Lee Mendelson (1933–2019) was the man behind the scenes. He preferred it that way. The Californian had run into success as a local documentarian, winning a Peabody Award and producing a documentary on Willie Mays. Soon he decided to shoot a documentary on another California legend: Charles Schulz.
In just six months “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was produced as a 20-minute Christmas special. (Lee Mendelson Film Productions)
Schulz was the creator of the comic strip “Peanuts,” known for its classic characters Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy. Mendelson’s characteristic of jumping the gun often worked in his favor, even when at first it didn’t. Schulz agreed to Mendelson’s idea of the documentary. While Mendelson was driving to meet with Schulz, he heard a jazz band on the radio that he thought would be perfect for the documentary’s soundtrack. It was the Vince Guaraldi Trio….