You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | Animated television special |
Created by | Charles M. Schulz |
Directed by | Phil Roman |
Voices of | Duncan Watson Gail M. Davis Liam Martin Melanie Kohn Bill Melendez Jimmy Ahrens Stuart Brotman |
Theme music composer | Vince Guaraldi |
Opening theme | "Motocross" |
Ending theme | "Motocross" |
Composers | Vince Guaraldi John Scott Trotter |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producer | Lee Mendelson |
Producer | Bill Melendez |
Editors | Chuck McCann Roger Donley |
Running time | 25:10 |
Production companies | Lee Mendelson Film Productions Bill Melendez Productions |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | October 28, 1975 |
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown is the 14th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975. [1] In this special, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peppermint Patty participate in a motocross race.
This was the final Peanuts special scored by John Scott Trotter, and penultimate with music by Vince Guaraldi.
Snoopy and Woodstock partake in a tennis match while Linus and Sally are unable to play because of the courts being occupied. Sally tries to intimidate those playing by stating "her boyfriend" was going to clobber them, causing Linus to flee. After failing to beat Woodstock, Snoopy destroys his racket in frustration.
Peppermint Patty arrives on a small motorcycle and alerts the kids about an upcoming motocross race, and suggests that Charlie Brown and Snoopy enter. Linus volunteers to be the pit crew and the two pool their limited financial resources to purchase a shabby old bike. Snoopy enters the race under the pseudonym of The Masked Marvel and Marcie is on hand as the announcer. Charlie Brown and Snoopy crash within minutes of the start of the race at the first turn, and an ambulance shuttles them off for immediate medical care.
In the confusion, Snoopy is admitted to a regular hospital while Charlie Brown ends up at the vet. After regaining consciousness, Charlie Brown escapes from the vet and retrieves Snoopy from the hospital. Upon return, Linus informs Charlie Brown that motocross rules dictate that you must be fitted with a helmet, but Charlie Brown's old helmet was lost in the crash. So Linus proceeds to outfit Charlie Brown with a hollowed-out pumpkin he found in the pumpkin patch as a helmet (while Sally points out not mentioning the Great Pumpkin) and Charlie Brown, demoralized with such ridiculous headgear, returns to the race to follow the helmet requirement rule.
As the race continues, every other competitor falls victim to various mishaps (particularly assorted mud-traps) leaving Charlie Brown as the only contender left to cross the finish line (his battered bike proves to have amazing durability, despite its poor speed). Then he discovers that those who sanctioned the race could not obtain the intended grand prize of Pro Bowl tickets. As a consolation prize, Charlie Brown is given: a kiss from Loretta, the unspeakably-plain "Motocross Queen"; and a certificate for five free haircuts, which is a white elephant for him since (1) his dad is a barber and (2) Charlie has very little hair to be cut. Linus consoles Charlie Brown by telling him that the fact that he won against overwhelming odds is more important than receiving a prize, which Charlie Brown finds most uplifting for his spirits.
In the final scene, a confident Charlie Brown is ready to pitch another baseball game, saying to the team that in spite of his 980 straight defeats, has come to understand what winning is, and is certain that he will win this game. Instead, a line drive plows past him, causing his clothes to go flying in all directions, bringing him back to his failure life all over again.
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was Duncan Watson's second time voicing Charlie Brown — his first was the previous special, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown , and he would return for the 1976 special Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown and the feature film, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown in 1977. [2]
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was the last Peanuts television special to air during Vince Guaraldi's lifetime. Guaraldi died of a sudden heart attack on February 6, 1976, several hours after he had finished recording music cues for the television special It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown . That special aired posthumously on March 16, 1976. You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was also the last Peanuts special conducted and arranged by John Scott Trotter, who died on October 29, 1975 — one day after the special was broadcast. [3] Trotter had worked in conjunction with Guaraldi on every Peanuts television special starting with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966). [4]
The music score for You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was something of a departure from Guaraldi's other scores as the music fused his jazz style with the funk, disco and pop music of the 1970s that was popular at the time coupled with the use of the Minimoog and ARP String Ensemble synthesizers. [3]
All music cues were composed by Guaraldi [5] and recorded by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on September 12 and 24, 1975, at Wally Heider Studios, featuring Seward McCain (electric bass) and Mark Rosengarden (drums). [6]
The program's theme song, "Motocross" is performed in nine different variations. [5] As the variations are difficult to distinguish, scene descriptions in which they appear are added to help differentiate. [3] [5]
No official soundtrack for You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was released. However, recording session master tapes for seven 1970s-era Peanuts television specials scored by Guaraldi were discovered by his son, David Guaraldi, in the mid-2000s. The songs "Motocross" (version 3; aka "Cue 9") and "Centercourt" were released on the compilation album, Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials (2007). [7] [8] A live version of "Centercourt" (retitled "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown") appeared on the compilation album Oaxaca in 2004. [9]
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown won Schulz his third Emmy Award for Outstanding Children Special. [10] He previously earned the award for A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving .
