You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown is the 14th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975.[1] In this special, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peppermint Patty participate in a motocross race.

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown
GenreAnimated television special
Created byCharles M. Schulz
Directed byPhil Roman
Voices ofDuncan Watson
Gail M. Davis
Liam Martin
Melanie Kohn
Bill Melendez
James Ahrens
Stuart Brotman
Theme music composerVince Guaraldi
Opening theme"Motocross"
Ending theme"Motocross"
ComposerVince Guaraldi
Country of originU.S.
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerLee Mendelson
ProducerBill Melendez
EditorsChuck McCann
Roger Donley
Running time25:10
Release
Original networkCBS
Picture format4:3
Audio formatMonaural
First shown inOctober 28, 1975
Chronology
Preceded byBe My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)
Followed byHappy Anniversary, Charlie Brown (1976)

Plot

The story begins with Snoopy playing tennis against Woodstock while Linus and Sally are unable to play because of the courts being occupied. Sally tries to intimidate those playing by stating "her boyfriend" was going to clobber them, causing Linus to flee. After failing to beat Woodstock, Snoopy destroys his racket in frustration.

Peppermint Patty arrives on a small motorcycle and alerts the kids about an upcoming motocross race, and suggests that Charlie Brown and Snoopy enter. Linus volunteers to be the pit crew and the two pool their limited financial resources to purchase a shabby old bike. Snoopy enters the race under the pseudonym of The Masked Marvel and Marcie is on hand as the announcer. Charlie Brown and Snoopy crash within minutes of the start of the race, and an ambulance shuttles them off for immediate medical care.

In the confusion, Snoopy is admitted to a regular hospital while Charlie Brown ends up at the vet. After regaining consciousness, Charlie Brown escapes from the vet and retrieves Snoopy from the hospital. Upon return, Linus informs Charlie Brown that motocross rules dictate that you must be fitted with a helmet, which was lost in the crash. Linus proceeds to outfit Charlie Brown with a hollowed-out pumpkin as a helmet and Charlie Brown, demoralized with such ridiculous headgear, returns to the race.

As the race continues, every other competitor falls victim to various mishaps (particularly assorted mud-traps) leaving Charlie Brown as the only contender left to cross the finish line (his old bike proves to have amazing durability, despite its poor speed). Then he discovers that those who sanctioned the race couldn't obtain the intended grand prize of Pro Bowl tickets. As a consolation prize, Charlie Brown is given a kiss from Loretta and a certificate for five free haircuts which are useless to him since (1) his dad is a barber and (2) Charlie has very little hair to be cut. Linus consoles Charlie Brown by telling him that the fact that he won against overwhelming odds is more important than receiving a prize, which Charlie Brown finds most uplifting for his spirits.

In the final scene, a confident Charlie Brown is ready to pitch another baseball game, saying to the team that in spite of his 980 straight defeats, has come to understand what winning is, and is certain that he will win this game. Instead, a line drive plows past him, causing his clothes to go flying in all directions and Charlie Brown looks at us before the film ends.

Voice cast
  • Duncan Watson as Charlie Brown
  • Liam Martin as Linus van Pelt
  • Gail Davis as Sally Brown
  • Melanie Kohn as Lucy van Pelt/Loretta
  • Stuart Brotman as Peppermint Patty
  • Jimmy Ahrens as Marcie
  • Bill Melendez as Snoopy/Woodstock

Credits
  • Written and Created by: Charles M. Schulz
  • A Lee Mendelson-Bill Melendez Production
  • Directed by: Phil Roman
  • Produced by: Bill Melendez
  • Executive Producer: Lee Mendelson
  • Music Composed and Performed by: Vince Guaraldi
  • Music Supervised by: John Scott Trotter
  • Designed by: Bernard Gruver, Evert Brown, Dean Spille
  • Animation by: Sam Jaimes, Don Lusk, Bill Littlejohn, Bob Carlson
  • Assisted by: Al Pabian, Larry Leichliter, Joe Roman, Patricia Joy, Larry Huber, Jeff Hall
  • Painting Supervisor: Joanne Lansing
  • Painted by: Eve Fletcher, Marie White, Chandra Poweris, Sheri Barstad, Brigitte Strother, Pat Capozzi, Adele Lenart, Valerie Pabian, Robyn Roberts
  • Editing: Chuck McCann, Roger Donley
  • Production Manager: Carole Barnes
  • Recording: Coast Recorders, Radio Recorders
  • Dubbing: Producers' Sound Service · Don Minkler
  • Camera: Dickson/Vasu, Tony Rivetti
  • Production Assistant: Sandy Claxton
  • In cooperation with United Feature Syndicate, Inc. and Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates
  • THE END "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" © 1975 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

