Charlie Brown Returns

December 19, 2006

Tonight at 8 pm on ABC 7 television, local cartoon hero Charlie Brown returns to the small screen in "I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown". This 2003 show appears to be the 45th Charlie Brown special following the 1965 classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" that was produced in Burlingame by Lee Mendelson-Bill Melendez Productions.

I seem to recall the Mendelson-Melendez offices being on Primrose and some local "kids" who aren't kids anymore performing the voice parts. You can read more about the 1965 classic at http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon_information/18826-A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas.

Anyone recall the local kids' names?

– Written by admin

Posted in Burlingame’s Best

5 responses to “Charlie Brown Returns”

Anonymous

December 20, 2006

Glenn Mendelson was one of the voices–not sure which one and a young lady named Sally Dryer(sp?)–she used ot have a frame shop on California Drive was another voice.
Anonymous

December 20, 2006

Is she a newscaster now?
Cathryn Baylock

December 20, 2006

Here is a great article on Lee Mendelson from the Stanford Alumni magazine. http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1997/novdec/articles/mendelson
Lee Mendelson Productions is still headquartered in Burlingame on Primrose Road.
p.s. Jeriann, the newscaster you are thinking of is Diane Dwyer from channel 4 news…
sue

December 20, 2006

My brother actually filled in as Charlie Brown’s voice for 3 lines….the “real” Charlie Brown got sick, as I recall and couldn’t complete all the lines before the production deadline.
On another note, there were eight of us (I believe) who were chosen to sing in the Charlie Brown Valentine Special. I was one of them. I still have the 45 somewhere of the recording.
sue

December 20, 2006

Here’s what they say on Amaon.com regarding the voices. I went to school with Jeff Ornstein…don’t believe he is around any more. Don’t know who Karen Mendelson is either…not the daughter of Lee, however. I’m sure Glenn would know.

Ann Altieri as Freida
Sally Dryer as Violet
Karen Mendelson as Patty
Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown
Kathy Steinberg as Sally Brown
Chris Doran as Schroeder and Shermy
Bill Melendez as Snoopy
Geoffrey Ornstein as Pig-Pen
Christopher Shea as Linus van Pelt
Tracy Stratford as Lucy Van Pelt

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