesson which is true to life. Lucy tries to "help" Charlie Brown with her psychiatric help (for 5 cents, of course). Linus loans his blanket to Charlie Brown for good luck (and catches the next bus to New York with Snoopy to get it back). Snoopy is, well, Snoopy. He marches to his own drum (it's a riot to see him set up the phonograph for "The Star Spangled Banner" and play the jew's harp, especially on the bus). Sally hopes Linus will ask her to the movies ("How about a showing of that movie starring my wishy washy Big Brother?") and Schroeder just wants to play the piano (he's not happy about Lucy bugging him about marriage and gets furious when she mistakes his Beethoven bust for George Washington). This movie features some cool fantasy scenes- The Star Spangled Banner in patriotic stars and stripes, Snoopy skating in Rockefeller Plaza (much to the exasperation of Linus who just wants his blanket back) and imagining he's playing in a hockey game, Snoopy dreaming he's fighting the Red Baron, Schroeder playing the Pathetique Concerto and imagining he's playing a grand piano with some scenes of German architecture (similar to the Beatles' Yellow Submarine). This is also the only movie featuring Vince Guaraldi's musical score (and yes, "Linus and Lucy" is featured in this, with a humorous minor key arrangement thrown in while poor ol' Linus tries desperately to find his beloved blanket in the city) plus 3 winsome songs from Rod McEwen, the theme song which is sung by Mr. McEwen, "Failure Face" sung by the trio of Lucy, Voilet and Patty and "Champion Charlie Brown." Original voice of Peter Robbins makes perhaps his final performance of the "blockhead." Don't expect too many extra's. This movie will be enough of a treat on its own merits.
  
  
• You ARE a good man, Charlie Brown!!!
  By A3Q5P89ZKWWMGT on 2006-03-12
  Quite possibly the best of the original animated Schulz features! To this day I lay in bed at night replaying Snoopy's lesson of "i before e, except after c" and wonder how I would have ever gotten through grammer school without that scamp of a beagle's teaching skills.
  
  To see the young Charlie Brown finally grasp victory and win the admiration of his peers, who had up to this time doubted his prowess, is rewarding and quite satisfying. I fall to a peaceful slumber many eves with this scene in my head.
  
  For pure enjoyment, this piece is only rivaled by "Starship Troopers" or the halcyonic images of "Snoopy, Come On."
  
  I still love the little readheaded girl.
  
  

• Snoopy, Come Home
• Peanuts - Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown
• It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (remastered deluxe edition)
• Peanuts - This Is America, Charlie Brown
• Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown