The actress who played Sally couldn't even read so someone had to read her lines to her through an earpiece. That's why when she says "All I want is what's coming to me, All I want is my fair share", you hear a slight pause in her voice.
To emphasize the impact this show had on pop culture, aluminum Christmas trees were a very popular central decoration in many households at Christmas. If you look through some of the Sears Wishbooks or JC Penney's Christmas catalogs from the early 1960's you will find them for sale through the mail order business and catalog stores. They occupied a large part of the Christmas tree market. After the premiere airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas and Lucy instructing Charlie Brown to get a big shiny aluminum Christmas Tree, sales of aluminum Christmas trees plummeted. Everyone wanted a green tree. The aluminum tree manufacturers went out of business.
Thanks for reacting to my favorite Christmas special so I could watch it again this year without paying Apple TV to see it. I'm 55 and grew up watching this special every year in December. Merry Christmas ladies!
Charles Schultz's agent called him and said excitedly that he had sold A Charlie Brown Christmas to CBS. Schultz asked him "what is A Charlie Brown Christmas?" The agent had not discussed it with Schultz. His agent explained it was a cartoon special featuring the Peanut's characters, and that he had to have a script ready in 30 days. A month later, Schultz had this great script ready.
This originally premiered on CBS, (then a couple decades later on ABC). The networks executives had problems with it from the start. They didn't care for soundtrack by composer and jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and his trio. They thought it would be "too sophisticated" & over kids' heads. The soundtrack is still one of the highest Christmas albums selling. They also wanted adult voice actors to use"funny" voices for the kids. They thought the script, the way the kids spoke and talked was also over kids' heads as well. (PS - I saw it original. I remember after Charlie Brown hit that tree, & snow fell on him, a commercial for "Dolly Madison's" snack cakes would appear immediately after.)
This Christmas special almost didn't happen as sponsors didn't agree with the message. The network decided to air it anyways, but thought it wouldn't do well with viewers. It turned out to be a Christmas hit and was reshown every Christmas for many years. Snoopy was my favorite.
The phobias Lucy mentioned are actually real phobias. But for some reason she refers to the fear of cats, ailurophobia, as ailurophasia, which is a condition where someone talks like a cat.
I'm Jewish and this is one of my favorite Christmas shows. The child voice actors and Vince Guaraldi's music really make it special. BTW, $10 in Dec 1965 = $99.21 in Nov 2024.
Being a total TV Tropes nerd, I love the fact that this special named the trope Aluminum Christmas Trees -- as in something that feels made up to later audiences but is actually genuine. Except I don't know how many people don't believe that aluminum Christmas trees actually existed anymore.
The boy dancing with the spiked hair wearing the orange shirt was a character named 5, and the two twin girls wearing the purple dresses were his sisters, 3 and 4. I think this was the only tv special they appeared in. They mainly appeared in the early comic strips. I don't know why their parents gave them numbers instead of names.
As I recall, 5 explained that his father saw so much rampant depersonalization in society, where people were everywhere being reduced to statistics, computer coded information and figures in ledgers, so he gave his children numbers instead of names. "This is his way of protesting, huh?" observed Charlie Brown. "No," corrected 5, "this is his way of giving in!" 🙄 😁
To think this classic was almost killed by the suits. They were horrified by using real kids for the voices, having a jazz score and Linus's speech quoting the Bible. They felt no one would watch it.
Did anyone else notice Lucy's sign change from "real in" to in several times? Also, when Charlie Brown leaves Linus at the piano we see Linus with all the other kids as he walks past.
Looked forward as a kid to this, the Grinch cartoon, and the clanging of the glasses in the Andre Cold Duck commericials. All those signaled Christmas had arrived.
I've watched this since it was released. Since so much was taken directly from the strip, of all the Charlie Brown specials, it's definitely the Charlie Browniest. Vince Guaraldi's score cemented it as a classic from the start. (It's a battle between "Take Five" and "Linus and Lucy" for the most recognizable jazz song in the US -- and as much as I enjoy Dave Brubeck, it will always be "Linus and Lucy" for me).
“Patty” was a character from the beginning, though she became less prominent over time. “Peppermint Patty” wasn’t introduced until the summer after this was first broadcast.
When the producers, tv executives and even the director and Charles Schultz didn’t think nobody would like it. When they came to Charles Schultz; he wanted kids to read the parts, a jazz score and scripture in it or he wouldn’t do it. The critics and the public loved it.
The voice actor for Sally was five. She was so young that she couldn't read yet and her lines had to be fed to her. That's why her cadence is a bit stiff.
The little girl who voiced Sally was six years old. Because she had not yet learned to read she had to have adults give her the lines and she repeated them.
The irony that a show decrying the commercialism of Christmas has been hijacked by the largest company in the world and held for ransom is almost too much to bear.
Part of the charm of this special was they used actual kids for the voices, not professional VAs who pretend to be kids.
The actress who played Sally couldn't even read so someone had to read her lines to her through an earpiece. That's why when she says "All I want is what's coming to me, All I want is my fair share", you hear a slight pause in her voice.
To emphasize the impact this show had on pop culture, aluminum Christmas trees were a very popular central decoration in many households at Christmas. If you look through some of the Sears Wishbooks or JC Penney's Christmas catalogs from the early 1960's you will find them for sale through the mail order business and catalog stores. They occupied a large part of the Christmas tree market. After the premiere airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas and Lucy instructing Charlie Brown to get a big shiny aluminum Christmas Tree, sales of aluminum Christmas trees plummeted. Everyone wanted a green tree. The aluminum tree manufacturers went out of business.
This has been an annual "family watch" for over 50 years. Nothing like it these days.
When Charlie Brown throws his bullhorn down in frustration and it makes that HONK sound always gets a laugh out of me.
