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

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

Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Produced by
Written by Charles M. Schulz
Starring
  • Arrin Skelley
  • Daniel Anderson
  • Patricia Patts
  • Casey Carlson
  • Annalisa Bortolin
  • Laura Planting
  • Bill Melendez
Music by
  • Ed Bogas
  • Judy Munsen
  • Additional:
  • Doug Goodwin
Edited by
Production
companies
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • May 30, 1980 (1980-05-30)
Running time
 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $2 million[1]

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) is a 1980 American animated comedy-drama film produced by United Feature Syndicate and distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman. It was the fourth full-length feature film to be based on the Peanuts comic strip, and was followed three years later by a 1983 television special, What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?, in which the gang sees memorials and places related to World Wars I and II. It also use the same voice cast that worked on the 1979 Peanuts television special You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown. This film contains a rare occurrence where the adults appear on screen, including having their faces entirely visible, as well as speaking comprehensible lines.

Paramount Home Entertainment released this film on VHS in 1995, and released it to DVD on October 6, 2015.

Plot

As part of an exchange program, two French students, Babette and Jacques, are spending two weeks at Charlie Brown's school while he, Linus van Pelt, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie go to France. At the airport, the kids, along with Snoopy and Woodstock, are seen off by their friends. Lucy van Pelt, who was not invited, tells them not to come back. On the plane, Charlie Brown reveals a letter he received that was written in French. Marcie, who had been studying French, translates and says it is an invitation from Violette Honfleur to stay at the Chateau du Mal Voisin, or The House of the Bad Neighbor. Peppermint Patty asks who Violette could be, but Charlie Brown has no idea.

The group first arrives in London and goes on a sightseeing tour downtown while Snoopy and Woodstock play some tennis at Wimbledon. When he finds himself losing, Snoopy lashes out and gets thrown out, so he and Woodstock head to Victoria station and rejoin the rest of the group. From there they travel by train to Dover, on England's south shore, where they cross the English Channel via hovercraft to the French port of Calais. After renting a Citroën 2CV and loading up all their luggage, they head into the French countryside in search of their respective destinations. Their first stop is the rural village of Morville-sur-Andelle, where they are met by a red-haired farm boy named Pierre, whose family is to host Peppermint Patty and Marcie. When Pierre overhears Charlie Brown say, "We're on our way to the Chateau," he worriedly informs the girls of the danger the boys might be in, as the Chateau is owned by a reclusive and bad-tempered Baron who dislikes strangers.

As night falls, Charlie Brown and Linus continue on their way to the Chateau. It's not until well after dark that they finally arrive at the village of Le Héron, where they pass the school they will be attending, and to Snoopy's excitement, a small pub. When the boys arrive at the Chateau, Charlie Brown and Linus are shocked to find nobody home, and a fierce thunderstorm forces them to spend the night in an unused stable with nothing but Linus' blanket. That night, Snoopy, in his "World War I Flying Ace" persona, and Woodstock head down to the local pub to down a few pints of Root Beer. The next morning, Charlie Brown and Linus find that breakfast and warm blankets have been provided by an unknown benefactor. That night, the Baron leaves the Chateau to go to the pub and instructs Violette not to let the boys in. Meanwhile, they agree to take turns standing watch to identify their mysterious benefactor. During Charlie Brown's watch, Linus wakes up to see him asleep. He sees that the blankets have been fixed and new food has been put out and goes to investigate. He enters the Chateau and eventually finds Violette.

Violette says that her invitation was a serious mistake, and explains to Linus that her grandmother had told her the story of a wartime love affair that she had with Silas Brown, Charlie Brown's paternal grandfather. He was an infantryman stationed in France during the World War I, and stayed at the Chateau. When he received his marching orders, he promised to write letters which eventually stopped coming. Violette's grandmother moved on, though she never forgot him. Meanwhile, Snoopy and Woodstock are at the pub playing foosball and overhear the Baron confide in the bartender that knows about the boys and has tolerated them long enough. He returns home to Violette's surprise, and in her rush to get Linus out of the room, she accidentally knocks down a candle, which sets fire to the Chateau. Linus takes Violette towards a pair of casement windows, throws them open, and shouts for help. Charlie Brown wakes up and runs to the pub. Snoopy and Woodstock rush off to the Chateau and Charlie Brown continues running to the farmhouse. Pierre calls the fire department while Peppermint Patty and Marcie follow Charlie Brown towards the Chateau.

When Snoopy and Woodstock arrive at the Chateau, it is engulfed in flames. Snoopy immediately heads to a shed and brings out an old fashioned fire hose. Linus throws his blanket down to Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Pierre which they use to catch Violette when she jumps from the window. Snoopy moves a barrel of water under Linus who also jumps to safety. He then barks out instructions to work the hose but the intense water pressure spins him around, splashing Charlie Brown. Woodstock pops out of the hose with a violin and begins playing along to the dramatic scene. While Snoopy is working the hose, a fire truck with three shadowed fire fighters arrives and the fire is finally extinguished.

The Baron, thankful they saved his niece and the Chateau, vows that he will never be so inhospitable again. Charlie Brown learns the full truth behind the mysterious letter he received: many years ago, an American friend of Violette's family stopped in a small village to have his hair cut, and the barber was Charlie Brown's father. She found out about Charlie Brown and wrote the letter inviting him to stay. As the group leaves the Chateau to go home, she gives Silas' satchel to Charlie Brown. The group says their goodbyes and gets into their beat-up rental car to return to America.

Cast

Schroeder, Pig-Pen, Frieda, Violet, Patty, Babette, and Jacques appear but had no lines.

Music Crew

Production Crew

References

  1. ↑ Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!!) at Box Office Mojo

See also

External links

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