The Only Magazine for Children's Art
Sep 28, 2026
"Let's face it, Santa Claus has had more publicity."
While it speaks to the depths of the cast of main characters we collectively know as The Peanuts that a major holiday event could be built around someone other than Charlie Brown, poor Linus Van Pelt does arguably get a bit slighted with this one, as the gang's first (and only) Halloween special still sees his best pal getting the title billing.
Nevertheless, by now 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' is truly one of autumn's most looked-forward-to annual viewings - debuting on the small screen in 1966, and still as much a genuine ritual of the season as ever. One of the very significant reasons for this is the curiously timeless nature of Vince Guaraldi's seriously hip jazz soundtrack, which Craft Recordings has now just generously released in a visually striking special 60th anniversary edition.
Just how a "hep cat" '50s/'60s jazz pianist ended up composing some of the most enduring and beloved holiday music remains a delightful oddity. Yet after the soundtrack proved to be so utterly essential to the runaway success of 1965's 'A Charlie Brown Christmas', it seemed only right to follow it up with a story revolving around Halloween, which, at the time, was still very much a children's holiday.
Impressively, 'Great Pumpkin' manages to weave three storylines seamlessly together. First we see the costumed Peanuts gang going from house to house looking to score as many sugary treats as possible, with poor Charlie lamenting after each visit, "I got a rock" - before they all head over to the big Halloween party at Violet's house. Meanwhile, Snoopy dons the accoutrements of a WWI flying ace, seeking to take out the infamous Red Baron, before himself being shot down behind enemy lines and attempting to make his way to more friendly territory.
The core story sees the misguidedly hopeful Linus sitting overnight in a "sincere" but autumn-chilled pumpkin patch, waiting for that elusive Great Pumpkin, who he apparently believes will be arriving with a bag of toys - surely a step up even from the usual piles of candy.
It must be said that the Peanuts' sensitive but defiant young intellectual has just as much right to believe in his mythical hero as the other kids have to believe in Santa Claus. (He and Charlie actually have it out about exactly that, with the latter concluding, "We are obviously separated by denominational differences.") Problem is, the parents didn't get the memo; so Linus waits hopelessly through the night, a situation made only worse by the fact that he's roped little Sally - who, as usual, is seriously crushing on him - into the hapless scheme. Being the proto-Material-Girl that she is, she let's fury rip when she finally realizes it's all a big hoax, and that she's been "cheated" out of all that awesome annual Halloween loot.
It's a story that surely could have only come from the inimitable imagination of the late, legendary creator Charles Schulz. And from the very first scene, which shows Linus and sister Lucy on a hunt for the perfect pumpkin to carry home, Guaraldi's galloping piano sets the perfect tone. His soundtrack then deftly manages to set the mood for every frame that follows: the subtly spooky background sounds whilst the witch-and-ghost-costumed kids navigate the neighborhood in search of "tricks-or-treats"; Schroeder's cooly jazzed-up version of 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' (with "flying ace" Snoopy dancing merrily along); and, of course, the wistful tones of the beloved classic 'The Great Pumpkin Waltz' so nostalgically capturing the overarching sensation of autumn in suburban America.
“Guaraldi emphatically established the Peanuts ‘musical personality’ with this outing," writes historian Derrick Bang in the liner notes. "He had a strong sense of how music could - and should - be employed to maximize the viewing audience’s emotional response.”
Wonderfully, Craft Recordings goes all out to make this an appropriately special release, with a 45 RPM zoetrope LP printed with some of the special's favorite scenes - and even different retailers offering their own exclusive editions of the colored vinyl...from Barnes & Noble's 'Electric Pumpkin Patch', to Target's 'Ghost White'. Serious fans can even pick up a 4-inch orange Tiny Vinyl version at the latter.
Though these are arguably intended as collector's items, we still can't help but recommend gathering family and friends, and firing up the pumpkin spiced hot cocoa for a fun, nostalgic soundtrack listening session*. Oh, and of course, you should also catch 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' on your favorite streaming service...as it somehow manages to get better with each watch.
(*Craft Recordings also offers a standard CD version of the soundtrack.)
