You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'' is the eighth prime-time animated TV special produced based upon the popular comic strip ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...
'' by
Charles M. Schulz Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is wi ...
, and the 10th one to air. It originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1972, nine days before the 1972 United States presidential election between incumbent
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
( R- CA).and Senator George McGovern ( D- SD). It was the first new ''Peanuts'' special to air since the spring of 1971. ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'' ranked No. 9 in the Nielsen TV ratings the week it aired. It received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming, which is Entertainment/Fictional at the 25th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1973.


Plot

Sally Brown Sally Brown is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles Schulz. She is the younger sister of main character Charlie Brown. She was first mentioned in May 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appeara ...
returns home from school and tells
Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip '' Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American a ...
that she cannot open her locker. Charlie Brown promises to help her open her locker every day, and Sally takes him in for
show and tell Show and tell (sometimes called show and share or sharing time) is the practice of showing something to an audience and describing it to them, usually a toy or other children's-oriented item. In the United Kingdom, North America, New Zealand and ...
. At school, Charlie Brown sees an election poster for student body president. Linus Van Pelt thinks that Charlie Brown would make a great president, but Charlie is convinced that nobody would vote for him.
Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...
appoints herself his campaign manager and takes a student
poll Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Figurative head counts * Poll, a formal election ** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts ** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions ** Polling places o ...
, which only confirms Charlie's belief. When Lucy announces they will need to find another candidate, Sally Brown suggests Linus, and Lucy takes another poll, which is almost unanimously favorable toward Linus, so he enters the election. Linus' campaign, assisted by Lucy and Charlie, is vigorous and enthusiastic, and he takes a huge early lead in the opinion poll against his opponent, Russell Anderson. At an assembly, Linus and Russell each make a campaign speech, with Linus receiving a rapturous response from the audience. However, at a subsequent assembly, he commits a major blunder when he goes off-script. Linus begins talking about the Great Pumpkin, causing Charlie and Lucy to scream in frustration. This gets Linus laughed off the stage, much to the anger of Lucy. When election day finally arrives, it is a back and forth affair with the lead changing hands several times. The votes are tied when the final vote is submitted by Russell himself, who decides that Linus would be a better president, so the final ballot count declares Linus the winner, 84 to 83. Following his victory, Sally prods Linus to go to the principal and lay down the law, only to have the law laid down to him by the principal. After he sheepishly reveals this to Sally, she accuses Linus of selling out like all other politicians. She angrily kicks her locker and walks away, not realizing that she has finally opened the door.


Voice cast

*
Chad Webber Chad Webber (born June, 1960) is an American graphic designer and former child actor noted for providing the voice of Charlie Brown in various ''Peanuts'' animation films during the early 1970s. Filmography As production designer *''The Indian De ...
as Charlie Brown * Stephen Shea as Linus van Pelt * Robin Kohn as Lucy van Pelt **
Jean Vander Pyl Jean Thurston Vander Pyl (October 11, 1919 – April 10, 1999) was an American voice actress. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best known as the voice of Wilma Flintstone for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ''The Flintstones''. In ...
as Lucy van Pelt (whispering) *
Hilary Momberger Hilary Momberger-Powers (born Hilary Denise Momberger; June 16, 1962) is an American actress, former child voice actress, and script supervisor, who is best known for voicing Sally Brown in the ''Peanuts'' franchise in the late-1960s and early-19 ...
as Sally Brown * Todd Barbee as Russell Anderson * Linda Ercoli as Violet * Brian Kazanjian as Schroeder *
Bill Melendez José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Melendez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was an American character animator, voice actor, film director and producer. Melendez is known for working on the ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Before ''Peanuts'', he p ...
as Snoopy and
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
This special marked the debut television appearance of Woodstock, whose feature film debut was in ''
Snoopy, Come Home ''Snoopy, Come Home!'' is a 1972 American animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schulz based on the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. The film marks the on-screen debut of Woodstock, who had first appeared ...
'', also released in 1972.
Patty A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, Serving size, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or Meat analogue, meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world. ...
, Frieda,
Pig-Pen Pig-Pen is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. While amiable, he is a young boy who is, except on rare occasions, extremely dirty and attracts a permanent cloud of dust. History "Pig-Pen" is a nickname. I ...
, 5, and Shermy also appear.


Production notes

The plot from ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'' was taken from a story that ran in the comic strip in October 1964, in which Linus runs for school president with Charlie Brown as his running mate. In the original storyline, Linus blows the election (and Charlie Brown's bid for Vice President) after bringing up The Great Pumpkin in his final speech and being laughed off stage–again after leading in the polls at the time. Unlike the television special, Linus' opponent is never seen or mentioned. This special first aired under the title ''You're Elected Charlie Brown''. It was subsequently changed after Charles Schulz realized that Charlie Brown was neither elected nor does he run. This explains why there is a
caret Caret is the name used familiarly for the character , provided on most QWERTY keyboards by typing . The symbol has a variety of uses in programming and mathematics. The name "caret" arose from its visual similarity to the original proofreade ...
between the words "You're" and "Elected" on the chalkboard (there was no time to redo the entire cel). The same storyline, albeit adhering more closely to the original strip, was adapted for the ''
Peanuts Motion Comics ''Peanuts Motion Comics'' is a series of animated cartoon shorts based on 1964 strips of Charles Schulz' comic strip, ''Peanuts''. The series premiered on iTunes on November 3, 2008 with the support of the Schulz estate. The first season consists o ...
'' episode "Linus for President."


