Original PEANUTS Specials Cast Interviewed

49 years ago A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS aired on CBS. Wow. That's a lot of years.

We all know that since then it's become an institution. We all know the lines and the music. I mean, when you see this quote, you can hear the voice, right?

"All I want is what I... I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share."

And this is the voice from 1965:


Marc Tyler Nobleman remembers and he actually went out and found the original voice actors for the PEANUTS gang.

They were all little kids then. Schulz wanted was the casting of real, actual kids. NOT professional voice actors acting like kids.

Marc catches up with them today. Stories of the production, and some great comments from the "original cast" (from the initial specials from 1965 to 1973) makes this for riveting nostalgia.

For instance:

Sally Dryer was 8 years old when she played Violet in A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS. She then played Lucy in IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN.

If you got to meet Charles Schulz, how was that? 

Tremendous. Kind, dear, quiet man. He left a huge impression on me. We went up to his property when they were working on a book or something to take photos with him, and he had invited me to come to his office, if you will, and watch him draw for a few minutes. I got to stand next to the drawing table in his office. It’s a vague memory but in his museum they have his office set up like it was, and when I saw it, it was the same.

There are more interviews all week as Marc posts them, one by one.

Go see!