Lee Mendelson Film Productions
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| Industry | Film production, television production, animation, music publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 10, 1964[1] |
| Founder | Lee Mendelson |
| Headquarters | Burlingame, California, United States |
Key people |
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| Products |
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| Website | mendelsonproductions |
Lee Mendelson Film Productions (LMFP) is an American production company based in Burlingame, California. Founded by Lee Mendelson in 1963, the company is best known for producing animated television specials and feature films based on Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, including A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969).
In addition to its work on Peanuts, the company has produced Garfield television specials and series, documentaries, live-action specials, music-related programming, and other television productions. Its work has been recognized by major entertainment and broadcasting organizations, including the Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, Academy Awards, and Grammy Awards, with much of that recognition connected to children's television, animation, and music-related recordings.[2]
Background
[edit]
Lee Mendelson began his television career producing documentary and public affairs programming in the San Francisco Bay Area. His early work included San Francisco Pageant, a KPIX-TV documentary series that received a Peabody Award in 1962.[3]
Mendelson's association with the Peanuts franchise began in 1963 when he approached Charles M. Schulz about producing a documentary on the comic strip entitled A Boy Named Charlie Brown. That project led to a collaboration with animator Bill Melendez and ultimately to A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which received both a Peabody and Emmy Award.[4][5] The success of the special launched a decades-long partnership with Schulz and Melendez spanning television specials, feature films, and music recordings.
In the 1980s, the company expanded into the Garfield franchise, producing a series of television specials and series that earned several Emmy Awards and nominations.[6]
Copyright enforcement litigation
[edit]In May 2026, the company received national media attention after filing four copyright infringement lawsuits over alleged unauthorized uses of music associated with the Peanuts franchise, including compositions by Vince Guaraldi. The lawsuits targeted a variety of defendants, including the United States Department of the Interior, video game publisher GameMill Entertainment, and operators of social media accounts for Heritage Auctions and Buckle-Down, Inc., that had allegedly incorporated Peanuts music into online content. The complaints alleged that the Interior Department used Guaraldi's arrangement of "O Tannenbaum" in social media posts and a digital holiday card; that Heritage Auctions used "Linus and Lucy" in social media posts promoting collectibles auctions; that Buckle-Down used copyrighted Peanuts music in social media posts promoting its merchandise; and that GameMill Entertainment included two Guaraldi compositions in its 2025 video game Snoopy and the Great Mystery Club without authorization.[7]
The lawsuits received widespread media coverage and highlighted the company's continuing efforts to protect intellectual property associated with the Peanuts television specials and their music catalog.[7][8][9]
Stephen Colbert licensing dispute
[edit]The copyright enforcement campaign became the subject of a comedic segment during the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in which host Stephen Colbert joked that house band Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine would perform "Linus and Lucy" without first obtaining a license. Colbert remarked that the performance might "cost CBS money" because the music had not been cleared for broadcast. LMFP later reached a licensing agreement with CBS for the use of the composition, with the payment amount undisclosed. LMFP chairman Jason Mendelson said the company found the segment "funny and entertaining", while emphasizing the need to secure licenses for commercial uses of copyrighted music. Proceeds from the agreement were donated by LMFP to World Central Kitchen.[10][11][12]
The agreement involved companies with a long shared history through the Peanuts franchise, as CBS had originally broadcast most Peanuts television specials produced by LMFP between 1965 and 2000.[10][11][12][13][14]
Awards and recognition
[edit]LMFP has received awards and nominations from several major awards organizations, mainly for its television productions. The company's Peabody Award-winning programs include San Francisco Pageant, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Hot Dog (1970), and What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? (1983).[15][16][17][18]
