A Charlie Brown Christmas Page #2

why I should memorize this.

I'll give you five good reasons:

One, two, three, four, five.

Those are good reasons.

Christmas is not only

getting too commercial...

...it's getting too dangerous.

And get rid of that stupid blanket.

What's a Christmas shepherd

gonna look like...

...holding a stupid blanket like that?

Well, this is one Christmas shepherd...

...who's going to keep his trusty blanket

with him.

See? You wouldn't hit

an innocent shepherd, would you?

Okay, Mr. Director, the cast is set.

Take over.

All right, let's have it quiet.

Places, everybody.

Schroeder, set the mood for first scene.

[PLAYING VINCE GUARALDIS

"LINUS & LUCY"]

Cut, cut. No, no, no.

Look, let's rehearse the scene at the inn.

-Frieda, this is--

-We can't go on. There's too much dust.

It's taking the curl

out of my naturally curly hair.

Don't think of it as dust.

Think of it as maybe the soil

of some great past civilization.

Maybe the soil of ancient Babylon.

It staggers the imagination.

He may be carrying soil

that was trod upon by Solomon.

Or even Nebuchadnezzar.

It sort of makes you wanna treat me

with more respect, doesn't it?

You're an absolute mess.

Just look at yourself.

On the contrary,

I didn't think I'd look that good.

Sally, come here.

-What do you want her for?

-She's gonna be your wife.

Good grief.

Isn't he the cutest thing?

He has the nicest sense of humor.

-Lunch break, lunch break.

-Lunch break?

All right, now,

there's no time for foolishness.

We've got to get on with our play.

That's right. What about my part?

What about the Christmas queen, hmm?

Are you going to let all this beauty

go to waste?

You do think I'm beautiful, don't you,

Charlie Brown?

You didn't answer me right away.

You had to think about it first, didn't you?

If you really had thought I was beautiful,

you would've spoken right up.

I know when I've been insulted.

I know when I've been insulted.

Good grief.

All right, let's take it from the top again.

Places. Action.

[PLAYING VINCE GUARALDIS

"LINUS & LUCY"]

Charlie Brown, isn't it a great play?

That does it.

Now, look, if we're ever to get this play

off the ground...

...we've gotta have some cooperation.

What's the matter, Charlie Brown?

Don't you think it's great?

-It's all wrong.

-Look, Charlie, let's face it.

We all know that Christmas

is a big commercial racket.

It's run by a big Eastern syndicate,

you know.

Well, this is one play

that's not gonna be commercial.

-Look, Charlie Brown, what do you want?

-The proper mood.

-We need a Christmas tree.

-Hey, perhaps a tree.

A great big, shiny,

aluminum Christmas tree.

That's it, Charlie Brown. You get the tree.

I'll handle this crowd.

Okay. I'll take Linus with me.

The rest of you practice your lines.

Get the biggest aluminum tree you can find,

Charlie Brown, maybe painted pink.

Yeah, do something right for a change,

Charlie Brown.

I don't know, Linus. I just don't know.

Well, I guess we'd better concentrate

on finding a nice Christmas tree.

I suggest we try those searchlights,

Charlie Brown.

[HOLLOW METAL ECHOING]

This really brings Christmas close

to a person.

Fantastic.

LINUS:
Gee, do they still make

wooden Christmas trees?

CHARLIE:
This little green one here

seems to need a home.

I don't know, Charlie Brown.

Remember what Lucy said?

This doesn't seem to fit the modern spirit.

I don't care.

We'll decorate it,

and it'll be just right for our play.

Besides, I think it needs me.

This is the music I've selected

for the Christmas play.

[PLAYING BEETHOVEN'S "FR ELISE"]

What kind of Christmas music is that?

Beethoven Christmas music.

What has Beethoven got to do

with Christmas?

Everyone talks

about how great Beethoven was.

Beethoven wasn't so great.

What do you mean,

Beethoven wasn't so great?

He never got his picture

on bubble-gum cards, did he?

Have you ever seen his picture

on a bubble-gum card?

-Hmm?

-How can you say someone is great...

...who's never had his picture

on bubble-gum cards?

Good grief.

[UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC STOPS]

[PLAYING BEETHOVEN'S "FR ELISE"]

Say, by the way,

can you play "Jingle Bells"?

[PLAYING "JINGLE BELLS"]

No, no. I mean "Jingle Bells."

You know, deck them halls

and all that stuff.

[PLAYING "JINGLE BELLS"

ON ELECTRIC ORGAN]

No, no. You don't get it at all.

I mean "Jingle Bells."

You know, Santa Claus and ho-ho-ho.

And mistletoe

and presents to pretty girls.

[PLAYING "JINGLE BELLS" OFF KEY]

That's it!

We're back.

Boy, are you stupid, Charlie Brown.

-What kind of a tree is that?

-You were supposed to get a good tree.

Can't you even tell a good tree

from a poor tree?

I told you he'd goof it up.

He's not the kind you can depend on

to do anything right.

-You're hopeless, Charlie Brown.

-Completely hopeless.

Rats.

You've been dumb before, Charlie Brown,

but this time you really did it.

What a tree.

[ALL LAUGHING]

I guess you were right, Linus.

I shouldn't have picked this little tree.

Everything I do turns into a disaster.

I guess I really don't know

what Christmas is all about.

Isn't there anyone

who knows what Christmas is all about?

Sure, Charlie Brown.

I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Lights, please.

And there were in the same country

shepherds abiding in the field...

...keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord

came upon them...

...and the glory of the Lord shone round

about them...

...and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them:

"Fear not, for, behold,

I bring you tidings of great joy...

...which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day,

in the city of David, a savior...

...which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you.

Ye shall find the babe wrapped

in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

And suddenly, there was with the angel...

...a multitude of the heavenly host

praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth,

peace, goodwill toward men."

That's what Christmas is all about,

Charlie Brown.

LINUS [VOICE-OVER]: For, behold,

I bring you tidings of great joy...

...which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day...

...in the city of David, a savior,

which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you.

Linus is right.

I won't let all this commercialism

ruin my Christmas.

I'll take this little tree home

and decorate it...

...and I'll show them it really will work

in our play.

First prize?

Oh, well.

This commercial dog

is not going to ruin my Christmas.

I've killed it. Oh....

Everything I touch gets ruined.

I never thought

it was such a bad little tree.

It's not bad at all, really.

Maybe it just needs a little love.

Charlie Brown is a blockhead,

but he did get a nice tree.

[HUMMING "HARK! THE HERALD

ANGELS SING"]

What's going on here?

ALL:

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.

[ALL SINGING "HARK! THE HERALD

ANGELS SING"]

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