There is a scene toward the end of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, where a group of friends approaches the title character on the day after Valentine’s Day.
One of them, Violet, speaks for the group and says they all feel bad about not giving Charlie Brown any Valentines the day before. She gives him one from which she has erased her name.
Schroeder steps in and says, “Hold on there! What do you think you’re doing? Who do you think you are? Where were you yesterday when everyone else was giving out valentines? Is kindness and thoughtfulness something you can make retroactive? Don’t you think he has any feelings? You and your friends are the most thoughtless bunch I’ve ever known. You don’t care anything about Charlie Brown! You just hate to feel guilty! And now you have the nerve to come around one day later and offer him a used Valentine just to ease your conscience! Well, let me tell you something: Charlie Brown doesn’t need your – “
Charlie Brown eagerly interrupts and says, “Don’t listen to him! I’ll take it!”
And, once again, Charles Schulz gets it right. As with the other classic Peanuts holiday specials, this one gets straight to the heart of human emotion – we all want and need love, even if it comes in the form of a day-old Valentine.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, which initially aired on CBS on January 28, 1975.
The special opens with a pre-title sequence where Charlie Brown is lying in front of his mailbox waiting for Valentine’s. “Good luck,” snarks Lucy. “You’re going to need it.” After not finding anything in the mailbox, Charlie Brown walks away, head down, only to be followed by Snoopy, disguised as Cupid. Snoopy attempts to shoot plunger arrows at Charlie Brown. After each misses, the beagle runs up to Charlie and places one on the side of his head.
One of the special’s other stories centers on Linus, who has a crush on his teacher, Mrs. Othmar, and looks to buy her the biggest Valentine available. He buys an oversized, heart-shaped box of chocolates at the store, but Sally, who has a crush on Linus, sees him leaving the store and thinks the Valentine gift is for her.
Linus, however, will suffer a puppy-love broken heart when he learns that Miss Othmar has a boyfriend, and, at the end of the special, he tosses the chocolates from the heart off a bridge, calling out as he throws each one: “This one is for love! And this one is for Valentine’s! This one is for romance!” Below the bridge, Snoopy and Woodstock gladly catch each chocolate in their mouth.
Linus isn’t the only one having bad luck in Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown; Lucy can’t convince the stoic and musically-focused Schroder to show any interest in romance; Snoopy puts on a romantic yet tragic “pawpet” show that doesn’t garner much of an audience, and Charlie Brown sadly brings an empty suitcase to school to bring home all his Valentines, but winds up leaving with an empty suitcase.
Schulz’s writing is brought to the screen thanks to his partners on these classic specials – director Phil Roman and producers Lee Mendelson (along with animation from such legends as Don Lusk and Bill Littlejohn).
The results are entertaining moments, such as Snoopy creating an elaborate Valentine, complete with moving parts and music, from paper and scissors, and Sally reading the entire text “How Do I Love Thee” by Elizabeth Barret Browning from a small candy heart.
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown also bears some personal stamps from Schulz and the creative team involved. For example, Charles Schulz’s friend Othmar “Jerry” Jarish inspired Miss Othmar’s name.
There are some other familiar names and faces, as well. When Schroeder calls out the names of kids in the classroom, as he hands out Valentines, they are the names of Schulz’s children. One full name that’s announced, Joanne Lansing, was the painting supervisor on this and a number of other specials.
Additionally, during the ending credits, as names appear on the screen, Snoopy holds up his “pawpet” puppets, which are caricatures of the artists and crew members.
Like the other Peanuts TV specials, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown had quite an impact on kids when it first aired fifty years ago. So many felt bad that Charlie Brown received nothing on Valentine’s Day that children created their own Valentine’s and mailed them to him.
So, in this case, art didn’t imitate life. Even though it didn’t happen in the special, in reality, good ol’ Charlie Brown had a Happy Valentine’s Day.
• Here below, is a clip. To watch the whole special (on a slant) CLICK HERE.