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American animated Halloween television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The third Peanuts special, and the second holiday-themed special, to be created, it was written by Schulz along with director/animator Bill Melendez and producer Lee Mendelson. The cast included Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown, Christopher Shea as Linus Van Pelt, Sally Dryer as Lucy Van Pelt, and Melendez as Snoopy. The special features music composed by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, whose contributions include the theme song "Linus and Lucy". It aired on broadcast television every year from its debut in 1966 until 2020 when it became an Apple TV+ exclusive.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is the tenth prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on November 20, 1973, and won an Emmy Award the following year. It was the third holiday special after A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in 1966. Except for the opening football gag, it is the first Peanuts TV special to have a completely original script without relying on the strip.
It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown is the 11th prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on February 1, 1974. This was the first Charlie Brown television special that Bill Melendez did not direct, but he still served as producer and provided the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock.
Play It Again, Charlie Brown is the seventh prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on March 28, 1971.
You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown is the eighth prime-time animated TV special produced based upon the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, and the 10th one to air. It originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1972, nine days before the 1972 United States presidential election between incumbent Richard Nixon and Senator George McGovern. It was the first new Peanuts special to air since the spring of 1971.
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown is the sixth prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. It was directed by Bill Melendez and originally aired on CBS on September 27, 1969.
You're in Love, Charlie Brown is the fourth prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on June 12, 1967. This was the second non-holiday-oriented Peanuts special, following Charlie Brown's All Stars!.
There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown is the ninth prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. This marks the on-screen debut of Marcie, who first appeared on the comic strip in 1971. The special originally aired on the CBS network on March 11, 1973. The first half of the special is presented as a series of sketches based on various Peanuts strips, while the second half depicts Charlie Brown's erroneous trip to a supermarket, mistaken for an art museum.
Charlie Brown's All Stars! is the second prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was the second such TV special to be produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, and originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1966, with annual re-airings on CBS through 1971.
He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown is the fifth prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally broadcast on the CBS network on February 14, 1968.
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is the 13th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. In the United States, it debuted on CBS on January 28, 1975.
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. In the United States, it debuted on CBS on April 9, 1974 at 8 PM.
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is the 15th prime-time animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The subject of the special is Arbor Day, a secular holiday devoted to planting trees. It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown premiered on the CBS network on March 16, 1976, which is near the dates in which most U.S. states observe Arbor Day. This is the first special to feature the character Rerun van Pelt, who had debuted in the Peanuts comic strip in March 1973.
A Charlie Brown Valentine is the 40th animated television special based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It features the Peanuts characters during the week leading up to Valentine's Day. It is the second Valentine's Day-themed Peanuts special, following Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975).
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is the 36th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1992.
Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials is a compilation soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi released by D & D Records in 2007. The album consists of select music cues featured on several Peanuts television specials produced between 1972 and 1975.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Original Soundtrack Recording is a soundtrack album by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi released on October 12, 2018 in the U.S. by Craft Recordings/Concord. A reissue containing original recordings and alternate takes sourced from the master reels was released on August 26, 2022.
Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits is a compilation album by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi released by Fantasy Records in 1998. The album was the first of several posthumous releases containing a mix of previously released material in addition to nine previously unavailable songs featured in prime-time animated television specials based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.
Peanuts Portraits is the fifth compilation album by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi released by Fantasy/Concord Records on April 20, 2010. The album contains a mix of previously released material plus alternate and extended versions of songs featured in prime-time animated television specials based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.
The 1969 animated film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, had two different soundtrack albums. These albums were released individually in 1970 and 2017.