Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown
Encyclopedia
Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown is the 20th prime-time animated
TV specials based upon the popular comic strip
Peanuts
, by Charles M. Schulz
. It was originally aired on the CBS
network on October 24, 1980.
with his tongue hanging out and his pupils shaped like hearts, then stops. Polly, the dog's trainer, sees Snoopy and pulls him inside.
The next day, Peppermint Patty
calls Charlie Brown
to tell him her school gave all students the day off to see the circus, Charlie Brown tells her that his school will be closed too and they decide to attend the circus together. At the circus the children see Snoopy perform as part of a dog act. They all realize it is Snoopy, and eventually relish in his new "career", despite Snoopy's shortcomings, being completely untrained. However, Charlie Brown isn't having any of it, exclaiming Snoopy's career is being his dog.
Later that night, Charlie Brown realizes Snoopy has not returned. He goes to the circus site in time to see Snoopy enter a boxcar, still following Fifi. The gate of the boxcar slams shut on him, and the circus train
pulls away.
Polly slowly trains Snoopy to become part of the act. First he is given the name "Hugo The Great", then he is taught to ride a unicycle
first on the ground, then on the high wire. Snoopy also learns to do a back flip and his performance in the next show is more of a success.
Meanwhile back home, Lucy
has decided to board up the doorway of Snoopy's and place a sign on it which reads "Property Condemned". Charlie Brown also recounts the story of why his parents gave him a pet dog to Linus
.
Polly decides to expand the act by getting Snoopy and Fifi to do a trapeze
act. Snoopy takes to the air a little more fearlessly, Fifi is initially scared. Eventually it works out, and at the next show, combined with the back flips and the unicycle ride, they are a major success.
After the show, Polly gives Snoopy and Fifi the good news that they are officially the stars of the circus. However, her boss feels their color doesn't fit and wants them both colored pink
. She first wrestles Snoopy into a large vat of food coloring, and after he is completely pink, she goes to do the same to Fifi, but Snoopy jumps between them growling menacingly at her. After Polly shows no fear and tells him basically to get out of her way, Snoopy attacks her and wrestles her into the food coloring until she is all pink, then jumps out, and runs away, taking Fifi with him. At a bus stop, Fifi decides to return to the circus and slowly walks back towards it. Snoopy then boards the bus crying.
Back home, Charlie Brown is awakened by the shower running because Snoopy is washing the pink food coloring off him. Charlie Brown sees him exiting the bathroom, but says nothing. Snoopy then makes himself some dinner, Snoopy is still crying over being heartbroken from Fifi, then he realizes that the Circus is her life and his home is his life, then he retreats to his doghouse. He sees what only Lucy did to it, rips up the sign, and tears the boards off the house. He goes to bed after illuminating a big blinking neon sign which reads "Hugo The Great".
DVD in the UK from Firefly Entertainment in 2004. It was also included with the deluxe He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown
DVD in the US from Warner Home Video
on September 21, 2010.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
TV specials based upon the popular comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, by Charles M. Schulz
Charles M. Schulz
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.-Early life and education:Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz grew up in Saint Paul...
. It was originally aired on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network on October 24, 1980.
Synopsis
Snoopy is lying on top of his doghouse when he hears music. He follows the music and finds a circus unloading. Among other animals, he sees three poodles, and immediately latches onto the white one (whom the audience later learns is named Fifi). He follows her to the entrance of the big topBig Top
Big Top may refer to:* Big top , the biggest tent in early-20th century circuses, where the circus itself took place* Big Top , a Transformers character* Big Top , a children's television series in the 1950s...
with his tongue hanging out and his pupils shaped like hearts, then stops. Polly, the dog's trainer, sees Snoopy and pulls him inside.
The next day, Peppermint Patty
Peppermint Patty
Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. A freckle-faced auburn/brunette, she is one of a small group in the strip who lives across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends...
calls Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...
to tell him her school gave all students the day off to see the circus, Charlie Brown tells her that his school will be closed too and they decide to attend the circus together. At the circus the children see Snoopy perform as part of a dog act. They all realize it is Snoopy, and eventually relish in his new "career", despite Snoopy's shortcomings, being completely untrained. However, Charlie Brown isn't having any of it, exclaiming Snoopy's career is being his dog.
Later that night, Charlie Brown realizes Snoopy has not returned. He goes to the circus site in time to see Snoopy enter a boxcar, still following Fifi. The gate of the boxcar slams shut on him, and the circus train
Circus train
A circus train is a modern method of conveyance for circus troupes. One of the larger users of circus trains is the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus , a famous American circus formed when the Ringling Brothers Circus purchased the Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1907.In 1872 the P.T...
pulls away.
Polly slowly trains Snoopy to become part of the act. First he is given the name "Hugo The Great", then he is taught to ride a unicycle
Unicycle
A unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
first on the ground, then on the high wire. Snoopy also learns to do a back flip and his performance in the next show is more of a success.
Meanwhile back home, Lucy
Lucy van Pelt
Lucille "Lucy" van Pelt is a fictional character in the syndicated comic strip :Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the main bully and the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy is a crabby and cynical eight-year old girl, and often bullies the other characters in the strip,...
has decided to board up the doorway of Snoopy's and place a sign on it which reads "Property Condemned". Charlie Brown also recounts the story of why his parents gave him a pet dog to Linus
Linus van Pelt
Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....
.
Polly decides to expand the act by getting Snoopy and Fifi to do a trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
act. Snoopy takes to the air a little more fearlessly, Fifi is initially scared. Eventually it works out, and at the next show, combined with the back flips and the unicycle ride, they are a major success.
After the show, Polly gives Snoopy and Fifi the good news that they are officially the stars of the circus. However, her boss feels their color doesn't fit and wants them both colored pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
. She first wrestles Snoopy into a large vat of food coloring, and after he is completely pink, she goes to do the same to Fifi, but Snoopy jumps between them growling menacingly at her. After Polly shows no fear and tells him basically to get out of her way, Snoopy attacks her and wrestles her into the food coloring until she is all pink, then jumps out, and runs away, taking Fifi with him. At a bus stop, Fifi decides to return to the circus and slowly walks back towards it. Snoopy then boards the bus crying.
Back home, Charlie Brown is awakened by the shower running because Snoopy is washing the pink food coloring off him. Charlie Brown sees him exiting the bathroom, but says nothing. Snoopy then makes himself some dinner, Snoopy is still crying over being heartbroken from Fifi, then he realizes that the Circus is her life and his home is his life, then he retreats to his doghouse. He sees what only Lucy did to it, rips up the sign, and tears the boards off the house. He goes to bed after illuminating a big blinking neon sign which reads "Hugo The Great".
Voice cast
- Michael Mandy - Charlie Brown
- Brent Hauer - Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt
- Casey Carlson - Polly
- Earl "Rocky" Reilly - Linus van Pelt
- Kristen Fullerton - Lucy van Pelt
- Shannon Cohn - Marcie
- Christopher Donohoe - Schroeder
- Bill MelendezBill MelendezJosé Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series...
- Snoopy
DVD releases
The TV Special was included with the It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie BrownIt's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz...
DVD in the UK from Firefly Entertainment in 2004. It was also included with the deluxe He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown
He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown
He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown is the fifth prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on February 14, 1968...
DVD in the US from Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
on September 21, 2010.