It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good concept, poorly executed.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

To have Charles Schultz' peanuts cartoons in present day animation would be awesome because the animations have gotten so good in the present day filming industry. A girl can dream of 'present day animation remakes of all the Peanuts cartoons'. Then we can all all Dr. Seuss' in the same manner. Are there any others we can remake? I wouldn't doubt that we could remake all cartoons in present day animation techniques. Keep the same stories though because that's timeless pieces of these cartoons. What about Tom & Jerry, Scooby Doo, Winnie the Pooh, oh so many to remake in present day animation, huh? I have never reviewed this before, so It's about time I did. I could watch this every year at Halloween. Solid high score of 8 Stars from me!! Come on back Charles Schultz, please? The piano tunes are so token peanuts and very recognizable and memorable! I'm fifty decades old and I still love it.

Fifty years ago in 1966, the television special "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" aired as "A CBS Special Presentation In Color" on October 27,1966. It was the third Peanuts special(and the second holiday themed special,following the phenomenal success of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965 that became a colossal hit)to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez and was written by Charles M. Schulz,based on his Peanuts comic strip and serving as executive producers Lee Mendelson along with Bill Melendez with the original theme music composed by Vince Guaraldi. "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" was also the first Peanuts special to use the titular pattern of a short phrase,followed by the main character "Charlie Brown", a pattern which would remain the norm for almost all subsequent Peanuts specials for many years. The initial broadcast of "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" took place in prime-time on Thursday October 27,1966 on CBS-TV In Color ,preempting "My Three Sons" on it's regular schedule. The original sponsors,as seen during the opening sequences(almost never seen afterward in its entirely since the original telecast)were The Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Dolly Madison Snack Foods which would go on to be a longtime co-sponsor of the Peanuts specials that originally aired on CBS. From the original telecast it was a colossal hit and the animated special was nominated in 1967 for three Prime Time Emmys including Outstanding Children's Program, Outstanding Animation Director(Bill Melendez),and Outstanding Outstanding Animation Writer(Charles M. Schulz). It was also nominated in 1967 for the Golden Globe for Best Animated Special. "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" really encapsulates childhood, the camaraderie and the spirit of Halloween in this classic tale of Charlie Brown and his friends going out for trick or treats and seeing Charlie Brown and his bag of rocks while everybody else gets candy and goodies; Linus and Sally waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive while Charlie Brown and the gang get invited to Violet's Halloween party. The classic Snoopy and the Red Baron(in one of the greatest animated scenes ever)sets the tone for what's to follow. The scene where Sally really gives Linus the scolding of his life is the best of this holiday special where Sally misses Halloween and Treats while calling Linus "You Blockhead!" while sitting all night in a pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive but instead rises Snoopy from the patch. The musical score from Vince Guaraldi is in regards a classic among classics and the score is just as brilliant today as it was when audiences first heard this back in 1966. I heard there is a soundtrack album to this television special too."It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" aired annually on CBS from 1966 until 2000 with ABC picking up the rights beginning in 2001(as with all of the Peanuts specials)where it airs annually during the Halloween season. Until the 2013 broadcast, the other Peanuts special "You're Not Elected Charlie Brown" aired immediately after "It's The Great Pumpkin" as if the emphasize the proximity of Halloween to Election Day. Also,the Great Pumpkin is mentioned in "You're Not Elected Charlie Brown" which aired twice on ABC in 2014. When ABC aired the first-ever animated special based on the "Toy Story" movies titled "Toy Story of Terror" that animated special "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" immediately followed afterward. Even after its initial broadcast more than 50 years ago this Peanuts special still entertains while enjoying the holiday spirit. So, here's a golden 50th anniversary to the Great Pumpkin and Charlie Brown.

With the proliferation of Halloween related movies and TV shows that abound, naming the greatest is a weighty task. Some prefer slashers greats, notably "Halloween," others comedic horror flicks, like "The Evil Dead." Then there's the classic monster variety, preferring Universal and Hammer productions, and even family friendly fare such as "Hocus Pocus." Despite the overabundance of varying festive films, there's one movie to unite us all: "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." An undeniably adorable Peanuts, it demands an autumnal viewing each October.Halloween is upon the Peanuts gang, and Linus (Christopher Shea) is gearing up not for trick or treating, but his annual wait for the Great Pumpkin. Essentially the Great Pumpkin is the Halloween version of Santa Claus. According to Linus he flies around with a sack of toys and delivers presents to the most sincere pumpkin patch. Each year, Linus writes a letter to the Great Pumpkin, much to the embarrassment of his sister Lucy (Sally Dryer).Meanwhile Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) accidentally gets invited to Violet's (Ann Altieri) Halloween party. Lucy cruelly explains that he was intended for the list of people not to invite. The kids go trick or treating, but Charlie Brown's sister Sally (Kathy Steinberg) decides to keep Linus company in the pumpkin patch."It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie" is the greatest of the Halloween films. The Peanuts cartoon balances comedy and sentimentality wonderfully. The beginning features the recognizable scene of Charlie Brown attempting to kick a football held by Lucy, and falling flat on his back. A hilarious segment, the dialogue about notarized documents is sure to go over kids heads, but adults will get a chuckle.This cross-generational appeal is precisely why "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" has morphed into the seasonal staple it is today. Children will laugh at the jokes, like Linus diving into a leaf pile with a lollipop, and Charlie Brown's trouble with the scissors. Older audiences will appreciate the more mature aspects. There's the WWI Flying Ace side story, which honestly doesn't have any relevance other than Snoopy hams it up considerably. Most of all, however, adults glean the heartwarming message: Lucy and Linus, though outwardly opposite, aren't that different. Linus is compassionate and idealistic, toting that ragged blanket around, while Lucy is boisterous and downright rude, particularly when interacting with poor Charlie Brown. The finale, where Lucy brings a shivering Linus in from the chilly pumpkin patch shows that Lucy's heart isn't as cold as we're made to believe.Overall, "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is a slice of perfection. There are so many ridiculous, though memorable, lines. During the entire night, Charlie Brown keeps getting rocks while trick or treating. This isn't really explained, and it's riotously funny. Charlie Brown's downtrodden "I got a rock," is devilishly quotable. Even the music sparkles. Vince Guaraldi's score bounces around, setting the tone and offering a toe- tappingly delightful backdrop. Ultimately, with mass appeal and infinite replay value, Halloween isn't official until the annual screening of "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown."-- Mitchell "Moe" Long http://www.examiner.com/movies-in-durham/mitchell- moe-long

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is a timeless animated family animated classic. This cute cartoon short is sure to please the kids (and a few adults) on Halloween.After recently re-watching this film short, I can't decide who I felt more sorry for Charlie Brown, who kept getting rocks instead of candy for Halloween treats, or Linus, who still did not see the Great Pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch... lol.If you or your kids have not seen this timeless Peanuts classic then you should give this short film a watch this Halloween season - it's sure to give you a few giggles.10/10