SNOOPY COME HOME

US, 1972, 81 minutes, Colour.
Voices of Bill Melendez, Chad Webber, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea, David Carey, Johanna Baer, Hilary Momberger.
Directed by Bill Melendez.

Snoopy, Come Home is one of several full-length feature films directed by Bill Melendez from Charles Schulz’s cartoon strips. Melendez had worked in animation since the early 1940s. His career lasted sixty years. He made a number of short Charlie Brown films in the 1960s, then a feature film, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. He continued to make short films about Charlie Brown until 2003.

This film focuses on Snoopy, his going back to his previous owner, Lila, deciding he should stay with her. In the meantime, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus are searching for him.

1. Who do the characters appeal to? Do they appeal as much on the screen as they do in the comic strip? What is the nature of their appeal?

2. What is particularly characteristic of the animation of the characters? Is this in evidence in the film? Was there a good use of drawings, colour?

3. Did the songs add anything to the film? The song, No Dogs Allowed?

4. Take each of the principal characters and discuss one's response to each of them, especially Snoopy, Charley Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroder, Woodstock. How did the film visualise particular comic strips? This was in evidence at the beginning, especially about Charley Brown. What moral did these comic strips point to especially about Charley?

6. Why the particular appeal of Snoopy? What does he stand for?

7. The importance of Snoopy and the picnic at the beginning of the film? What insight into Snoopy? What atmosphere for the film? Snoopy's visiting? His concern and care and going on the visit? Snoopy's visit as a kind of odyssey? Consider the particular adventures that he met on the way, his camping, the people that he met, the refrain of No dogs allowed.

8. Why was Snoopy's visist so successful? What happiness did he bring? What effect did it have on the others? the significance of his decision to leave Charlie Brown? Why? The impact of the sequence of the speeches? The irony of the bone? The even stronger irony of his return?

9. The reactions to his return and the retrieval of gifts? The sincerity of Charley Brown as always?

10. The parables of Peanuts are always considered important. How did this film contribute to the parable value of the Peanuts comic strip?