Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)

Infobox Film
name = Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown
(and Don't Come Back!!)


caption =
director = Bill Meléndez
Phil Roman
producer =
writer = Charles M. Schulz
narrator =
starring = Arrin Skelley
Laura Planting
Casey Carlson
Daniel Anderson
Annalisa Bortolin
Scott Beach
Bill Meléndez
music = Ed Bogas
Clarence Smith
Doris Day
Jule Styne
The Andrew Sisters
Sammy Fain
cinematography = Nick Vasu
editing =
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = May 30, 1980
runtime = 75 min
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by = "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?" (1983)
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0080461

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) is a 1980 animated film produced by United Feature Syndicate for Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Meléndez. It was the fourth and last full-length feature film to be based on the "Peanuts" comic strip.

This film is followed three years later by a television special, "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?", in which the Peanuts gang see several memorials and places related to World Wars I and II.

Unlike most other Peanuts animated adaptations, this film is one of the few to prominently feature adults in both on-screen and speaking parts, without the use of the signature trombone speech ("wah-wah") sound effect. The three adults that are featured include a London black cab driver who takes Snoopy to Wimbledon, a French teacher, and the Baron (who is seen only as a silhouette).

This film provided a unique opportunity to showcase Snoopy's "Flying Ace" persona, having him chug root beers with Woodstock at the local tavern while listening to World War II-era pop standards such as "Sentimental Journey", "Rum and Coca-Cola", "It's Been a Long, Long Time,"and "I'll Be Seeing You."

In addition, the scene in the classroom involving an escalating confrontation between Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, who are forced to share a desk, was based on a series of "Peanuts" strips originally published in 1975. In the original newspaper strips, Charlie Brown and his friends were sent across town to Patty's school after their own school collapsed ("committed suicide", Sally maintained).

Plot

The story begins with Linus introducing to his class two French students named Babette and Jacques, who will be spending two weeks at Charlie Brown's school in order to get accustomed with the United States. As part of the exchange program, Charlie Brown & Linus will be going to France. When Charlie Brown arrives home, he finds a letter in the mailbox, and it's for him. However, it's written in French, which he can't read. As he ponders the letter, he receives a call from Peppermint Patty, who explains that she and Marcie will also be going to France as exchange students. Soon afterward at the airport, the foursome are seen off by their friends, who cry out, "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown!" followed without missing a beat by the ever-sarcastic Lucy van Pelt (who was not invited) with, "And don't come back!" Snoopy and Woodstock are also travelling along, though Snoopy and Charlie Brown manage to get upgraded to First Class, while the others ride Second Class. During the plane trip, Charlie Brown shows the letter he received to the others in Second Class. Marcie, who had been studying French, translates the letter. The letter greets Charlie Brown, and makes notice that he is welcome to stay at the "Chateau du Mal Voisin" ("The House of the Bad Neighbor"). After reading that the letter is from a girl named Violette, Peppermint Patty asks who she could be, to which Charlie Brown replies that he has no idea.

The gang first arrives in London (complete with "Rule Britannia" playing in the soundtrack), and each presents a passport. Woodstock and Snoopy, who is donning a bowler hat, cane, and suitcase are the first to present their passports. Charlie Brown is mortified when he has to present his passport and pleadingly shouts out, "We're on our way to France, sir. I have nothing to declare, sir! I throw myself on the mercy of the court!" The gang then goes on a sightseeing tour of downtown London on a red double-decker bus. However, Snoopy and Woodstock are separated from the gang for some tennis at Wimbledon. Snoopy participates in a friendly match against an unknown opponent after doffing his posh gear, taking out his racquet, and putting on a tennis visor. After three volleys, Snoopy finds himself down Love-40. He contests the last call as being on the line, to which the referee responds, "The ball was in. Love-40! Play, please!" Snoopy then lashes out in a John McEnroe-style tantrum that includes smashing his racquet on the ground six times and drop-kicking it, screaming "AAAUGH!" after which he walks over to the referee's seat and lets the air out of his tire and laughs to which the referee responds "Mr. Snoopy!", but as the chair is about to fall, he quickly blows up the tire and quickly screws back on the cap and makes a run for it, and eventually gets thrown out the prestigious wrought-iron front gates of Wimbledon. After the incident, Snoopy and Woodstock flag down a black cab and when asked "Where to, guv'nor?" by the cab driver, he states his destination in his usual, indecipherable growly voice. The cab driver's response is one that is rather stereotypical of cockney Londoners ("Blimey, it's a bit dicey understandin' these Yanks. Bit odd, mate. I'm feelin' proper Charlie not understandin' you, but...could you say it slow, once more?") Eventually, the destination is determined to be Victoria station.