My favorite Christmas show
Thanks for reacting to my favorite Christmas special so I could watch it again this year without paying Apple TV to see it. I'm 55 and grew up watching this special every year in December. Merry Christmas ladies!
Charles Schultz's agent called him and said excitedly that he had sold A Charlie Brown Christmas to CBS. Schultz asked him "what is A Charlie Brown Christmas?" The agent had not discussed it with Schultz. His agent explained it was a cartoon special featuring the Peanut's characters, and that he had to have a script ready in 30 days. A month later, Schultz had this great script ready.
This originally premiered on CBS, (then a couple decades later on ABC). The networks executives had problems with it from the start. They didn't care for soundtrack by composer and jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and his trio. They thought it would be "too sophisticated" & over kids' heads. The soundtrack is still one of the highest Christmas albums selling. They also wanted adult voice actors to use"funny" voices for the kids. They thought the script, the way the kids spoke and talked was also over kids' heads as well. (PS - I saw it original. I remember after Charlie Brown hit that tree, & snow fell on him, a commercial for "Dolly Madison's" snack cakes would appear immediately after.)
This Christmas special almost didn't happen as sponsors didn't agree with the message. The network decided to air it anyways, but thought it wouldn't do well with viewers. It turned out to be a Christmas hit and was reshown every Christmas for many years. Snoopy was my favorite.
The phobias Lucy mentioned are actually real phobias. But for some reason she refers to the fear of cats, ailurophobia, as ailurophasia, which is a condition where someone talks like a cat.
The "piano kid" is Shroeder.
I'm Jewish and this is one of my favorite Christmas shows. The child voice actors and Vince Guaraldi's music really make it special. BTW, $10 in Dec 1965 = $99.21 in Nov 2024.
Sally's voice actor couldn't read yet so they had to feed her the lines.
I was 13 when this first aired and it has become entwined with my DNA.
Being a total TV Tropes nerd, I love the fact that this special named the trope Aluminum Christmas Trees -- as in something that feels made up to later audiences but is actually genuine. Except I don't know how many people don't believe that aluminum Christmas trees actually existed anymore.
Cathy Steinberg (Sally) was six yrs old here. Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) was born on August 10, 1956, he was 9 here
The boy dancing with the spiked hair wearing the orange shirt was a character named 5, and the two twin girls wearing the purple dresses were his sisters, 3 and 4. I think this was the only tv special they appeared in. They mainly appeared in the early comic strips. I don't know why their parents gave them numbers instead of names.
Maybe their parents were named 1 & 2?
As I recall, 5 explained that his father saw so much rampant depersonalization in society, where people were everywhere being reduced to statistics, computer coded information and figures in ledgers, so he gave his children numbers instead of names.
"This is his way of protesting, huh?" observed Charlie Brown.
"No," corrected 5, "this is his way of giving in!" 🙄 😁
To think this classic was almost killed by the suits. They were horrified by using real kids for the voices, having a jazz score and Linus's speech quoting the Bible. They felt no one would watch it.
The only Christmas show with the true meaning of Christmas.
Did anyone else notice Lucy's sign change from "real in" to in several times? Also, when Charlie Brown leaves Linus at the piano we see Linus with all the other kids as he walks past.
As i understand it,this show was a bit of a rush job.
Looked forward as a kid to this, the Grinch cartoon, and the clanging of the glasses in the Andre Cold Duck commericials. All those signaled Christmas had arrived.
I've watched this since it was released. Since so much was taken directly from the strip, of all the Charlie Brown specials, it's definitely the Charlie Browniest. Vince Guaraldi's score cemented it as a classic from the start. (It's a battle between "Take Five" and "Linus and Lucy" for the most recognizable jazz song in the US -- and as much as I enjoy Dave Brubeck, it will always be "Linus and Lucy" for me).
“Patty” was a character from the beginning, though she became less prominent over time. “Peppermint Patty” wasn’t introduced until the summer after this was first broadcast.
When the producers, tv executives and even the director and Charles Schultz didn’t think nobody would like it. When they came to Charles Schultz; he wanted kids to read the parts, a jazz score and scripture in it or he wouldn’t do it. The critics and the public loved it.
Now there are kid actors who actually also sing and act more professionally, they even learn to harmonize like adults too
The voice actor for Sally was five. She was so young that she couldn't read yet and her lines had to be fed to her. That's why her cadence is a bit stiff.
There's only 4 species of penguin that live in the snow, the other 14 live in warm climates. ;)
🌸 " maybe you have pantophobia ...do you think you have pantophobia?" 😂😂
The little girl who voiced Sally was six years old. Because she had not yet learned to read she had to have adults give her the lines and she repeated them.
How did you manage to get the original content on TH-cam without it being removed or blocked. ? It won't be up long before they find this
Love this cartoon. Please watch Great Pumpkin and Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
You should react to some more Charlie Brown specials or movies
In Jr High we had a Christmas program and I had the final part in which I gave the "Linus" speech Luke 2:8-14.
Now Apple TV+ is removing the entire Charlie Brown catalog for television and making it exclusive to Apple TV+ worldwide 😨
What do you think?
I think it's a shame. It was a family tradition to watch this on CBS every Christmas time.
@@michaelallen3894 I totally agree with you, It's sad that those traditions are being lost on CBS because of Apple+
The irony that a show decrying the commercialism of Christmas has been hijacked by the largest company in the world and held for ransom is almost too much to bear.
THAT, is disgusting. This show is the epitome of great old-fashioned Americana Christmas, and that is why they did that....
I think this, and the Great Pumpkin and the Thanksgiving one, NEEDS to be put BACK on PUBLIC TV IMMEDIATELY!!!
Not so much depression....charles schultz described charlie brown as a perennial loser.....in this cartoon....patti and marci did not exsist...yet.