It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown
It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown is the 39th and last animated special produced under the supervision of Charles M. Schulz. Based on characters from the comic strip Peanuts, it was released on September 12, 2000, seven months after the death of Charles Schulz.[1]
It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown | |
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Genre | Animated television special |
Created by | Charles M. Schulz |
Based on | Pied Piper of Hamelin |
Written by | Charles M. Schulz |
Directed by | Bill Melendez |
Starring |
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Theme music composer | David Benoit |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Lee Mendelson Bill Melendez Mike Wallis |
Running time | 24:55 |
Production company(s) | United Feature Syndicate |
Distributor | Warner Home Video |
Release | |
Original release | September 12, 2000 |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown (1997) |
Followed by | A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002) |
Plot
It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown is a retelling to Sally by Charlie Brown of the story how the Pied Piper of Hamelin (portrayed by Snoopy as the Pied Piper Beagle) chased away all the mice (changed by Charlie Brown from rats because, upon the story saying that the rats fought the dogs and killed the cats, Sally is terrified of rats) from the city of Hamelin. The Peanuts gang substitute some characters, Snoopy being the Pied Piper Beagle with his contract being for a year's supply of dog food. Snoopy plays a concertina. Instead of bringing the kids out of town with his music, Snoopy does it to the mayor and his assistants. When Charlie Brown finishes, Sally does not think it would happen in real life. When they hear music and look out the window to see what it is, they see Snoopy on his doghouse using music to make Linus, Lucy, Franklin and Peppermint Patty dance around his doghouse.
Cast
- Quinn Beswick - Charlie Brown
- Ashley Edner - Sally Brown
- Corey Padnos - Linus van Pelt
- Rachel Davey - Lucy van Pelt
- Frank Welker - The Mayor (speaking voice)
- Randy Crenshaw - The Mayor (singing voice)
- Neil Ross - Interviewer/Townsperson
- Unknown as The Mayor's Council (speaking voices)
- Michael Mishaw, Gene Morford, and Don Shelton - The Mayor's Council (singing voices)
- Pat Musick - First Woman
- Joan Van Ark - Secretary
- Bill Melendez - Snoopy/Woodstock/Mice Sounds
Violet, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, Marcie, and Franklin also appear but have no lines.
Production notes
It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown breaks Peanuts tradition in that it shows adults, who speak audible language. Other notable examples are the This is America, Charlie Brown miniseries, which portrayed adult historical figures alongside the kids, as well as Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown (1980), which featured a talking circus announcer.
References
- Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. pp. 41, 175. ISBN 978-1452110912.