Charles M. Schulz Movies

When cartoonist Charles M. Schulz's first "Peanuts" comic strip was published back in 1950, few could have foreseen the cultural phenomenon that would eventually form around a series of simple line drawings featuring children flying kites, kicking around a football, and being cruel as kids can be. Fifty years and 18,977 comic strips later, no one could deny that Schulz had somehow managed to tap into that innocent, sometimes worrisome child that dwells within us all. Though it all, Schulz remained a mind-mannered comic who was prone to self-doubt, much like his iconic, forever young protagonist Charlie Brown. In this film, director David Van Taylor speaks while Schulz's family, friends, and colleagues in order to offer a well-rounded look at the enigmatic man whose childlike wonder and wisdom touched countless lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The Peanuts gang returns in I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown. The story concerns the younger brother of Linus and Lucy Van Pelt, Rerun. Rerun wants nothing more than his very own dog, but his parents are unwilling to get him one. Unable to convince Charlie Brown to lower his ten-million-dollar asking price for Snoopy, Rerun decides to adopt Snoopy's brother, Spike, who has come to celebrate the holiday season. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

This edition of A&E's award winning Biography series chronicles the life and career of America's most popular cartoonist, Charles Schulz. After studying art through a correspondence course and contributing freelance cartoons to the Saturday Evening Post, he created in 1950 a newspaper comic strip tentatively titled Li'l Folks. The strip was accepted for syndication under the new title, Peanuts, and became the most successful cartoon strip in history, read by an estimated 355 million people worldwide. The childhood travails of Charlie Brown, his friends Lucy and Linus, and his dog Snoopy have been immortalized in more than 30 animated television specials and four full-length cartoon films. The holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered in 1965 and still runs every December.
Devoted to his beloved characters, Schulz continued writing and drawing Peanuts in 1981, after he underwent quintuple bypass surgery, and he wrote for years with a hand tremor. He was finally forced to stop working in November 1999 after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. His last daily comic strip ran in early January 2000. On the eve of his last Sunday comic strip, which appeared on February 13, 2000, Charles Schulz died at home at age 77. ~ John Patrick Sheehan, Rovi

It's Christmas time again for the whole Peanuts gang. This time around, Sally is all nerves over the upcoming school play where she has to deliver one line, while Peppermint Patty is despondent over being cast as a sheep...again. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown tries to scrounge up enough money to buy that Red-Headed girl a pair of gloves. ~ Rovi

In celebration of Peanuts' 40th anniversary, You Don't Look 40, Charlie Brown provides a history of the long-running comic strip, beginning with its birth in the 1960s. Among the footage includes clips from Broadway's highly successful production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, interviews with comic creator Charles Schulz, and some of the best scenes from Peanuts TV specials throughout the decades. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

This feature-length animated cartoon was based on the "Peanuts" characters created by comic-strip artist Charles M. Schultz. The gang is shipped off to summer camp, where Charlie Brown gets a "Go away and leave me alone" bunkmate, and where CB's beagle Snoopy ends up winning most of the athletic trophies. The Snoop also has a running feud with a mean-spirited pussycat. Meanwhile, budding feminist Lucy organizes an anti-boy campaign amongst the girl campers. The bulk of the action transpires when the gang builds a raft to enter a dangerous shoot-the-rapids race, only to be outclassed by the professionally built vessel picked up by their competitors. Happily, pluck and luck wins out over arrogance and mean-spiritedness. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Peanuts gang celebrates the coming of spring in this animated TV special. Linus has promised all his friends that the Easter Beagle will soon be arriving to bring candy and colored eggs to the neighborhood children. Unfortunately, after his many miscalculations with the Great Pumpkin, not everyone is so sure that the holiday hound will actually show up. Meanwhile, Snoopy helps Woodstock find the birdhouse of his dreams, Peppermint Patty discovers teaching Marcie how to make Easter Eggs is no walk in the park, and Sally buys a new pair of shoes for spring. Originally aired on April 9, 1974, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was the twelfth in the long-running series of animated specials featuring the characters of Charles M. Schulz's popular comic strip. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Politics take precedence among the Peanuts set in this classic animated special from the remarkable imagination of Charles M. Schulz. The race for student body president is heating up, but does Charlie Brown really have a shot at winning the election? Realizing that the odds aren't in his favor after Lucy takes a poll of the entire student body, Charlie makes the decision to back the campaign of his old pal Linus. And why not? Linus is running on a pro-recess, anti-homework platform that gives him a decided edge over his fellow political hopefuls. It would seem that Linus is bound for the to take top office. But while the voters all seem fully prepared to cast their ballots for Linus, a thoughtless mention of that holiday figure said to rise from the pumpkin patch every Halloween and deliver toys to the most "sincere" little girls and boys may be enough prompt even his most ardent supporters to consider withdrawing their support. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The lovable characters from the popular comic strip by Charles M. Schulz appear in this full-length feature. The perennial failure Charlie Brown attends the National Spelling Bee and manages the worst sandlot team in the history of baseball. Linus loses and retrieves his security blanket. Snoopy the beagle dances wildly and plays shortstop. The irascible Lucy Van Pelt tricks Charlie Brown into kicking the football, but at the last minute she pulls it back and sends him flying onto his back. Although he loses the spelling bee, his friends gladly welcome Charlie Brown back to town upon his return. Nearly two-dozen songs are included. The characters remain true to the original works of Schulz, and great care was taken in matching the appropriate voices to the character's personalities. This is the first of many successful animated features of the gang from Peanuts. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Baseball team manager Charlie Brown can't win a game to save his life, but when the season rolls around, he tries once more to whip his ragtag "Peanuts" ballplayers into shape. After suffering their 999th consecutive loss, Charlie Brown is about to throw in the towel. He is encouraged to have another go at it when a local business offers to sponsor the team and provide new uniforms. But what can you do with a team whose best player is Snoopy the beagle? The animated, half-hour Charlie Brown's All-Stars was originally telecast June 6, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi