Snoopy Come Home

"If I don't find out what happened to Snoopy, I think I'll go out of my mind!"

"If you'll calm down for a minute, Charlie Brown, I may able to conduct a little private investigation."

"Just what I need, a blanket-carrying Sherlock Holmes!"

Snoopy (Melendez) is an independent dog.  One day he receives a letter from a little girl named Lila (Baer).  Lila is in the hospital and needs him to visit.  He immediately packs a bag and leaves with Woodstock in tow.  Charlie Brown (Webber) and his friends are shocked at Snoopy's departure.

On the way to Lila, Snoopy and Woodstock encounter Clara (Ercoli), an over-enthusiastic little girl.  She is thrilled to find a "sheepdog and a parrot" and decides to forcefully keep them.  Snoopy and Woodstock manage to escape and find Lila in the hospital.  Lila starts to get better and asks Snoopy to move in with her.  When Snoopy decides to return with Lila, what will Charlie Brown and his friends do?


In the 1960s-1970s, Charles Schulz worked with Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson to create new Peanuts films, based on ideas from his comic strip.  In 1969 they created A Boy Named Charlie Brown, and decided to make this film a stand-alone sequel in 1972.  The story for this film is an expansion of a story from the comics.

Regular composer, Vince Guaraldi, did not write music for this film.  This is the only Peanuts film, made during his lifetime, that did not feature songs by Guaraldi.  The songs for this film were composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.  The Sherman Brothers do a decent job capturing the tone of the story, and they clearly have fun with the lyrics.  The songs are good, but the one that sticks with you the longest is the tongue-twisting "Fundamental-Friend-Dependability", which is reminiscent of other Sherman Brothers tunes (it is fast paced and makes you work for it).

This was Woodstock's film debut, and he is as lovable as usual.  This is also the first time the audience can see Snoopy's thoughts, like in the comics.  Peppermint Patty has her first big role in a Peanuts film, and her chemistry with Snoopy is fun.  I love how the casts relationships with Snoopy are explored here, especially his unique interactions with Lucy.

It is an ok Peanuts film.  When it was released, critics liked it but it bombed with audiences.  This film tackles loss and is emotional for the characters.  They have good times as well, but much of the film involves the characters crying over Snoopy and trying to cope with him leaving.  The film handles these emotions well, but feels like it's trying to hard.  I don't remember watching this film as a child, and as an adult I didn't love it.  The story is fine, the songs are fine, but they aren't as happy and memorable as other Peanuts films.  I can see children loving this film and crying along with the characters.

Not my favorite Peanuts film, but still a good and moving film.

Snoopy Come Home (1972) 80 minutes
Director: Bill Melendez
Starring: Chad Webber as Charlie Brown
Robin Kohn as Lucy Van Pelt
Stephen Shea as Linus Van Pelt
David Carey as Schroeder
Johanna Baer as Lila
Hilary Momberger as Sally Brown
Chris De Faria as Peppermint Patty
Linda Ercoli as Clara
Lynda Mendelson as Frieda
Bill Melendez as Snoopy / Woodstock