Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown


Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is the 13th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on January 28, 1975 and aired annually on CBS from 1975 to 2000. It has aired annually on ABC since 2001 and has been paired with A Charlie Brown Valentine since 2009. In this special, Linus attempts to give a valentine to his teacher as Charlie Brown hopes to receive a valentine.

Plot

is fond of his teacher, Miss Othmar. To show his love, he buys her a huge heart-shaped box of chocolates. However, Sally warns him it is probably not smart to fall in love with a teacher. When Linus leaves, Sally believes that he bought the candy for her and decides to make him a valentine in return. Later, Lucy goes to a puppet show held by Snoopy. At the concession stand, Lucy asks for popcorn. However, Snoopy cannot understand Lucy and he gives her first candy, then soda, and finally popcorn. With Charlie Brown narrating the show, Snoopy tells a story about true lovers.
Valentine's Day then comes and the gang brings valentine cards for everybody. At Birchwood School, Schroeder explains a box labelled "VALENTINES FOR THOSE WE LOVE" with a slot for putting the cards in. Charlie Brown brings a briefcase hoping to receive many valentines. However, after the cards are passed out, it turns out he received nothing except for one candy heart. The candy heart says, "FORGET IT, KID!". Angry by that, Charlie Brown throws the valentine box out the classroom window. Linus is also upset as he was unable to give the box of chocolates to Miss Othmar as a gift. Sally, who still believes the box of candy is for her, is dismayed when Linus attempts to go after Miss Othmar to give her the candy. Charlie Brown and Linus vent their heartbreak in different ways: Linus throws his chocolates off a bridge. What Linus does not notice is that Snoopy and Woodstock are under it catching and eating every chocolate he throws off. Charlie Brown slams his briefcase on his mailbox and kicks his mailbox, only to accidentally hurt his foot in the process. The next day, Violet gives Charlie Brown a used valentine as an apology, despite Schroeder berating her for dropping by the day after Valentine's Day and acting out of guilt. As Charlie Brown and Linus meet at the brick wall later, Charlie Brown expresses hope that Violet's pity valentine will start a trend and he will get more valentines the next year.

Voice cast

Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Shermy, Franklin, Pig-Pen, 5, and Patty make cameo appearances, but are silent.

Music score

The music score for was composed by Vince Guaraldi and conducted and arranged by John Scott Trotter. The score was recorded by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on December 30, 1973, and January 3, 1974, at Wally Heider Studios, featuring Seward McCain and Vince Lateano.
The program's theme song, "Heartburn Waltz" is performed in ten different variations.
  1. "Heartburn Waltz"
  2. "Heartburn Waltz"
  3. "Valentine Interlude"
  4. "Linus and Lucy"
  5. "Heartburn Waltz"
  6. "Piano Sonata No. 20, Op. 49 No. 2 in G Major: I. Allegro ma non troppo"
  7. "Heartburn Waltz"
  8. "Linus and Lucy"
  9. "Paw Pet Overture"
  10. "Nocturne in E major, Op. 9, No. 2" "
  11. "Heartburn Waltz"
  12. "Never Again"
  13. "Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116"
  14. "Woodstock's Mambo"
  15. "Heartburn Waltz"
  16. "Jennie L."
  17. "Heartburn Waltz"
  18. "Valentine Interlude No. 2"
  19. "Heartburn Waltz"
  20. "There's Been a Change"
  21. "Woodstock's Revenge"
  22. "Heartburn Waltz"
  23. "Heartburn Waltz"
  24. "Nocturne in E major, Op. 9, No. 2"
No official soundtrack for Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown was released. However, a mono version of "Heartburn Waltz" was first released in 1998 on Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits, marking the first time any music cues from the special received a general release.
In the mid-2000s, recording session master tapes for seven 1970s-era Peanuts television specials scored by Guaraldi were discovered by his son, David Guaraldi. This resulted in four additional cues — "Never Again", "Heartburn Waltz", "There's Been a Change" and "Heartburn Waltz" — being made available on the compilation album, Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2.

Home media

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown was released on VHS in the 1980s by Kartes Video Communications, Media Home Entertainment and its Hi-Tops Video subsidiary through the "Snoopy's Home Video Library" collection. That release cut out the part in the opening scene where Snoopy keeps shooting arrows, then in 1994 by Paramount Home Entertainment. Paramount released the special in 2003 on DVD with You're in Love, Charlie Brown and It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown. It was rereleased on January 15, 2008 by Warner Bros. Home Video in a "remastered deluxe edition" with a new bonus featurette, "Unlucky in Love: An Unrequited Love Story". Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown has also been released on laserdisc, and is available on iTunes.