MovieChat Forums > It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) Discussion > Quote from Ray Bradbury...

Quote from Ray Bradbury...

posted 15 years ago by jschillig
4 replies | jump to latest

Ray Bradbury, the great author, first started developing his book "The Halloween Tree" as a response to this special. (He'd originally planned to make it a television special with his buddy Chuck Jones, but it ended up becoming a book, and didn't see the small screen until decades later.) His quote on the special?

He enjoyed the Peanuts strip and Schulz's work, but felt the special was a letdown: "They promised the kids the Great Pumpkin would arrive, but it never did. You can't do that. It's like shooting Santa Claus in the chimney, or the Easter Bunny doesn't show."

...Ray, Ray, Ray.

You're one of my very favorite authors, I love you dearly, and I only hope that one day I can write a tenth as well as you, but COULD YOU HAVE MISSED THE POINT BY ANY MORE MILES?!

[–] stefanbain 15 years ago

I read where Schultz was depressed most of his adult life. When I toured his museum in Santa Rosa, there was a lecture on how he felt it was more realistic "even necessary" to not have the Great Pumpkin arrive. He was teaching kids about life; things don't always wok out the way one wants. But at least Linus had HOPE. Schultz said it was a lesson in HOPE he was trying to show.

"not everyone gets corrupted....you have to have a little faith in people"

[–] MrBook_ 15 years ago

Hey Ray: What happened to Clarisse McLellan? HAH?? It seems like he of all people should understand why it was done this way. I have a feeling he would have in his younger days.

I AM NOT MONTEL WILLIAMS.

[–] novastar_6 14 years ago

Well let's face it, 45 years ago there weren't a lot of Halloween specials, the main one is one where they promise this Halloween figure and it never arrives? You know, in Garfield in Disguise, the pirate ghosts do show up, in Halloween is Grinch Night the Grinch does try to get down to Whoville and has his whole paraphenelia wagon full of spooks, but these came later on, and then you take the Halloween Tree with Mr. Moundshroud and his tour through ancient Egypt and Notre Dame and Mexico and, I think England, or Ireland, wherever the witches were said to originate from...they all delivered, but they all came later on, Great Pumpkin was one of the first and it has Linus waiting the whole night for nothing.

[–] borax76 14 years ago

I definitely agree with that idea. I felt so bummed as kid, but now the Great Pumpkin shows up every year, this special always brings back those childhood memories of Halloween, often my favorites.

We have ghosts.