Happy Valentine's Day! I remember when this 1st came out in 1975. My mother told me about it and was I ever excited! This review is dedicated to my buddies Kenny Austin and Dave "Zeke" Greene, who turned 7 the day this officially aired on January 31, 1975! It features music by Vince Guaraldi and John Scott Trotter. It was produced by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson, directed by Phil Ramone and written by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. Voices include Duncan Watson as Charlie Brown, Stephen Shea as Linus Melanie Kohn as Lucy, Greg Felton as Schroeder, Lynn Mortensen as Sally, Linda Encroli as Violet and Frieda and Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock.
Plot synopsis: Lucy sees Charlie Brown waiting by his mailbox for valentines. "Good luck," she tells him and then adds "You'll need it!" Snoopy tries playing Cupid with Charlie Brown with his suction cup arrows. None if them stick so Snoopy just puts the arrow atop his master's head. Meanwhile at school, Linus is asked to pound the erasers by Miss Othmar whom he has a crush on. He pounds the erasers and starts coughing. "I could die from such honor!" At Schroeder's house, Lucy gives a little history lesson on the origins of the 1st Valentine. When Schroeder ignores her, she asks if he realizes he could lose her and destroys his piano! Later, she goes to see a meladrama presented by Snoopy who acts it out with puppets on his paws! Linus goes out to buy Miss Othmar a big box of candy. Violet asks about a bottle of heart-shaped shaving lotion as her teacher is a man. Sally sees the big box of candy and thinks it's for her. She goes home to make her own valentine but has trouble with the shape. Big brother Charlie Brown helps her and makes a simple one. Snoopy makes an extravagant one complete with a musical box! That's something Charlie Brown can't do!
The next day is Valentine's Day and Charlie Brown comes to school with a briefcase to put all the Valentines he hopes to get. Sally gives Linus a homemade valentine which as he gets it, he sighs "Gee, thanks," unimpressed. Schroeder is put in charge of passing out the Valentines. Five passes out candy with messages. Frieda's candy reads Sweet Baby and Sally's candy includes Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poen How Do I Love Thee? Charlie Brown's candy just reads Forget It, Kid! Meanwhile, all the Valentines have been distributed and there's not one for Charlie Brown. Linus waits for his chance to give his candy to Miss Othmar. Sally still thinks the candy is for her. Unfortunately, his beloved teacher leaves and Sally wonders why he's running after her "with my box of candy!" He runs to the car but it's too late. Miss Othmar has just left with her boyfriend! Furious, Linus tosses the candy our of the box one by one. Unbeknownst, Snoopy and Woodstock catch the candy into their mouths. Charlie Brown goes home, throws his empty briefcase on top of the mailbox and opens it. It too is empty. So he kicks it!
The next day, Charlie Brown holds out hope that maybe the Little Red Haired Girl left him a valentine. Unfortunately, all that's in the mailbox is Snoopy who gives him a kiss! Than Violet comes offering Charlie Brown one of her valentines. Schroeder comes to Charlie Brown's defense and scolds Violet for her insincere gesture after it's too late. But Charlie Brown is too happy to care and accepts it anyways. He hopes next year will be an even better Valentine's Day. Linus interrupts and wishes him a happy Valentine's Day!
Definitions: Retroactive- to take effect at a later date. Violet tried to reverse her lack of thoughtfulness to Charlie Brown. It's unlikely Lucy would've, considering she said "Who'd waste a Valentine on stupid ol' Charlie Brown?!"
Unsolved mysteries: Did the Peanuts gang have more than one teacher? They're all together in the same classroom. And how did Violet forget her male teacher had a beard? Finally, how did Snoopy sneak in? No worries, he acts out Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem perfectly!
Trivia: After this special was aired, several viewers sent Charlie Brown lots of Valentines!
