Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown

Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown is a prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on January 5, 1979.^[1]

Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown
Genre	Documentary
Created by	Charles M. Schulz
Directed by	Lee Mendelson
Presented by	Phyllis George
Voices of	Arrin Skelley Daniel Anderson Annalisa Bortolin Bill Melendez Michelle Muller Ronald Hendrix Laura Planting Casey Carlson Don Potter
Theme music composer	Vince Guaraldi
Composers	Ed Bogas Judy Munsen
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Lee Mendelson
Producer	Bill Melendez
Production locations	Coast Recorders, San Francisco, California
Editors	Paul Preuss Chuck McCann
Running time	60 min.
Production companies	Lee Mendelson Film Productions Bill Melendez Productions
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	January 5, 1979 (1979-01-05)
Related
What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! (1978) You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown (1979)

This episode celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip and the 15th anniversary of animated Peanuts specials on CBS, which both took place the following year, in 1980.^[2] It included an interview with Charles M. Schulz. Phyllis George hosted.^[3]

This special followed a 25th anniversary special, Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown, which aired in 1976. It features a sneak preview of the Peanuts feature-length film, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!), which was released in 1980.

Voice actors

• Arrin Skelley: Charlie Brown
• Daniel Anderson: Linus Van Pelt
• Annalisa Bortolin: Sally Brown
• Bill Melendez: Snoopy & Woodstock
• Michelle Muller: Lucy Van Pelt
• Ronald Hendrix: Franklin
• Laura Planting: Peppermint Patty
• Casey Carlson: Marcie
• Don Potter: Snoopy (singing voice)

Credits

• Written, Produced and Directed by: Lee Mendelson
• Animation by: Bill Melendez Productions
• Animation Directors: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman
• Cinematographers: David Crommie, Chuck Barbee, Stewart Barbee
• Associate Producers: Martha Grace, Paul Preuss, Ron Nelson
• Unit Production Manager/1st Assistant Director: Larry Sturhahn
• Production Staff: Pat LaFortune, Margaret Howard
• Editors: Paul Preuss, Chuck McCann
• Sound Recordists: John Barbee, Nelson Stoll
• Sound Recording/Mix: Producers' Sound Service - Hollywood
• Camera Assistants: Elizabeth Barbee, Randall Love, George Stephenson, Joseph Ward
• Production Coordinator: Glenn Mendelson
• Assistant Editor: Michael Rosenthal
• Voice Recording: Coast Recorders - San Francisco, California
  • "The Big Bow Wow" and "Suppertime" Sung by: Don Potter
  • "Happiness Is..." Sung by: Becky Reardon, Larry Finlayson
• Hair Stylist: Barbara Lorenz
• Makeup: Lona Mardock
• Gaffer: Jeffrey Gilliam
• Electrician: Leo Loverro
• Props: John Durr
• A Lee Mendelson Production
• in association with Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates and Bill Melendez Productions
  • © Copyright 1978 by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

References

1. Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. p. 53. 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. 186–187. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
3. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 271. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.

External links

• Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown at IMDb