A Boy Named Charlie Brown

A Boy Named Charlie Brown. 1969 Cinema Center Films & National General Pictures (released to home video by CBS DVD).
Vocal Talent: Peter Robbins, Pamelyn Ferdin, Glenn Gilger, Sally Dryer, Ann Altieri, Lynda Mendelson
Music: Vince Guaraldi, Rod McKuen, John Stafford Smith
Written by: Charles Schulz
Director: Bill Melendez
Buy A Boy Named Charlie Brown at Amazon.

The first Peanuts animated film, and still the best one they ever made.

This movie was loosely based on a 1966 series of comic strips where Charlie Brown enters a class spelling bee, only to be eliminated on the first turn after confusing the word "maze" with his favorite ballplayer, the great outfielder Willie Mays. Crushed, Charlie Brown lies his head down on his desk, and when asked why he's doing that, he yells at the teacher, earning him a trip to the principal's office. In the cinemas, however, it's a different story.

Charlie Brown, as usual, can't seem to do much of anything right on the ball field, or while trying to fly a kite. Linus Van Pelt tries to cheer him up the next day, saying that people learn more by losing than winning. Later on, Charlie Brown stops by Lucy's psychiatry booth, where she says she can point out his faults better than anyone else, via slide projector and a screen in the Van Pelt house.

Before school, Lucy teases Charlie Brown by suggesting he enter the spelling bee, which Linus seriously thinks would be a good idea. To the surprise of everyone, Charlie Brown finishes first in his class, and is told that he'll be competing against other kids in school. He, Linus, and Snoopy go home, hit the books, and make up a song called "I Before E, Except After C". Charlie Brown almost loses, but thanks to Snoopy's timely intervention outside, he wins the spelling bee. The gang cheerfully follows him home, singing a song called "Champion Charlie Brown". Later on, he is told that Lucy signed him up to take part in a national spelling bee to be held in New York. He hits the books again, and starts worrying about his bad luck.

Charlie Brown departs for New York, but only after Linus gives him his security blanket for good luck, This proves to be a bad move for Linus, and after suffering from withdrawal, he talks Snoopy into going to New York to find Charlie Brown and get his blanket back. After a lengthy search throughout town, they find it. Next, it's the spelling bee at Radio City Music Hall, where Charlie Brown somehow snatches defeat from the jaws of victory at the worst possible moment. But remarkably, the world didn't end.

Highly, highly recommended.