Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown

Last updated
Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown
LifeCircusCB-TC.jpg
GenreAnimated television special
Created by Charles M. Schulz
Directed by Phil Roman
Voices ofMichael Mandy
Brent Hauer
Casey Carlson
Earl "Rocky" Reilly
Kristen Fullerton
Shannon Cohn
Christopher Donohoe
Bill Melendez
Composers Ed Bogas
Judy Munsen
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer Lee Mendelson
ProducerBill Melendez
CinematographyNick Vasu
EditorsRoger Donley
Chuck McCann
Running time30 minutes
Production companies United Media Productions
Lee Mendelson Film Productions
Bill Melendez Productions
Original release
Network CBS
Related

Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown is the 20th prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on October 24, 1980. [1] The special won an Emmy Award in 1981 for Outstanding Animated Program. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Snoopy is lying on top of his doghouse when he hears music. He follows the music and finds a circus unloading. Among other animals, he sees three poodles, and immediately latches onto the white one (whom the audience later learns is named Fifi). Polly, the dog's trainer, sees Snoopy and pulls him inside.

The next day, Peppermint Patty calls Charlie Brown to tell him her school gave all students the day off to see the circus. Charlie Brown tells her that his school will be closed as well, and they decide to attend the circus together. At the circus, the children see Snoopy perform as part of a dog act. They all realize it is Snoopy and eventually relish his new career, despite Snoopy's shortcomings, being completely untrained. However, Charlie Brown insists that Snoopy's career is being his dog. Despite Snoopy making a fool of himself during the performance, Polly's boss tells Polly to include Snoopy in future performances, but is to be given the name Hugo The Great.

Later that night, Charlie Brown realizes Snoopy has not returned. He goes to the circus site in time to see Snoopy enter a boxcar, still following Fifi. The gate of the boxcar slams shut on him, and the circus train pulls away. The next scene involves Snoopy trying to find a good, warm place to fall asleep while the train is in motion. First he tries to lie on the humps of a camel, only to slide off in between both humps each time, then he finds what looks like a bail of hay next to one of the bears, which Snoopy settles into. However, it turns out to be a lion, who wakes up and looks at Snoopy contemptuously. Snoopy wakes up and when he sees the lion looking at him, runs away scared, running over the top of the bear (waking it, but that's all) and ending up stopping when he sees other props on the other side of the car. He decides to lie on top of one box, which turns out to be the saw-a-person-in-half magic trick. He falls into that box and his head and feet appear out the holes in each end.

In the morning, after the circus train arrives at its next call, Polly slowly trains Snoopy to become part of the act. First, he is taught to ride a unicycle first on the ground, then on the high wire. Snoopy also learns to do a backflip, and his performance in the next show is an improvement.

Meanwhile, back home, Lucy has decided to board up the doorway of Snoopy's doghouse and place a sign on it which reads "Premises Condemned". Charlie Brown also recounts to Linus the story of why his parents gave him a pet dog. (This story was also told in the film Snoopy Come Home .)

Polly decides to expand the act by getting Snoopy and Fifi to do a trapeze act. Snoopy takes to the air a little more fearlessly, Fifi is initially scared. Eventually it works out, and at the next show, combined with the backflips and the unicycle ride, they are a major success.

After the show, Polly gives Snoopy and Fifi the good news that they are officially the stars of the circus. However, her boss feels their colors do not fit and wants them both dyed pink. She first wrestles Snoopy into a large vat of food coloring, and after he is completely pink, she goes to do the same to Fifi, but Snoopy jumps between them growling menacingly at her. After Polly shows no fear and tells him basically to get out of her way, Snoopy attacks her and wrestles her into the food coloring until she too is all pink, then jumps out and runs away, taking Fifi with him to the bus stop to return home, but Fifi decides to go back to the circus, then Snoopy sadly boards the bus and returns to Charlie Brown.

Back home, Charlie Brown is awakened by the shower running because Snoopy is washing the pink food coloring off him. Charlie Brown sees him exiting the bathroom but says nothing. Snoopy then makes himself some dinner, still crying over being heartbroken from Fifi. Then he realizes that the circus is her life and his home is his life, and he retreats to his doghouse. Upon seeing what Lucy did to it, he rips up the sign and tears the boards off the house. He goes to bed after illuminating a big blinking neon sign which reads "Hugo The Great".

Voice cast

Home media

The special was released on RCA's SelectaVision CED format in 1982. It was one of the first two Peanuts specials released on VHS, on a set release by Media Home Entertainment in June 1984 with You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown. Hi-Tops Video released the special by itself on VHS in 1989. On January 9, 1996, it was paired with Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown for a double feature release by Paramount Home Video. It was also included in the 2015 DVD release, Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection, as well as the DVD release of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown in the UK from Firefly Entertainment in 2004. It was later included with the deluxe He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown DVD in the US from Warner Home Video on September 21, 2010.