The company also received Emmy recognition for animated and children's programming, including Peanuts productions, Garfield specials, and retrospective programs. Its Emmy-recognized productions include Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown, Garfield on the Town, Garfield in the Rough, Garfield's Halloween Adventure, Cathy, Garfield's Babes and Bullets, Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years, and It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown!.[6]
The company's theatrical work includes a 1970 Academy Award nomination for A Boy Named Charlie Brown for Best Original Song Score, losing to The Beatles' Let It Be.[19] Its music-related recognition includes Grammy Award nominations for Flashbeagle (1984) and a book-and-record adaption of You're in Love, Charlie Brown (1979), both in children's recording categories.[20][21]
Filmography
[edit]Feature films
[edit]| Release date | Title | Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| December 4, 1969 | A Boy Named Charlie Brown | Cinema Center Films |
| August 9, 1972 | Snoopy Come Home | |
| August 24, 1977 | Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown | Paramount Pictures |
| May 30, 1980 | Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) |
Television
[edit]Animated specials
[edit]Peanuts
[edit]Garfield
[edit]| Airdate | Title | Network |
|---|---|---|
| October 25, 1982 | Here Comes Garfield | CBS |
| September 14, 1983 | Garfield on the Town | |
| October 26, 1984 | Garfield in the Rough | |
| October 30, 1985 | Garfield's Halloween Adventure | |
| May 27, 1986 | Garfield in Paradise | |
| May 8, 1987 | Garfield Goes Hollywood | |
| December 21, 1987 | A Garfield Christmas Special | |
| November 22, 1988 | Garfield: His 9 Lives | |
| May 23, 1989 | Garfield's Babes and Bullets | |
| November 22, 1989 | Garfield's Thanksgiving | |
| May 18, 1990 | Garfield's Feline Fantasies | |
| May 8, 1991 | Garfield Gets a Life |
Other
[edit]| Airdate | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 21, 1968 | The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant[22] | NBC | Babar adaptation Narrator: Peter Ustinov |
| September 7, 1971 | Babar the Elephant Comes to America[23] | ||
| November 23, 1981 | No Man's Valley | CBS | |
| March 20, 1985 | The Romance of Betty Boop | Betty Boop special | |
| May 15, 1987 | Cathy | Cathy adaptation | |
| November 11, 1988 | Cathy's Last Resort | ||
| February 10, 1989 | Cathy's Valentine |
Animated television series
[edit]| Title | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Dog | 1970 | NBC | Documentary series. |
| The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show | 1983-1985 | CBS | |
| This Is America, Charlie Brown | 1988-1989 | ||
| Garfield and Friends | 1989-1994 | ||
| Mother Goose and Grimm | 1991-1992 |
Live-action and hybrid television specials
[edit]| Airdate | Title | Network | Host | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 16, 1969 | Children's Letters to God | NBC | Gene Kelly | Based on book compiled by Stoo Hample |
| March 18, 1969 | Wonderful World of Pizzazz | Carl Reiner, Michele Lee | ||
| May 10, 1969 | Rod McKuen, The Loner | Concert | ||
| April 2, 1970 | It Couldn't Be Done | Lee Marvin | Music score: The 5th Dimension | |
| April 3, 1970 | The Unexplained | Rod Serling | Encyclopedia Britannica television special | |
| May 23, 1970 | The New Communicators Pt. 1 | Peter Fonda | ||
| June 12, 1970 | The New Communicators Pt. 2 | Peter Fonda | ||
| April 2, 1971 | The Record Makers | Flip Wilson | ||
| 1975 | Bill Russell Raps | — | Bill Russell | |
| October 13, 1975 | Travels with Flip | NBC | Flip Wilson | |
| March 19, 1976 | More Travels with Flip | Flip Wilson | ||
| April 3, 1976 | The Sport of the Century | CBS | William Conrad | |
| December 19, 1976 | Christmas Around the World | NBC | Dick Van Dyke, Marilyn McCoo, Jonathan Winters, Gene Kelly | |
| May 15, 1977 | The Billion Dollar Movies | David Niven | ||
| April 24, 1978 | The National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships | CBS | Cheryl Ladd | |
| May 19, 1979 | Family Fun Time, U.S.A.: Marine World | Harvey Korman, Joey Heatherton | ||
| February 8, 1981 | The Big Stuffed Dog | NBC | Peanuts live-action special | |
| 1981 | The New You Asked for It | Rich Little, Jack Smith | Pilot | |
| May 24, 1983 | Movie Blockbusters: The 15 Greatest Hits of All Time | CBS | Christopher Plummer | |
| May 7, 1984 | John Ritter, Mr. T, Jacqueline Bisset... Going Back Home | ABC | ||
| September 27, 1988 | It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown | CBS | Peanuts live-action/animated hybrid |
Documentaries
[edit]| Airdate | Title | Network | Host | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6, 1963 | A Man Named Mays | NBC | ||
| 1963 | A Boy Named Charlie Brown | — | Unaired Peanuts documentary (released in 2005); score by Vince Guaraldi | |
| May 1, 1966 | The Magic of Broadcasting | CBS | Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball, Arthur Godfrey, Sheldon Leonard, Rod Serling | Score by John Scott Trotter |
| December 3, 1967 | John Steinbeck's America and Americans | NBC | Henry Fonda | |
| February 11, 1968 | The Fabulous Funnies | Carl Reiner | ||
| March 17, 1968 | Travels with Charley | Henry Fonda | Based on 1962 travelogue by John Steinbeck[24] | |
