The animation in early Peanuts videos is crude. There's a lot of stock footage, and the characters appear to float in space. Someone forgot to pencil in the shadows, plus the backgrounds look kinda wonky. So what makes the six half-hour cartoons in Warner Home Video's Peanuts 1960's Collection so freakin' awesome?
Charles M. Schulz, Lee Mendelson, Bill Meléndez, Vince Guaraldi Produced Peanuts 1960's Collection
Two things: story and heart. Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz was on to a winner with the adventures of lovable loser Charlie Brown, blanket-obsessed philosopher Linus, bossy Lucy and exuberant beagle Snoopy.
Producer Lee Mendelson and director/animator Bill Meléndez were clearly fans of the comic, and wanted to honour it on the little screen. Meléndez's drawings were so close to Schulz's originals that one could be forgiven for thinking that "Sparky" drew every scene. It's cool to see Meléndez's attempts to make the animation appear more like a Schulz cartoon come to life: he uses red pencil shading to show the characters blushing, and lettered "HA-HA-HA"s emphasize Charlie Brown's humiliation in 1967's "You're in Love, Charlie Brown."
Even the use of child actors portraying children (a heretical notion in the mid-60s) was a brilliant touch: their occasional lisping and stilted delivery made it that much more authentic.
And then there's Vince Guaraldi's immortal score. If the classic "Linus and Lucy" isn't running through your head right now, then a trip to iTunes is in order (Right now. That means you!). Guaraldi's driving piano work is so essential to these specials that they never were the same after his untimely death in 1976.
The centerpiece of this collection is the first: "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Despite the crude animation and controversial elements – such as Linus quoting from the Gospel According to Luke in a crucial scene – this tale of a depressed Charlie Brown attempting to find the spirit of Christmas still stands as *the* definitive Peanuts special. Other specials retained the magic, but the first is still the best.
While the images on this DVD are crisp and clear, there are soundtrack issues. Some of the characters' lines aren't as clear as they should be, and the volume level drops in places. Not a big deal, but certainly something to be aware of.
DVD Extras
Other than the trailers for DVDs like The Jetsons, Freakazoid, and Woodstock: The Director's Cut (somebody at WHV marketing was giggling like a hyena when they dropped that one in), the big news here is the featurette "Vince Guaraldi: The Maestro of Menlo Park."
It profiles the Grammy-winning pianist/composer who composed the music for those Peanuts shorts, including the iconic "Linus and Lucy" and "Joe Cool." It's a fascinating account of the man's life, and manages to appeal to both the jazz and cartoon fan.
The Final Analysis
While the remastering job on this DVD isn't as good as it could have been, Peanuts 1960's Collection is worth getting simply so you can have the best of these shorts in one box. Unlike some vintage cartoons which have aged badly, these charming television specials are a testament to the genius of everyone involved. Well worth picking up.
Peanuts 1960's Collection gets an 9/10.
Fun Fact: If you're trying to play "Linus and Lucy,", Guaraldi recommended smacking the lip of the piano with the heel of your left hand right before playing the bass line.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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