It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

The second Peanuts special, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is one of the finest in the series. A Charlie Brown Christmas had, in some ways, been a rush job, and that occasionally shows in the finished product. With a little more time (and the experience of having one show under their belts), Bill Melendez and company are able to concentrate on making a more polished product. They're still finding their way -- there are some continuity glitches and the animators seem to have some trouble with Lucy's profile -- but, on the whole, the visual presentation is excellent. Especially noteworthy are the backgrounds, especially the night skies filled with textured charcoals and purples and a brilliant moon that sometimes takes up half the screen. There's also superb character animation for Linus and Snoopy. The script is also one of the strongest in the series. Many of the specials make extensive use of dialogue and situations lifted directly from the strips, and, at times, this results in a somewhat disjointed narrative and timing that occasionally feels awkward when lifted from its four-panel original form. Pumpkin features a great deal of direct-from-the-strip sequences, but they're presented in a smoother, more organic method here, and the basic story is very sound. Add to this a number of excellent gags, some exceptional Vince Guaraldi scoring, and vocal performances that are quite engaging and you have a classic that will delight adults and children. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide