NEW * Behind the Scenes Book * CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS: Making of a Tradition

Description: Offering this BRAND NEW collectors hardcover copy of "A Charlie Brown Christmas: Making of a Tradition" from 2000 with full dust jacket in brilliant silver. The book and dust jacket are in excellent condition -- never-read copy that has been stored carefully in a smoke free home. I package very carefully for safe shipping. Includes the behind the scenes story behind the classic TV special by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez with reminiscences of Charles Schulz and Vince Guaraldi. And this book is extra special because it contains the full illustrated original script. The illustrations and photos offer many new interesting angles on the special making this a must for Schulz, Peanuts and Christmas collectors. It is the ultimate companion to the 1965 special. Please email with questions in advance of purchase. This makes a really great gift for all ages. Sorry, I cannot accept returns. Thanks for stopping by! Here's a sample what others have said about the book: "FANTASTIC! Five Stars! " "I don't know how it could get much better; first-person accounts from the producers, interviews with some others involved; extras like sheet music and storyboards.""COMPLETE SCRIPT!" "Bought for Its complete script, but does contain other interesting info including a flip book portion from the movies opening title." " A Wonderful explanation of this great holiday classic!" "A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a true "classic" since its premiere in 1965, and the team of Charles "Sparky" Schulz (cartoonist), Lee Mendelson (producer), Bill Melendez (animator) and Vince Guaraldi (jazz composer) went on to make many other marvelous specials featuring the "Peanuts" cast."Published in 2000 (shortly after Schulz's peaceful death, just before his final strip was to appear), this book is a loving, respectful tribute to Schulz, as well as the others who created "ACBC," as well as the other specials over the years. The book includes chapters on Mendelson, Schulz, Melendez, and Guaraldi, as well as an "illustrated script" (i.e., the actual script, illustrated with the pictures from the original book, A Charlie Brown Christmas).The book is filled with fascinating insights about how the production came together in only six months: e.g., "Unlike the usual Hollywood practice of hiring adult actors to mimic the voices of children, A Charlie Brown Christmas featured the voices of real children---a choice that gave the show a refreshing innocence." (Pg. 19) "Reflecting on the first appearance of Linus and his blanket in the 1950s, Schulz wrote, 'I did not know then that the term 'security blanket' would later become part of the American language.'" (Pg. 38)Amazingly, ALL of the children's voices were recorded in a single day, in just a few hours. Since several of the children couldn't read, Melendez had to "feed" them their lines, one line at a time. Peter Robbins [Charlie Brown] recalls, "once I got in the studio I found it was chaotic, with a bunch of kids, six to nine years old, running all over the place and too excited to calm down. We had unusual words to deliver like 'good grief' and 'rats' and 'eastern syndicate.' A lot of the talk was 'edgy,' at least for us kids at the time. Another challenge was the fact that I, as Charlie Brown, was supposed to be depressed at Christmastime. It was very strange for an eight-and-a-half-year-old to pretend to be depressed about Christmas, the most joyous time of the year!" (Pg. 21)Mendelson notes, "Toward the end of production, Vince Guaraldi brought in a beautiful opening song. After he laid down the instrumental track, however, we all felt it needed some lyrics. Because we were running out of time, I wrote some lyrics in about fifteen minutes on the back of an envelope. The song became 'Christmas Time Is Here,' which has become a holiday standard covered by dozens of recording artists. Who knew?" (Pg. 27)Of the famous recitation of Luke 2:8-14 (KJV) by Linus, the book notes, "I told Sparky, 'We can't do this, it's too religious.' And he said to me, 'Bill, if we don't do it, who else can? We're the only ones who can do it.' I wasn't convinced that was true at the time, but he was right about so many things. It just didn't sound right for a cartoon, an entertainment. When I read that part, I thought we were going to kill this thing, but by golly he came through. In this and in every show, Sparky always stuck in a little message." (Pg. 40)Amazingly, the top CBS executives were disappointed with the final product: "'Well, you gave it a good shot,' said one. 'It seems a little flat... a little slow,' said the other... 'I'm afraid we won't be ordering any more. We're sorry; and believe me, we're big Peanuts fans. But maybe it's better suited to the comic page.'" (Pg. 27) Melendez comments, "When we saw the finished show, we thought we had killed it. It had so many warts and bumps and lumps and things. A year later we fixed up a few things, but we never completely re-created the show. The inconsistencies and little problems seem to make it even more endearing to a lot of people, and Sparky never wanted to change it." (Pg. 61)For all of us who loved Schulz, his comic strip, this special, and the other specials, this book is a real treasure.

Price: 14 USD

Location: Annapolis, Maryland

End Time: 2024-11-08T00:40:42.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7 USD