It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown
| It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Animated TV Special |
| Created by | Charles M. Schulz |
| Written by | Charles M. Schulz |
| Directed by | Bill Melendez |
| Voices of |
Steven Hartman Anthony Burch Jamie Cronin Brandon Taylor Danielle Keaton Bill Melendez Megan Ellis Vidya Balan |
| Theme music composer | Vince Guaraldi |
| Composer(s) |
Vince Guaraldi David Benoit |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Lee Mendelson |
| Producer(s) | Bill Meléndez |
| Running time | 28 minutes |
| Production company(s) | United Feature Syndicate |
| Release | |
| First shown in | August 5, 1997 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown |
| Followed by | It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown |
It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown is the 38th animated TV special based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It is one of two direct-to-video Peanuts specials that have yet to air on U.S. TV (the other is It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown).
Plot
The special begins with Linus roller-skating all over town. On his way back from a birthday party, he passes by a garden where he hears someone singing ("O Mio Babbino Caro")As he enters the garden, he learns that a little girl named Mimi is the person that was singing. After Linus and Mimi spend time gardening together, Linus invites her to his birthday party which she accepts.
Linus keeps hearing Mimi's singing voice everywhere he goes and can't seem to stop thinking about her. As Linus is writing his guest list for his birthday party, Lucy asks who Mimi is. After Linus tells her, Lucy thinks that it's ridiculous that Linus is inviting a girl that he just met and thinks Mimi will not show up, but Linus is positive that she will.
On the day of Linus' birthday party, Linus wonders where Mimi could be. When Lucy brings out Linus' birthday cake & everybody starts singing "Happy Birthday" to him, Linus tries to get them to stop, but to no avail. As soon as everybody finishes singing, Linus hears Mimi singing "Happy Birthday" from outside. After Mimi finishes singing to Linus, she gives him a flower and a kiss. At first, Linus is sad when Mimi has to leave, but he later starts dancing along with everyone else.
The end of the special shows Linus talking to Charlie Brown about if he'll ever see Mimi again and Woodstock shows up, whistling the song that Mimi sang.
Cast
- Steven Hartman - Charlie Brown
- Anthony Burch - Linus van Pelt
- Jamie Cronin - Lucy van Pelt/Mimi
- Danielle Keaton - Sally Brown
- Brandon Taylor - Pig-Pen
- Megan Ellis - Birthday Girl
- Bill Melendez - Snoopy/Woodstock
Marcie, Shermy, Franklin, Patty, and Frieda also appeared but had no lines.
Personnel
- Charlie Thorogood (Steven Hartman)
- Snoopy Blough (Bill Melendez)
- Linus Carter (Anthony Burch)
- Pig-Pen Simon (Brandon Taylor)
Notes
The song Mimi sings when Linus meets her is the "O Mio Babbino Caro" ("Oh, my beloved Father") aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi, by Puccini. It was written in 1918. It is a very popular aria and has been used in many films, including several other Peanuts shows.
Production
It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown was one the final television specials completed during creator Charles M. Schulz's lifetime (along with the next special It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown). He died in 2000.
Production started from 1995 and ended in 1996.
This was also the first Peanuts special to be animated using digital ink and paint (though the backgrounds are still done in the classic hand-painted style of the 1970s and 1980s specials.)