At Victoria station, Snoopy and Woodstock rejoin the gang for a two-hour train ride on the Orient Express to Calais. When they arrive in Calais, the gang boards a France-bound hovercraft at a dock near the English Channel. The hovercraft ride to France lasts for 45 minutes. Snoopy and Woodstock are concerned about the fact that the hovercraft is deflated, and he kicks it to find out if it is broken; however, when the vehicle starts up, inflates, and churns up the sand, the two of them are blown across the beach appearing as dizzy fuzzballs. After reboarding the Orient Express in Epernay the gang eventually arrives at Gare de l'Est in France and has to pick up their rental car from the Champs-Élysées - a broken-down royal blue Citroën 2CV (the car famously known as the Deux Chevaux) with a dented bumper, a dodgy transmission, and a bad exhaust. When asked who will drive, Snoopy volunteers. Snoopy changes outfits yet again - a flat cap and driver's gloves - and as he makes a right turn out of the rental car lot, he is rear-ended by a fast-moving vehicle. This, in turn, creates a chain-reaction accident involving numerous vehicles, including a lorry. Marcie stands up along with Snoopy through the sun roof and begins to scream in French at the other drivers while Snoopy responds with a series of rude gestures, both of which raise the ire of the other drivers who respond in garbled French and point to the damage to their respective vehicles. Charlie gets a loaf of bread, but Snoopy steals one end of the bread and hides it in the trunk. It is noticed the car runs more smoothly since it had "been given" a loaf of bread, much to the embarrassment of Charlie Brown and the amusement of Peppermint Patty and the others.

Experiences in France

The first stop is the farmhouse where Peppermint Patty and Marcie will be staying with Pierre - a ginger-haired, freckle-faced, large-nosed boy about their age who speaks broken English. Peppermint Patty and Marcie immediately get stuck in doing chores off school time such as threshing hay and loading it onto wagons to be moved to the loft, much to Patty's disdain. She also finds the cuisine quite surprising - cheese, sausages, and soup are eaten for breakfast. While Marcie seems to adjust quite well, Peppermint Patty clearly experiences significant culture shock. There is also some tension among the three - Peppermint Patty makes no bones about her affection for Pierre, whereas, it will be learned later, Pierre has his eye on Marcie. When Pierre learns that Charlie Brown and Linus are to go to the Chateau du Mal Voisin, he says that it is impossible. When Charlie Brown produces the letter, Pierre says that Violette is the niece of the Baron who owns the chateau, and that if she sent the letter, the baron cannot have known about it - he is a recluse and hates everyone.

The next stop is the Chateau du Mal Voisin (the chateau is the same chateau where Charles Schulz lived during World War II). A horrible thunderstorm has descended upon the area, and the boys are soaked to the bone when they arrive at the chateau and find no answer at the door. Lighting also strikes Snoopy and Woodstock at one point. They are forced to spend the night in a disused stable with nothing but Linus' trusty security blanket.

That night, Snoopy and Woodstock head down to the local pub to down a few pints - the pints are labeled "Root Beer" so as to give no indication that he is drinking actual beer. Snoopy places a coin in the jukebox and selects a number of songs (listed above). The songs that are upbeat such as "Rum and Coca Cola" by The Andrew Sisters and "Sentimental Journey" by Doris Day make Snoopy laugh and smile whereas the sadder songs "It's Been a Long, Long Time" by Jule Styne and "I'll Be Seeing You" by Sammy Fain make him sad and want to drown his sorrows in additional pints (that continuously make him drunk). This scene is one that is very similar to the 1966 Animated TV Special "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

The next morning, Charlie Brown and Linus find hot tea and croissants for breakfast and warm blankets on their shivering bodies. They do not know yet that their benefactor is none other than Violette. The two meet up with Pierre, Patty and Marcie at a public school (it is likely that Violette is home-schooled, for she is not in class with them despite her similar age). The gang is introduced in French by Pierre, and the teacher states that the class will be conducted half in English and half in French. Peppermint Patty sits with Charlie Brown, while Marcie sits with Pierre (it is not known who Linus sits with, if with anyone). Throughout the entire day, Peppermint Patty does nothing but hassle Charlie Brown, even going so far as to fall asleep in class. When the teacher asks how much does 25 go into 75, Charlie Brown responds, when the teacher asks if he heard the question, that there must have been an airplane flying over (an obvious reference to Patty's snoring). When she asks again, referring to Patty as "Patricia", (the first time in any Charlie Brown special that her full name is used), she is startled awake and answers "12" and "6." Charlie Brown responds with the correct answer - "3" - and from that point on, war is declared. Patty complains about every little thing that Charlie Brown does, only to finally break him as he shouts out, "WILL YOU STOP CRITICIZING ME?!" They are both sent to the office of "Le Directeur", also known as the Principal or Headmaster.