Production notes

Voice talent

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was Duncan Watson's second time voicing Charlie Brown — his first was the previous special, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, and he would return for the 1976 special Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown and the feature film, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown in 1977.[2]

Music score

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was the last Peanuts television special to air during Vince Guaraldi's lifetime. Guaraldi died of a sudden heart attack on February 6, 1976, several hours after he had finished recording music cues for the television special It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. That special aired posthumously on March 16, 1976. You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was also the last Peanuts special conducted and arranged by John Scott Trotter, who died on October 29, 1975 — one day after the special was broadcast.[3] Trotter had worked in conjunction with Guaraldi on every Peanuts television special starting with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966).[4]

The music score for You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was something of a departure from Guaraldi's other scores as the music fused his jazz style with the funk, disco and pop music of the 1970s that was popular at the time coupled with the use of the ARP String Ensemble synthesizer that was used on many pop songs of the era.[3]

All music cues were composed by Guaraldi[5] and recorded by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on September 12 and 24, 1975, at Wally Heider Studios, featuring Seward McCain (bass) and Mark Rosengarden (drums).[6]

The program's theme song, "Motocross" is performed in nine different variations.[5] As the variations are difficult to distinguish, scene descriptions in which they appear are added to help differentiate.[3][5]

  1. "Motocross" (version 1; cold open)
  2. "Peppermint Patty" (Linus and Sally tennis)
  3. "Centercourt" (version 1)
  4. "Fanfare"
  5. "Bass Blues"
  6. "Linus and Lucy" (swing bridge)
  7. "Motocross" (version 2; Charlie Brown and Linus purchase motorbike)
  8. "Motocross" (version 3; Marcie interviews contestants, Charlie Brown and Snoopy wipe out; aka Cue 9)
  9. "Great Pumpkin Waltz"
  10. "Motocross" (version 4; Charlie Brown and Snoopy re-enter competition)
  11. "Lemonade Break"
  12. "Motocross" (version 5; three contestants left)
  13. "Motocross" (version 6; Snoopy converts tennis ball launcher into motorbike)
  14. "Lunch Theme"
  15. "Motocross" (version 7; final lap)
  16. "Centercourt" (version 2; Charlie Brown's new beginning)
  17. "Motocross" (version 8; end credits)

No official soundtrack for You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was released. However, recording session master tapes for seven 1970s-era Peanuts television specials scored by Guaraldi were discovered by his son, David Guaraldi, in the mid-2000s. The songs "Motocross" (version 3; aka "Cue 9") and "Centercourt" were released on the compilation album, Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials (2007).[7][8] A live version of "Centercourt" (retitled "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown") appeared on the compilation album Oaxaca in 2004.[9]

Awards

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown won Schulz his third Emmy Award for Outstanding Children Special.[10] He previously earned the award for A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

References
  1. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 469–471. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. Terrace, Vincent (2013). Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936-2012 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company, Inc.d. pp. 90–92, 179. ISBN 0786474440.
  3. Bang, Derrick (2012). Vince Guaraldi at the Piano. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 292. ISBN 0786490748.
  4. Bang, Derrick. Liner notes for A Boy Named Charlie Brown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017); Kritzerland, Inc. Retrieved 18 June 2020
  5. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts Song Library: You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  6. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi Timeline". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  8. Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown TV Specials at AllMusic. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  9. Oaxaca at AllMusic. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  10. Riggs, Thomas (2006). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television (Book 70). Gale Research Inc. p. 192. ISBN 978-0787690434.
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