It's Magic, Charlie Brown
Encyclopedia
It's Magic, Charlie Brown is the 21st prime-time animated
TV special based upon the popular comic strip
Peanuts
, by Charles M. Schulz
. It originally aired on April 28, 1981. The special was later released on DVD on September 2, 2008 as a bonus feature on Warner Home Video
's remastered deluxe DVD of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
.
decides that Snoopy
needs to educate himself, and gives him his library card to go get a few books. Snoopy decides to take out one book, a book on magic
, which after reading, influences him to hold a Vaudeville
show (under the stage name "The Great Houndini"). During the opening, Snoopy practices magic with Woodstock by his side. Charlie Brown warned Snoopy to that the cat next door will get upset if he and Woodstock get really loud. However, Snoopy and Woodstock continue to perform more magic tricks and the cat next door angrily rips Snoopy's doghouse apart.
He recruits Marcie
as one assistant and announcer, and Sally
as his silent assistant. In the show, he pulls a rabbit out of his hat (actually Woodstock
with rabbit ears), then does a ring trick that's goes a bit wrong. Both of these tricks raise the ire of one heckler who demands their money back and doesn't see the humor the others see, but Snoopy quickly shuts him up both times. He also does the "stick-in-the-hole" trick to Franklin
(which apparently doesn't work), the "amputation-decapitation" trick to Peppermint Patty
, cutting Linus
's trademark security blanket into strips (which appears to fail), the "levitation" trick to Lucy van Pelt
, and biggest of all, making Charlie Brown literally disappear.
Unfortunately, a sudden rainstorm ends the show early, and Charlie Brown is left invisible. Convinced he is going to remain that way for the rest of his life, he prepares to "roam the world as a lost soul", and Sally begins moving her stuff into his room. Before Charlie starts roaming, he decides to feed Snoopy to show him what has happened. When Snoopy realizes he cannot yet reverse the trick, he tries a couple of different ideas to make Charlie Brown somewhat visible again, including draping a sheet over his head, which scares Sally, and causes Charlie Brown to faint when he sees himself in the mirror.
Despite this shortcoming, Charlie Brown realizes he has a golden opportunity to kick Lucy's infamous football without her usual prank of pulling it away at the last second. Taking advantage of his invisibility, Charlie Brown finally kicks the ball out of a bewildered Lucy's hand and then taunts her about it.
Furious that Charlie Brown seems to have gotten the upper-hand, Lucy demands that Snoopy find a way to turn him back, threatening to 'clobber him.' Snoopy studies the book, and after testing a number of counterspells on Woodstock (much to the little bird's disdain), he goes about casting his counterspell in all directions, unsure just where Charlie Brown is. As Snoopy wanders into a vicinity where Lucy is setting up another place-kick, Charlie Brown happens to run by where Snoopy is practicing. Just as he is about to kick the ball again, Snoopy casts the counterspell in Charlie Brown's direction, causing him to unknowingly become visible again. Lucy witnesses his reappearance and pulls the ball away for the 11th time as Charlie Brown winds up to kick it. He then lands on his back.
Nevertheless, Charlie Brown is happy that he finally kicked the ball, though Lucy considers this a false statement, saying no one will believe him. When Lucy scoffs at Snoopy's magic abilities, the insulted beagle magically levitates Lucy into the sky like he levitated her during that magic show earlier, and leaves her stuck there as payback. Snoopy and Charlie Brown happily laugh and dance away to conclude a satisfying day, while Linus eventually pulls Lucy down with his blanket during the closing credits.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
TV special based upon the popular comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, by Charles M. Schulz
Charles M. Schulz
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.-Early life and education:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz grew up in Saint Paul...
. It originally aired on April 28, 1981. The special was later released on DVD on September 2, 2008 as a bonus feature on Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
's remastered deluxe DVD of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
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....
.
Plot summary
Charlie BrownCharlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...
decides that Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
needs to educate himself, and gives him his library card to go get a few books. Snoopy decides to take out one book, a book on magic
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
, which after reading, influences him to hold a Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
show (under the stage name "The Great Houndini"). During the opening, Snoopy practices magic with Woodstock by his side. Charlie Brown warned Snoopy to that the cat next door will get upset if he and Woodstock get really loud. However, Snoopy and Woodstock continue to perform more magic tricks and the cat next door angrily rips Snoopy's doghouse apart.