What I liked: I liked Snoopy's "paw-pet" show and how he handles the refreshments. I also liked how Snoopy and Woodstock presented Valentine's to one another- each one right on the nose! Most of all, I liked how easy this special is easy to relate to. If you've ever had a Valentine's Day with nobody special to share it with, you'll be sure to relate to it! And you gotta admit- Schroeder proved to be a loyal friend to Charlie Brown by sticking up for him! Ten bottles of heart-shaped shaving lotion out of 10!
Plot synopsis: Lucy sees Charlie Brown waiting by his mailbox for valentines. "Good luck," she tells him and then adds "You'll need it!" Snoopy tries playing Cupid with Charlie Brown with his suction cup arrows. None if them stick so Snoopy just puts the arrow atop his master's head. Meanwhile at school, Linus is asked to pound the erasers by Miss Othmar whom he has a crush on. He pounds the erasers and starts coughing. "I could die from such honor!" At Schroeder's house, Lucy gives a little history lesson on the origins of the 1st Valentine. When Schroeder ignores her, she asks if he realizes he could lose her and destroys his piano! Later, she goes to see a meladrama presented by Snoopy who acts it out with puppets on his paws! Linus goes out to buy Miss Othmar a big box of candy. Violet asks about a bottle of heart-shaped shaving lotion as her teacher is a man. Sally sees the big box of candy and thinks it's for her. She goes home to make her own valentine but has trouble with the shape. Big brother Charlie Brown helps her and makes a simple one. Snoopy makes an extravagant one complete with a musical box! That's something Charlie Brown can't do!
The next day is Valentine's Day and Charlie Brown comes to school with a briefcase to put all the Valentines he hopes to get. Sally gives Linus a homemade valentine which as he gets it, he sighs "Gee, thanks," unimpressed. Schroeder is put in charge of passing out the Valentines. Five passes out candy with messages. Frieda's candy reads Sweet Baby and Sally's candy includes Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poen How Do I Love Thee? Charlie Brown's candy just reads Forget It, Kid! Meanwhile, all the Valentines have been distributed and there's not one for Charlie Brown. Linus waits for his chance to give his candy to Miss Othmar. Sally still thinks the candy is for her. Unfortunately, his beloved teacher leaves and Sally wonders why he's running after her "with my box of candy!" He runs to the car but it's too late. Miss Othmar has just left with her boyfriend! Furious, Linus tosses the candy our of the box one by one. Unbeknownst, Snoopy and Woodstock catch the candy into their mouths. Charlie Brown goes home, throws his empty briefcase on top of the mailbox and opens it. It too is empty. So he kicks it!
The next day, Charlie Brown holds out hope that maybe the Little Red Haired Girl left him a valentine. Unfortunately, all that's in the mailbox is Snoopy who gives him a kiss! Than Violet comes offering Charlie Brown one of her valentines. Schroeder comes to Charlie Brown's defense and scolds Violet for her insincere gesture after it's too late. But Charlie Brown is too happy to care and accepts it anyways. He hopes next year will be an even better Valentine's Day. Linus interrupts and wishes him a happy Valentine's Day!
Definitions: Retroactive- to take effect at a later date. Violet tried to reverse her lack of thoughtfulness to Charlie Brown. It's unlikely Lucy would've, considering she said "Who'd waste a Valentine on stupid ol' Charlie Brown?!"
Unsolved mysteries: Did the Peanuts gang have more than one teacher? They're all together in the same classroom. And how did Violet forget her male teacher had a beard? Finally, how did Snoopy sneak in? No worries, he acts out Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem perfectly!
Trivia: After this special was aired, several viewers sent Charlie Brown lots of Valentines!
What I liked: I liked Snoopy's "paw-pet" show and how he handles the refreshments. I also liked how Snoopy and Woodstock presented Valentine's to one another- each one right on the nose! Most of all, I liked how easy this special is easy to relate to. If you've ever had a Valentine's Day with nobody special to share it with, you'll be sure to relate to it! And you gotta admit- Schroeder proved to be a loyal friend to Charlie Brown by sticking up for him! Ten bottles of heart-shaped shaving lotion out of 10!