Music score

The music for ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'' was composed by
Vince Guaraldi Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this series includ ...
and conducted and arranged by
John Scott Trotter John Scott Trotter Jr. (June 14, 1908 – October 29, 1975), also known as "Uncle John", was an American arranger, composer and orchestra leader. Trotter was best known for conducting the John Scott Trotter Orchestra which backed singer and ...
. The score was performed by the Vince Guaraldi Quintet on August 22, 1972, at
Wally Heider Studios Wally Heider Studios was a recording studio founded in San Francisco in 1969 by recording engineer and studio owner Wally Heider. Between 1969 and 1980, numerous notable artists recorded at the studios, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Je ...
, featuring
Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...
(trumpet), Pat O'Hara (flute), Seward McCain (electric bass) and Glenn Cronkhite (drums). ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'' is notable for marking the debut of Snoopy's "Joe Cool" theme song, sung by Guaraldi. #"Incumbent Waltz (Theme from ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'')" (variation No. 1) #"You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown" (vocal version) #"Incumbent Waltz (Theme from ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'')" (variation No. 2) #"Oh, Good Grief" #"Fast Piano Jazz" #"Blue Charlie Brown" (up-tempo version) #"Incumbent Waltz (Theme from ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'')" (variation No. 3) #"Trombone" eacher talks #"
Linus and Lucy "Linus and Lucy" is a popular instrumental jazz standard written by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, appearing in many ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Named for the two fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was originally released o ...
" #"Poor Charlie Brown" #"Joe Cool" (lead vocal: Vince Guaraldi) #"Incumbent Waltz (Theme from ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'')" (variation No. 4) #"Dilemma" #"Woodstock's Wake-Up" #"Joe Cool" (instrumental) #"Deserted Charlie Brown" (a variation of "Oh, Good Grief") #"You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown" (slow piano version) #"You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown" (Dixieland version) #"Linus and Lucy" (chimes version) #"You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown" (Dixieland version) No official soundtrack for ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'' was released, although select music cues have been made available on several compilation albums: *Both the vocal and extended instrumental versions of "Joe Cool" as well as "Incumbent Waltz (Theme from ''You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'')" (variation No. 4) appeared on '' Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials'' (2007) *"Oh, Good Grief" and the chimes-driven version of the ''Peanuts'' signature tune, "
Linus and Lucy "Linus and Lucy" is a popular instrumental jazz standard written by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, appearing in many ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Named for the two fictional siblings Linus and Lucy van Pelt, it was originally released o ...
" appeared on '' Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2'' (2008).


Home media

The special was first released on home video on
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
's
SelectaVision SelectaVision was a trademark name used on four classes of device by RCA: * The Holotape, a prototype video medium * Magnetic tape * VHS videocassette recorders, and * Capacitance Electronic Disc videodisc players and the discs themselves. Cap ...
CED format in 1982 along with ''
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown ''It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'' is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. A Halloween special, it was the third ''Peanuts'' special (and second holiday-themed ...
'', ''
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown It or IT may refer to: * It (pronoun), in English * Information technology Arts and media Film and television * ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow * '' It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film * ''It!'' (1967 ...
'', and ''
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving ''A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'' is the tenth prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip ''Peanuts,'' by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on November 20, 1973, and won an Emmy Award the ...
''. It was released on VHS and Betamax by
Media Home Entertainment Media Home Entertainment Inc. was a home video company headquartered in Culver City, California, originally established in 1978 by filmmaker Charles Band. Media Home Entertainment also distributed video product under three additional labels — ...
in 1985, along with '' A Charlie Brown Christmas''. It was released on VHS again in 1988, this time under their kids subdivision
Hi-Tops Video Hi-Tops Video was a children's home video sublabel of Media Home Entertainment (a division of Heron Communications), active from 1986 until 1992. Some of its releases include some Charlie Brown specials, ''Madeline'' and primarily some of the or ...
. On August 17, 1994, it accompanied ''
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown It or IT may refer to: * It (pronoun), in English * Information technology Arts and media Film and television * ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow * '' It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film * ''It!'' (1967 ...
'' on a Snoopy Double Feature release from
Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global. The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...
. In 1995, it was released on LaserDisc as a bonus feature with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It has been released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
twice, first as a "bonus feature" on the September 12, 2000 ''
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown ''It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'' is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. A Halloween special, it was the third ''Peanuts'' special (and second holiday-themed ...
'' DVD then on its own as part of
Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...
's "Remastered Deluxe Edition" line of Peanuts specials on October 7, 2008.


References


External links

* {{Vince Guaraldi Peanuts television specials Television shows directed by Bill Melendez 1972 television specials 1970s American television specials 1970s animated television specials 1970s American animated films 1972 in American television CBS television specials CBS original programming Works about elections Television shows written by Charles M. Schulz