| October 17, 1968 | The Fabulous Shorts | Jim Backus | ||
| May 24, 1969 | Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz | CBS | Peanuts documentary; score by Vince Guaraldi | |
| April 11, 1972 | From Yellowstone to Tomorrow | NBC | George C. Scott | |
| 1972 | Close but Free | — | Feature-length docufiction exploring global views on marriage | |
| April 26, 1974 | Wild Science | NBC | Peter Falk | |
| July 17, 1974 | A New Ballgame for Willie Mays | — | Jack Klugman | |
| December 2, 1974 | Wild Places | NBC | Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward | |
| January 9, 1976 | Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown | CBS | Carl Reiner | Peanuts anniversary special |
| April 17, 1976 | The Olympic Champions and Challengers | ABC | Telly Savalas | |
| January 5, 1979 | Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown | CBS| Phyllis George | Peanuts anniversary special | |
| May 15, 1980 | The Fantastic Funnies | Loni Anderson | ||
| October 8, 1980 | To Remember... | PBS | Charles M. Schulz reflects on childhood, parenthood, and Snoopy's real-life inspiration, Spike; partially filmed in France | |
| May 14, 1985 | It's Your 20th Television Anniversary, Charlie Brown | CBS | Charles M. Schulz | Peanuts anniversary special |
| May 17, 1988 | Happy Birthday, Garfield | Jim Davis | Garfield anniversary special | |
| February 2, 1990 | You Don't Look 40, Charlie Brown | Michele Lee | Peanuts anniversary special | |
| 1997 | The Fantastic Funnies: The First 100 Years | Unaired | ||
| May 10, 2000 | Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years | Whoopi Goldberg | Peanuts anniversary special | |
| July 17, 2001 | The Making of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" | ABC | Whoopi Goldberg | Peanuts documentary |
| 2002 | Common Men/Uncommon Valor | — | ||
| November 30, 2015 | It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown! | ABC | Kristen Bell | Peanuts anniversary special |
Direct-to-video/special format releases
[edit]Peanuts
[edit]| Release date | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Tooth Brushing | Educational short |
| 1979 | It's Dental Flossophy, Charlie Brown | |
| Charlie Brown Clears the Air | ||
| 1986 | It's Three Strikes, Charlie Brown | Video compilation |
| August 5, 1997 | It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown | Direct-to-video |
| September 12, 2000 | It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown |
Other
[edit]| Release date | Title | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | An Adventure with Spice Islands[25] | Industrial film | Score by Vince Guaraldi |
| Granny Goose Potato Chips | Television commercial | ||
| Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company: Susan | Television commercial | ||
| 1967 | Tips on Baseball from Willie Mays | Educational film | |
| '67 West | Industrial film | Score by Vince Guaraldi | |
| 1970 | Come to Your Senses | Experimental film | |
| 1974 | Willie Mays Talks Baseball | Educational film | |
| Bicycles Are Beautiful | Industrial film | Hosted by Bill Cosby; score by Vince Guaraldi | |
| When Things Get Hectic, Think Metric | Industrial film | California Department of Education[26] | |
| December 16, 1986 | Wrinkles: In Need of Cuddles | Direct-to-video |
Music
[edit]Music and stage-related specials
[edit]| Date | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 24, 1971 | Snoopy at the Ice Follies | NBC | Broadcast presentation of stage performance |
| November 12, 1972 | Snoopy's International Ice Follies | Broadcast presentation of stage performance | |
| February 9, 1973 | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | Live-action television film adaptation of the 1967 musical; presented as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series | |
| November 13, 1973 | Snoopy Directs the Ice Follies | Follow-up broadcast special of stage performance | |
| May 24, 1978 | Snoopy's Musical on Ice | CBS | Broadcast adaptation of Interstate Brands ice show; performance Hosts: Peggy Fleming, Charles M. Schulz |
| November 6, 1985 | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | Animated adaptation of 1967 musical | |
| January 29, 1988 | Snoopy! The Musical | Animated adaptation of 1975 musical |
Peanuts soundtrack discography
[edit]After Lee Mendelson's death in December 2019, his sons Jason and Sean Mendelson began reviewing the company's music archives, including materials related to Vince Guaraldi's scores for the Peanuts television specials. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, they located a cache of long-unavailable Guaraldi session tapes, which became the basis for a continuing series of archival soundtrack releases issued by LMFP (owner of the music publishing since 1990), occasionally in association with Craft Recordings.[27] The series has included expanded or premiere soundtrack albums for several Peanuts specials, including A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, It Was a Short Summer..., You're Not Elected..., Be My Valentine..., It's the Easter Beagle..., You're a Good Sport..., and a combined release of It's Arbor Day... and Charlie Brown's All Stars!.
