
THIS IS AMERICA, CHARLIE BROWN: THE SMITHSONIAN AND THE PRESIDENCY (TV)
Summary
One in this eight-part miniseries which stars the "Peanuts" characters as they are transported into the past and future to participate in various events in American history.
Charlie Brown and his friends visit the Smithsonian Institute and take a tour of the Air and Space Museum, taking interest in the antique aircraft and spacecraft. Next they observe the famous paintings of past United States presidents on display at the Smithsonian Art Gallery and look through the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History. They pay especial attention to an exhibit celebrating the 200th anniversary of the formation of the United States presidency, and Linus talks about the story of Abraham Lincoln’s journey from Baltimore to Gettysburg to appear at a ceremony in November 1863 to dedicate the site as a national memorial to the soldiers who died there during the Battle of Gettysburg. Charlie Brown and Linus appear in the story as newspaper boys summoned onto Lincoln’s train car before it departs. Lincoln explains that he is reluctant to make his trip, as his son Tad is quite ill at home. He explains his reasons for the journey and that there are some at Gettysburg who fear that any speech he makes will be “too political” for the proceedings. Lincoln talks to the boys about the challenges of being president and about the reasoning behind the Civil War. They leave just before the train departs, and Lincoln bids them goodbye.
Linus narrates that Lincoln spent a great deal of the train ride perfecting his speech for the occasion. He is influenced by photographs of the destruction at Gettysburg and decides to remove all names from his speech and not to mention the battle itself, opting instead to discuss larger, more moralistic issues regardless of allegiance in the Civil War. Eventually the day arrives and Lincoln is invited up to give his speech, and delivers what comes to be known as the Gettysburg Address. Linus and Charlie Brown note that despite being considered a failure at the time, the Gettysburg Address since came to be considered one of the greatest speeches of all time. The kids come across an exhibit dedicated to president Theodore Roosevelt, and they discuss his efforts to create wildlife and wilderness conservation movements. They narrate a scene depicting a visit to Yosemite Valley by Roosevelt and conservationist John Muir, who devise ways to preserve natural environments such as Yosemite. Roosevelt goes on to establish millions of acres of protected forests and parks, placing them under federal protection.
They come upon a painting of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and discuss his actions during the Great Depression, including his famous “fireside chat” radio addresses. They talk about the vast economic and employment problems plaguing the country at the time, and about ways citizens tried to make money, such as selling apples, making shelters out of improvised materials, and selling their homes and farms. The children find themselves in Washington D.C. on March 4th, 1933, the day of Roosevelt’s inauguration, and witness his inauguration address. In the weeks following his inauguration he sets aside vast sums of money for the poor, assumes federal control of banks, creates vast public works projects, provides government credit to homeowners, and provides electricity via the Tennessee Valley Authority. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: April 19, 1989 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:23
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:42721
- GENRE: Animation; Education/Information
- SUBJECT HEADING: Animation; Education/Information
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV miniseries, 1988-1989
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Lee Mendelson … Executive Producer, Writer
- Bill Melendez … Producer, Director, Writer
- Willis Pyle … Animation
- Joe Roman … Animation
- Al Pabian … Animation
- Sam Fleming … Animation
- Bill Littlejohn … Animation
- Larry Leichliter … Animation
- Burt Medall … Animation
- Steve Wahl … Animation
- Charles M. Schulz … Created by
- Dave Grusin … Music by
- Erin Chase … Voice, Charlie Brown
- Brandon Stewart … Voice, Linus Van Pelt
- Brittany Thornton … Voice, Sally Brown
- Marie Wise … Voice, Marcie
- Jason Mendelson … Voice, Peppermint Patty
- Frank Welker … Voice, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt
- Gregg Berger … Voice, Samuel
- Erica Gayle … Voice, Lucy Van Pelt
- Hal Smith … Voice, John Muir
- Bill Melendez … Voice, Snoopy
- Hakim Abdul-Samed … Voice, Franklin
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt