It’s Been 50 Years of Great Pumpkin- Charlie Brown

As a kid, My brother and I would wait in anticipation of ANY Charlie Brown special to come on television.  Nowadays, kids can watch them anytime they want on YouTube, DVD or any VOD that airs them.  One of our favorites was “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,”which celebrates 50 years on the airs TONIGHT on ABC-TV.

Originally airing on October 27, 1966,   Charlie Brown is excited to be invited to his first ever party, Violet’s Halloween party.  The one person who won’t be joining in for the trick or treating or the party is Linus, who’s waiting in his local pumpkin patch for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. Linus believes that the Great Pumpkin rises out of the most sincere pumpkin patch, flies into the air and delivers presents to boys and girls around the world.   Does the Great Pumpkin show up?  Does Sally go partying or hang out with Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin?  What about Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang?

A bit of trivia on this Schultz classic…

• Actress Kathy Steinberg had almost finished recording all her lines of dialog as Sally when the producers received a phone call from Steinberg’s mother informing them that one of Kathy’s teeth was loose. Fearing that a sudden lisp would ruin the continuity dialogue, the producers rushed the young actress into the studio to finish recording her lines. Just as Steinberg was speaking her last line, the tooth came flying out of her mouth.
• When writing a letter to the Great Pumpkin, Linus states, “You must get discouraged because more people believe in Santa Claus than in you. Well, let’s face it; Santa Claus has had more publicity, but being #2, perhaps you try harder.” This is a reference to an advertising slogan for Avis Rent-a-Car that was well-known in the 1960s.
• When Linus walks into the living room after writing a letter to the Great Pumpkin, Lucy is sitting in front of the TV reading a TV guide. The picture on the cover of the magazine is a picture of Lucy.
• After this special originally aired, children all over the country sent candy to Charlie Brown out of sympathy.