The Secret Revealed

The boys still have no idea who is helping them through the night. One night, Charlie Brown and Linus agree to take turns standing watch to identify their mysterious benefactor. That night, the Baron is going down the pub and he instructs Violette not to let the boys in. "Why can't we have peace?" he asks rhetorically. Violette does not agree with her uncle's beliefs, and wants to be hospitable, to which the baron replies that such flights of fancy are foolish, and she is warned sternly to leave them alone. Linus stands watch and, during Charlie Brown's watch, he falls asleep. Linus wakes up and grimaces to see Charlie Brown asleep with a smile on his face as Violette has covered him with his blanket. Linus sees that the blankets have been fixed and new food has been put out, so he gets up and attempts to follow. He notices someone walking inside bearing a candle. Linus follows, entering the chateau for the first time. He follows the light through the foyer and parlor, eventually heading up to the top floor. The light moves down a long hallway and through a door, down which Linus carefully sneaks. He peaks through the keyhole and sees a young girl with auburn hair dressed in a white shirt and lavender pinafore dress looking through some documents and photographs. Linus quietly enters the room, startling Violette.

Violette confesses that inviting Charlie Brown to the chateau was a mistake, and that if her uncle were to return and find them, they would "be in great danger." Persistent to the last, Linus refuses to leave and makes Violette explain herself. She then tells the story - her grandmother had often told her the story of a wartime love affair that she had with a man known as Silas Brown, Charlie Brown's grandfather. She then produces a black-and-white photograph of a soldier who bears a striking resemblance to Charlie Brown and a curly-haired woman smiling daintily. Silas was an infantryman stationed in France during World War II, and stayed at the chateau. There, he met Violette's grandmother and they fell in love. When Silas received his marching orders, he promised to write letters to his love; however, they eventually stopped coming. Violette's grandmother moved on, marrying and having a family; however, "she never forgot the charming American."

The chateau burns

As Linus and Violette are talking, Charlie Brown is sleeping and Snoopy and Woodstock are having one of their late nights at the pub playing foosball and as Snoopy downs multiple pints of root beer. The baron, who frequents the same pub, knows about the boys and has tolerated them long enough - he confides in the bartender, François, that if they do not leave, he will have to take "drastic steps" to remove them. "I'm going to have to get rid of them in my way!" he warns, pounding on the bar. He returns home to Violette's surprise, and in her rush to usher Linus out of the room, the candle falls down and ignites an old curtain. The curtain bursts into flame, and with a scream, Linus takes Violette out of the attic storage area and towards a pair of casement windows. He throws them open and shouts for Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown awakens to see flames leaping from several windows of the chateau, and the baron running around in circles screaming, "Ma petite, Violette"!". Charlie Brown runs down the road screaming, "Fire! Fire! Help!" He makes it quickly to the pub where Snoopy and Woodstock are, and as they rush off to the chateau to help, Charlie Brown continues running to Pierre's farmhouse and points out in the distance that "The chateau is on fire!" Pierre says that he will call "Les pompiers" (the Fire Department) while Peppermint Patty and Marcie rush out in their nightclothes barefoot towards the chateau.

When Snoopy and Woodstock arrive back at the chateau, it is fully involved. Snoopy immediately heads to a shed adjacent to a creek that runs through the chateau's property and brings out an early 20th Century fire pump with hose and brass nozzle. Linus and Violette remain near the attic window trying to get some air while Charlie Brown, Marcie, and Peppermint Patty arrive and tell Linus and Violette to jump. Linus throws down his blanket to use as a trampoline. Violette jumps and bounces on the blanket to safety. The kids then run, leaving Linus stranded (for some unknown reason). Snoopy grabs a tub of water and Linus jumps in with a Peanuts-characteristic "AAUGH!" and lands with a hearty splash. Snoopy shimmies off and, in a growly voice, commands Charlie Brown and Linus to work the pump. They do so; however, Snoopy is not prepared for the intense water pressure and is spun around, splashing Charlie Brown. He grimaces while Snoopy shrugs and grins helplessly and Linus continues to work the pump. Eventually, the water begins pumping again, but out pops Woodstock with a violin - he begins playing along to the dramatic scene music provided by a full string orchestra. The water then begins to flow and Snoopy's stream of water strikes the upper window. At this point, the roof has been half-destroyed, the attic is in ruins, and the fire is descending to the second floor.

