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
Composer(s) Vince Guaraldi
David Benoit
Country of origin USA
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) Bill Meléndez
Running time 28 minutes
Release
First shown in August 5, 1997 (Home Video)
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 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"). 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

Marcie, Shermy, Franklin, Patty, and Frieda also appeared but had no lines.

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.

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.)

External links

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