These releases marked the first time many of Guaraldi's original television recordings had been made commercially available as standalone soundtrack albums. In addition to standard digital and physical releases, the series has included limited vinyl editions and compilation formats, such as Record Store Day selections and the CD box set The Peanuts Collection, Vol. 1.[28][29]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Lee Mendelson Film Productions". Opencorporates. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Awards". Lee Mendelson Film Productions. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "San Francisco Pageant". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Television Academy. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 "Lee Mendelson". Television Academy. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Ortiz, Aimee (May 21, 2026). "Owner of Peanuts Music Sues U.S. Government and Others Over Unauthorized Uses". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ Brittain, Blake (May 20, 2026). "A Charlie Brown Christmas Maker Sues Over Music in Snoopy Video Game and Other Uses". Reuters. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Peanuts Music Owner Sues U.S. Government and Others Over Unauthorized Use of Tunes". CBS News. May 21, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- 1 2 Millman, Ethan (June 16, 2026). "CBS Reaches Licensing Deal After Stephen Colbert Used Peanuts Music Without Permission on Final Late Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- 1 2 Blistein, Jon (June 16, 2026). "Stephen Colbert's Unauthorized Use of Peanuts Music Leads to CBS Licensing Deal". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- 1 2 Singh, Maanvi (June 16, 2026). "CBS reaches agreement over Stephen Colbert's use of Peanuts music on The Late Show". The Guardian. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
- ↑ Stenzel, Wesley (June 16, 2026). "CBS Will Pay Licensing Fee After Stephen Colbert Used Peanuts Music in Late Show Finale". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Robinson, KiMi (June 16, 2026). "CBS Licenses Peanuts Song After Stephen Colbert's Late Show Finale". USA Today. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "San Francisco Pageant". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Hot Dog". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?". Peabody Awards. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "The 43rd Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Lee Mendelson". Recording Academy. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ Ehrbar, Greg (February 13, 2018). "You're in Love, Charlie Brown on Records". Cartoon Research. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 397–398. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ↑ "Babar Comes to America". www.imdb.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ↑ Mibach, Emily (December 27, 2019). "Lee Mendelson, executive producer of Peanuts TV specials, dies". Palo Alto Daily Post. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ↑ Bang, Derrick (January 25, 2014). "Missing in Action". Impressions of Vince. Derrick Bang. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ↑ Bang, Derrick (2025). You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown: In the Groove (liner notes). Burlingame, California: Lee Mendelson Film Productions.
- ↑ Ginell, Richard S. "Finally, Vince Guaraldi Gets His Due". San Francisco Classical Voice. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Record Store Day exclusive egg-shaped mystery color 'Selections from It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown' press release". DL Media Music. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ↑ "What a Box Set, Charlie Brown! Rare 'Peanuts' Soundtracks Join Together in New CD Collection". The Second Disc. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ↑ Sullivan, Mark (November 25, 2022). "Review: Vince Guaraldi - It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Music From The Soundtrack". All About Jazz. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ↑ Mendelson, Sean (2023). A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (liner notes). Vince Guaraldi. Burlingame, California: Lee Mendelson Film Productions. p. 1–4.
- ↑ Mendelson, Jason (2024). A Long Wait for a Short Summer (liner notes). Vince Guaraldi. Burlingame, California: Lee Mendelson Film Productions.
- ↑ You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown soundtrack press release
- ↑ Vince Guaraldi's "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (Original Soundtrack Recording 50th Anniversary Extended Edition)" press release
- ↑ "'It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!' Soundtrack Album Announced". Film Music Reporter. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ↑ "Record Store Day exclusive egg-shaped mystery color 'Selections from It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown' press release". DL Media Music. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Vince Guaraldi's "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" Celebrating 75 years of Peanuts and the 50th Anniversary of the beloved Emmy winning Special press release" (PDF). Lee Mendelson Film Productions. May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ↑ "What a Box Set, Charlie Brown! Rare 'Peanuts' Soundtracks Join Together in New CD Collection". The Second Disc. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ↑ "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown(Selections From The Original Soundtrack)". RSD Essentials. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Lee Mendelson Film Productions Celebrates 75 Years of Vince Guaraldi Music with the Premiere Release of the Soundtrack to the Classic Peanuts Specials "It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown" and "Charlie Brown's All-Stars!"" (PDF). Lee Mendelson Film Productions. January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ↑ "It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown". Lee Mendelson Film Productions. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