Related Research Articles

<i>Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown</i> 1966 animated Halloween television special

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.

<i>Its Magic, Charlie Brown</i> 1981 television special

It's Magic, Charlie Brown is the 21st prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on April 28, 1981.

Frieda (<i>Peanuts</i>) Peanuts comic strip character

Frieda is a fictional character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She is known for having naturally curly hair, of which she is extremely proud.

<i>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</i> 1973 television special

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.

<i>Snoopy Come Home</i> 1972 film by Bill Melendez

Snoopy, Come Home! is a 1972 American animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schulz based on the Peanuts comic strip. The film marks the on-screen debut of Woodstock, who had first appeared in the strip in 1967. It was the only Peanuts film during composer Vince Guaraldi’s lifetime that did not have a score composed by him. Its music was composed by the Sherman Brothers, who composed the music for various Disney films like Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). The film was released on August 9, 1972 by National General Corporation, produced by Lee Mendelson Films, Bill Melendez Productions and Cinema Center Films. Despite receiving largely positive reviews, the film was a box-office flop, grossing only $245,073 against a production budget of over $1 million.

<i>Its Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown</i> 1984 television special

It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown is the 27th prime-time animated musical television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on April 16, 1984.

<i>What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!</i> 1978 animated television special directed by Bill Melendez, Phil Roman

What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! is the 17th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on Thursday, February 23, 1978, at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on CBS. The special is unusual in that Snoopy and Charlie Brown are the only members of the Peanuts cast to appear in it. The plot is similar to that of Jack London's The Call of the Wild, and it centers on Snoopy having a nightmare about being an Arctic sled dog. This was the first special Bill Melendez directed since 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

<i>Its a Mystery, Charlie Brown</i> 1974 animated television special

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.

<i>Hes Your Dog, Charlie Brown</i> 1968 television special

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.

<i>Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown</i> 1975 animated television special

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.

<i>Its the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown</i> 1974 animated television special by Phil Roman

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.

<i>A Charlie Brown Celebration</i> 1982 animated television special

A Charlie Brown Celebration is the 23rd prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz, who appears in a live-action prologue, and the first hour-long special. It originally aired on the CBS network on May 24, 1982, and consists of a number of stories adapted from the comic strip.

<i>Snoopys Getting Married, Charlie Brown</i> 1985 Peanuts television special

Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown is the 28th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on March 20, 1985.

<i>Snoopys Reunion</i> 1991 animated television special

Snoopy's Reunion is the 34th prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on May 1, 1991 as part of the animated anthology series Toon Nite. It is one of the few Peanuts specials to feature adults on-screen.

<i>A Charlie Brown Valentine</i> 2002 animated television special

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).

<i>Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown</i> 2003 television special

Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown is the 42nd prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the ABC network on August 29, 2003.

<i>Snoopy! The Musical</i> 1975 musical

Snoopy: The Musical is a musical comedy with music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace. The characters are from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. This sequel to the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown focuses more on the life of Snoopy. Since its premiere, the musical has been a popular choice for regional, international, and amateur theatre performances.

<i>Snoopy! The Musical</i> (TV special) 1988 animated television musical

Snoopy! The Musical is the 31st prime-time animated TV special based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It is an animated adaptation of the musical of the same name, and originally aired on the CBS network on January 29, 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snoopy</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the Peanuts films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in the comic strip and is considered more famous than Charlie Brown in some countries. The original drawings of Snoopy were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz's childhood dogs.

<i>The Peanuts Movie</i> 2015 animated comedy film by Steve Martino

The Peanuts Movie is a 2015 American animated comedy film based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the fifth full-length Peanuts film and the first in 35 years. The film was directed by Steve Martino from a screenplay by Cornelius Uliano and Craig and Bryan Schulz. Uliano and the Schulzes also serve as producers alongside Paul Feig and Michael J. Travers. The film stars the voices of Noah Schnapp as Charlie Brown and, via archival recordings, Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock, alongside the ensemble voices of Hadley Belle Miller, Mariel Sheets, Alex Garfin, Francesca Angelucci Capaldi, Venus Omega Schultheis, Rebecca Bloom, Marelik "Mar Mar" Walker, Noah Johnston, Anastasia Bredikhina, Madisyn Shipman, AJ Teece, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, and Kristin Chenoweth. The film sees Charlie Brown trying to improve his odds with his love interest, the Little Red-Haired Girl, while Snoopy writes a book where he is a World War I Flying Ace trying to save his fellow pilot and love interest, Fifi, from the Red Baron and his flying circus.

References

  1. ↑ Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. pp. 137–140. ISBN   978-1452110912.
  2. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 249–251. ISBN   0-8108-2198-2 . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.