While Snoopy is working the hose, he hears a siren and a fire truck arrives, screeches to a halt, and three shadowed firefighters arrive. One works a fire gun from the top of the tanker to strike at the lower floors and stop the fire's progression while another climbs a ladder and works the roof. Eventually, with a decrescendo from the orchestra, the fire is extinguished.

Epilogue

At the end of the movie the gang is relaxing in the chateau's parlor (which escaped unscathed from the fire): they are the first outsiders to be allowed into the chateau according to Pierre. The Baron, thankful they saved the chateau, has a change of heart and promises that he will never be so mean and unhospitable again. Charlie Brown learns the full truth behind the mysterious letter he received. Later in life, Violette's grandmother married and she had a family. Many years ago, a friend of Violette's family, an American, stopped in a small village to have his hair cut. The barber was Charlie Brown's father. It was then that Violette found out about Charlie Brown, and unbeknownst to her uncle's anger, she wrote the letter inviting him to stay. Marcie bluntly points out that Charlie Brown never answered her, much to his embarrassment (although it should be remembered that the letter arrived just before Charlie Brown left for France, and that he had no knowledge of French). Peppermint Patty chimes in tearfully that the entire romantic story is wasted on him.

As the gang are leaving the chateau (presumably much later since the chateau is looking much better), Violette gives the satchel belonging to Silas Brown to Charlie Brown with kisses on his cheeks. Peppermint Patty puckers up with her eyes closed hoping to get a kiss from Pierre only to get a smooch from Snoopy. When told by Peppermint Patty to shake Pierre's hand and tell him they had a good time, Marcie leaps up and hugs Pierre tightly with a brilliant smile. Finally, Linus bids adieu to Violette, as does Snoopy with a kiss to her hand and a hug, whereas Marcie and Pierre appear to be almost kissing. He shakes Pierre's hand and hops in the beat-up station wagon. As they turn onto the road, the wagon is again rear-ended by multiple cars (a reprise of the accident scene near the Champs-Élysées). Once Marcie is done screaming epithets in French, Snoopy takes off and the movie ends with the station wagon bouncing down the road and Snoopy laughing joyfully.

Trivia

*In the VHS release, the scenes with the French teacher and Snoopy's traffic jam at the Moulin Rouge are cut.

*On the plane, when a fake movie "Laughing Bunnies" starts, the 1975 Paramount Pictures logo is used.

*According to Charles Schulz, the manor is based upon a French chateau he resided in as an American soldier during World War II. The drive up to the manor is identical to the route to the same chateau.

*Much of the background music that plays when Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy are in the chateau unattended for is a slower version of the James Bond theme.

*The 1983 TV special "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?", in which the gang visit war memorials, takes place following the conclusion of the movie.

ee also

*List of animated feature-length films


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Charlie Brown's Super Book of Questions and Answers —   …   Wikipedia

  • Bon Voyage — is a French phrase borrowed into English meaning, literally, good journey , and usually translated as meaning have a good trip .Ex: Bon Voyage, my love! Bon voyage may also refer to:Film and television* Bon Voyage (1944 film), a short propaganda… …   Wikipedia

  • Charlie Brown — For other people named Charlie Brown, see Charles Brown (disambiguation). Charlie Brown Peanuts character First appearance October 2, 1950 (Comic Strip) Last appearance …   Wikipedia

  • Charlie Brown — Charles M. Schulz dessinant Charlie Brown Charlie Brown est le personnage principal du comic strip Peanuts. Il est le maître de Snoopy, le célèbre chien de la bande dessinée. Le personnage de Charlie Brown s inspire de la vie même de son créateur …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gute Reise, Charlie Brown — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel Gute Reise, Charlie Brown Originaltitel Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and don t come back) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving — Infobox Film name = A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving imdb id = 0068359 producer =Bill Melendez Lee Mendelson writer = Charles M. Schulz starring = Bill Melendez (Snoopy Woodstock) Todd Barbee (Charlie Brown) Stephen Shea (Linus) Hilary Momberger… …   Wikipedia

  • What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? — is an animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz, who introduced the special. It originally aired on the CBS network May 30, 1983.The special directly follows the feature film Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown… …   Wikipedia

  • Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown — Infobox Film name = Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown image size = caption = Promotional poster for Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown director = Bill Melendez Phil Roman (co director) producer = Bill Melendez Lee Mendelson writer = Charles M.… …   Wikipedia

  • This is America, Charlie Brown — was an eight part animated TV mini series, depicting events in American history with characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts . It aired from 1988 to 1989 on CBS. These eight episodes, originally released singly on videocasette,… …   Wikipedia

  • Snoopy, Come Home — Snoopy, Come Home! Theatrical release poster Directed by Bill Meléndez Produced by …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”