| Charlie Brown's All Stars! | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Peanuts byCharles M. Schulz |
| Written by | Charles M. Schulz |
| Directed by | Bill Melendez |
| Voices of |
|
| Music by | Vince Guaraldi |
| Opening theme | "Charlie Brown and His All-Stars" |
| Ending theme | "All-Stars Theme" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lee Mendelson |
| Producer | Bill Melendez |
| Editors |
|
| Camera setup | Nick Vasu |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | June 8, 1966 (1966-06-08) |
| Related | |
Charlie Brown's All Stars! is a 1966 American animatedtelevision special based upon the comic stripPeanuts, byCharles M. Schulz.[1] It was the secondprime-time TV special (followingA Charlie Brown Christmas) to be produced byLee Mendelson andBill Melendez (who also directed), and originally aired onCBS on June 8, 1966, with annual re-airings on CBS through 1971.[2]
After Charlie Brown's baseball team loses its first game of the season, all of his players quit. After the players on his team agree to only rejoin if he is able to get some uniforms, Charlie Brown and his friend Linus start searching for a sponsor. Mr. Hennessy, the operator of the local hardware store, is willing to sponsor the team with new uniforms and offers to put them in an organized league. The excitement gets the better of Charlie Brown, and he eagerly tells the team the good news. However, Mr. Hennessy later informs Charlie Brown that the league allows neither girls nor dogs to play baseball. Unwilling to exclude the girls and Snoopy, Charlie Brown reluctantly declines Mr. Hennessey's offer.
Linus tells Charlie Brown his teammates will not like the news, which gives Charlie Brown an idea: he won't tell them until after the next game, hoping their lifted spirits will help them win. Despite Linus' warning, Charlie Brown goes through with it, and the team starts the game well.
By the 9th inning, Charlie Brown's team is behind by one run. Feeling overconfident, Charlie Brown attempts to steal home, but he fails to do so, causing his team to lose the game. Lucy and the others, furious, claim they would quit were it not for the league deal, Charlie Brown reluctantly reveals that he severed the contract, although he avoids explaining why. After he runs off, Linus berates the team by disclosing why Charlie Brown declined the offer, prompting Schroeder to add that the team never treats Charlie Brown well despite his willingness to sacrifice his dignity for the team. The others agree and decide to make it up to Charlie Brown by making him his own uniform out of Linus' security blanket.
The special ends with Charlie Brown in the rain, waiting for people to arrive so they can start another game.
The music forCharlie Brown's All Stars! was performed by theVince Guaraldi Sextet, featuring Guaraldi on piano, Eugene “Puzzy” Firth on bass, Frank Snow and John Coppola on trumpets,Eddie Duran on guitar, and Lee Charlton on drums. Recording took place on May 13, 1966 at The Sound Recorders in San Francisco, California.[3]
This was the only other 1960'sPeanuts special besidesA Charlie Brown Christmas to not be orchestrated byJohn Scott Trotter, who was brought on to assist with futurePeanuts specials starting withIt's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Guaraldi had previously been in charge of music forA Charlie Brown Christmas, as well as the unaired 1963 documentaryA Boy Named Charlie Brown.
No official soundtrack forCharlie Brown's All Stars! was released during its original run, though select music cues have appeared on compilation albums.[4][5] "Air Music" was later issued as "Surfin' Snoopy" onCharlie Brown's Holiday Hits (1998), and was also repurposed in later broadcasts ofA Charlie Brown Christmas during Snoopy’s doghouse decorating scene.[6] A variation of "Rain, Rain, Go Away" appeared onOh Good Grief! (1968).[7]
A remastered soundtrack album featuring original recordings and several bonus tracks will be released for the first time on March 20, 2026, pairingIt's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown andCharlie Brown's All Stars! in a two-in-one collection.[8][9]
A book about the television special was published shortly after it initially aired. In the book, Charlie Brown tells his teammates "we don't need them," then turns and walks away as they verbally abuse him until Linus defends him, in this instance without giving a reason. In the book, Schroeder is not shown berating the girls and Snoopy along with Linus, although he does in the television show: "Those uniforms meant just as much to Charlie Brown as they did to you. Probably more!" At the end, Linus just comes up to Charlie wearing the new uniform on the pitchers mound and Charlie wordlessly lets him use his shirt tail to hold up against his cheek.[citation needed]
The special was first released onRCA'sSelectaVisionCED format in 1983 as part of the "A Charlie Brown Festival Vol. IV" compilation. It was also released on VHS and Betamax byMedia Home Entertainment in 1984, along withIt's Magic, Charlie Brown. It would be released again by its kids subdivisionHi-Tops Video in 1988.Paramount Home Media Distribution released it on VHS on January 9, 1996, along withIt's Spring Training, Charlie Brown.Charlie Brown's All Stars! was released inDVD format on March 2, 2004, grouped with the similarly themedIt's Spring Training, Charlie Brown (1992) andLucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown (2003). On July 7, 2009, it was released inremastered form as part of the DVD box set,Peanuts 1960's Collection. It was again released as part of the 4K edition ofIt's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in 2017.
A canceled video game titledCharlie Brown's All Stars for thePlayStation 2 andPlayStation Portable was likely going to be an adaption of the special. It was developed simultaneously withSnoopy vs. the Red Baron byFarSight Studios and was going to be published byNamco Bandai Games. It was going to release in the spring of 2007; however, it was canceled because of an excessive number of projects by the studio and lack of staff.[10]
The special was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1967, along withIt's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It lost toHanna-Barbera'sJack and the Beanstalk, starringGene Kelly.[citation needed]
