******SPOOKY-SEASON SPOILERS!******

And now for something completely different.  Taking a brief yet seasonally-appropriate break from my site’s usual sci-fi/horror/cinematic scribblings, this column explores a warm fuzzy childhood memory of mine; 1966’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” This was the third Charles Schulz Peanuts’ animated special, debuting on the CBS network after “Charlie Brown All-Stars” (1966) and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965). That Christmas holiday special was the first animated cartoon based on Schulz’s evergreen “Peanuts” comic strip, which ran from 1950 to 2000; ending the same year as its prolific creator’s death.

The Peanuts comic strips, as well as their many spinoffs, specials and movies (including the wonderfully entertaining 2015 medley, “The Peanuts Movie”) innocently illustrated the trials and tribulations of 20th century kids entirely from their perspective; though peppered with a few sophisticated quips and in-jokes to keep adults engaged as well.  Adults in the Peanutsverse were never seen and only heard as offscreen trombone sounds. Parents were similarly invisible, as the Peanuts crew went about their various imaginative, small-scale adventures.  The Peanuts cartoons were the heirs apparent to the live-action “Our Gang/Little Rascals” feature film shorts from the 1920s-1930s.

Of the many Peanuts specials and movies, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is my personal favorite; not only for depicting my favorite season of the year in colorful fall hues, but also because it’s where the Peanuts holiday cartoons arguably hit a more playful stride after the heavier Yuletide messaging of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”  

For this column, I’m going to let the images and captions speak largely for themselves, followed with my usual Summing It Up section.

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

Note: The animation cells and backgrounds are arguably crude by today’s standards, but they perfectly capture the look and feel of Charles M. Schulz’s original cartoon strip, which ran for half a century. Even the more recent “The Peanuts Movie” from 2015 (which used modern 3D computer graphics) still strived to capture the deceptively simple, stylized look of the Peanuts universe.

Note: In recent decades, actor Peter Robbins (born Louis G. Nanasi) had trouble with the law (a situation all too common with some who are thrust into the spotlight at an early age). After doing time in prison on stalking charges, Robbins eventually took his own life in 2022. If you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide, please call 988 immediately.

Note: “The Great Pumpkin” was a Halloween icon created by Charles Schulz for his Peanuts strip in 1959, and which didn’t exist in the pop culture zeitgeist until this special aired in October of 1966. Perhaps Linus was, as my wife joked, a closeted pagan? For a more extreme (and equally imaginary) look into paganism, see: “The Wicker Man” (1973).

Note: Once a staple of every US household, TV Guide magazine (along with bulky cathode-ray tube TVs), is one of the anachronisms that might leave younger viewers scratching their heads. Another reason why this special is perhaps best enjoyed with multiple generations of viewers.

Note: Back when I was a kid, most of our costumes were cheap and homemade. My parents couldn’t afford the plastic mask and smock costumes that were all the rage at the time, so we ended up dressed as ghosts, hobos, or some other subpar costuming. I envy today’s kids who have access to cosplayer quality costumes either from stores or online, via eBay, Amazon or Etsy.

Note: I have admit that when I was a kid, I thought Snoopy’s World War 1 subplot went on a tad too long, though I always loved the sequence’s mysterious music (courtesy of lead composer Vince Guaraldi) and its beautifully colored backgrounds.

Note: If I were Charlie Brown? I might’ve been tempted to return those rocks through the soon-to-be shattered windows of those who dropped them into my candy bag. We Gen-Xers were an ornery lot.

Note: As someone who’s tried apple-bobbing a few times, it’s my sincere wish that this once-beloved Halloween tradition go the way of the Dodo bird, if it hasn’t already. My memories of apple-bobbing include water going up my nose, as I’d pull a tooth-marked apple from a basin of unsanitary water and partygoer saliva. No thanks!

Note: Glenn Mendelson, who voiced Schroeder (and “Shermy”), was the son of producer Lee Mendelson.

Note: The worst Halloween of my youth came in 1982 at age 15, as I spent the holiday having my appendix removed. I did Halloween night alone in a darkened hospital room, recovering in a hospital bed, watching multiple reruns of “M*A*S*H” on a crummy black & white hospital TV. At the time, Charlie Brown’s bag of rocks didn’t look so bad…

The End.

Summing It Up

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” remains a sentimental favorite of mine. It premiered the year of my birth, and I distinctly remember watching it every Halloween season, sometimes on Halloween night—usually after coming home exhausted from trick or treating. For that reason, it’s inextricably linked to warm childhood memories of my favorite holiday. 

Doing my best to be objective (a losing battle, perhaps), modern youngsters might find this 25-minute cartoon quaint and a lot slower-paced than they’re used to these days. In all honesty, even I used to find Snoopy’s surreal World War 1 ‘Flying Ace’ sequence a bit overlong myself; though I’ve always appreciated its moody music and beautifully-colored autumnal backgrounds.  Watching it today, I find Lucy’s treatment of Linus and Charlie Brown to be borderline abusive. However, Lucy’s abrasiveness is offset when she quietly fetches her freezing kid brother and gently puts him to bed.  Indeed, kids will be kids, though sometimes they can surprise us geezers with random acts of kindness, too.

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is a sweet, sanitized, nostalgic window into how Halloween was celebrated when I was a boy; with the hours of unsupervised trick or treating (an invigorating first taste of future independence), and the colorful parties (went to a few of those in my day; threw a few as well).

In recent decades, I’ve seen some of my friends’ children responding positively to this beloved cartoon from my youth, which tells me that perhaps it still holds a few universal truths about being a kid.  

Where to Watch

Once an annual event on the United States’ CBS network and after a couple appearances on Public TV, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is now available to stream exclusively on AppleTV (subscription of which does not require purchase of Apple products, FYI). Of course, the beloved vintage special can also be purchased on Paramount Blu-Ray and DVD, via Amazon.  If you’re a Halloween fan of a certain age? This one’s a keeper.