He recruits Marcie
Marcie (Peanuts)
Marcie is a bespectacled fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. She serves as comedic foil and best friend to tomboy Peppermint Patty, plays a supporting role in some of Snoopy's heroic fantasies, and displays a romantic interest in Charlie Brown, who seems to love...
as one assistant and announcer, and Sally
Sally Brown
Sally Brown is the younger sister of Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She was first mentioned in early 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appearance in August 1959.-Appearance:...
as his silent assistant. In the show, he pulls a rabbit out of his hat (actually Woodstock
Woodstock (Peanuts)
Woodstock is a fictional character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. He is Snoopy's closest friend and, after Snoopy, the most recognized non-human in the strip.-History:...
with rabbit ears), then does a ring trick that's goes a bit wrong. Both of these tricks raise the ire of one heckler who demands their money back and doesn't see the humor the others see, but Snoopy quickly shuts him up both times. He also does the "stick-in-the-hole" trick to Franklin
Franklin (Peanuts)
Franklin is a character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Introduced on July 31, 1968, Franklin was the first African-American character in the strip. He goes to school with Peppermint Patty and Marcie. In his first story arc, he met Charlie Brown when they were...
(which apparently doesn't work), the "amputation-decapitation" trick to Peppermint Patty
Peppermint Patty
Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. A freckle-faced auburn/brunette, she is one of a small group in the strip who lives across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends...
, cutting Linus
Linus van Pelt
Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....
's trademark security blanket into strips (which appears to fail), the "levitation" trick to Lucy van Pelt
Lucy van Pelt
Lucille "Lucy" van Pelt is a fictional character in the syndicated comic strip :Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the main bully and the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy is a crabby and cynical eight-year old girl, and often bullies the other characters in the strip,...
, and biggest of all, making Charlie Brown literally disappear.
Unfortunately, a sudden rainstorm ends the show early, and Charlie Brown is left invisible. Convinced he is going to remain that way for the rest of his life, he prepares to "roam the world as a lost soul", and Sally begins moving her stuff into his room. Before Charlie starts roaming, he decides to feed Snoopy to show him what has happened. When Snoopy realizes he cannot yet reverse the trick, he tries a couple of different ideas to make Charlie Brown somewhat visible again, including draping a sheet over his head, which scares Sally, and causes Charlie Brown to faint when he sees himself in the mirror.
Despite this shortcoming, Charlie Brown realizes he has a golden opportunity to kick Lucy's infamous football without her usual prank of pulling it away at the last second. Taking advantage of his invisibility, Charlie Brown finally kicks the ball out of a bewildered Lucy's hand and then taunts her about it.
Furious that Charlie Brown seems to have gotten the upper-hand, Lucy demands that Snoopy find a way to turn him back, threatening to 'clobber him.' Snoopy studies the book, and after testing a number of counterspells on Woodstock (much to the little bird's disdain), he goes about casting his counterspell in all directions, unsure just where Charlie Brown is. As Snoopy wanders into a vicinity where Lucy is setting up another place-kick, Charlie Brown happens to run by where Snoopy is practicing. Just as he is about to kick the ball again, Snoopy casts the counterspell in Charlie Brown's direction, causing him to unknowingly become visible again. Lucy witnesses his reappearance and pulls the ball away for the 11th time as Charlie Brown winds up to kick it. He then lands on his back.
Nevertheless, Charlie Brown is happy that he finally kicked the ball, though Lucy considers this a false statement, saying no one will believe him. When Lucy scoffs at Snoopy's magic abilities, the insulted beagle magically levitates Lucy into the sky like he levitated her during that magic show earlier, and leaves her stuck there as payback. Snoopy and Charlie Brown happily laugh and dance away to conclude a satisfying day, while Linus eventually pulls Lucy down with his blanket during the closing credits.
Cast
- Michael Mandy: Charlie Brown
- Sydney PennySydney PennySydney Penny is an American Daytime Emmy-nominated actress best known for the roles of Julia Santos Keefer on the soap opera All My Children and Samantha "Sam" Kelly on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.She is of part Cherokee descent and raised in Chatsworth, California, the daughter...
: Lucy van Pelt - Cindi Reilly: Sally Brown
- Earl Reilly: Linus van Pelt and Franklin
- Bill MelendezBill MelendezJosé Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series...
: Snoopy and Woodstock - Shannon Cohn: Marcie
- Brent Hauer: Peppermint Patty