Lee Mendelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Mendelson
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Mendelson in 2008
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| Born |
Leland Maurice Mendelson
March 24, 1933 |
| Died | December 25, 2019 (aged 86) Hillsborough, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Occupation | Television producer |
| Years active | 1961–2019 |
| Known for | Executive producer of Peanuts animated specials |
| Spouse(s) | Desiree Goyette, Ploenta Mendelson |
| Children | 4; including Lynda |
Lee Mendelson (born March 24, 1933 – died December 25, 2019) was an American TV producer. He is best known for being the main producer of the many popular Peanuts animated TV shows. These shows featured beloved characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
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Lee Mendelson's Early Life
Lee Mendelson was born in San Francisco, California. He grew up in a nearby town called San Mateo. After high school, he went to Stanford University. He graduated in 1954 with a degree in English.
After college, Lee served in the Air Force for three years. He was a lieutenant. Later, he worked for his father, who grew and shipped vegetables.
Starting a TV Career
Lee Mendelson began his career in television in 1961. He started working at a TV station in San Francisco called KPIX-TV. There, he made short public service announcements.
One day, he found some old film from the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair. This discovery led him to create his first big project. It was a documentary called The Innocent Fair. This documentary was part of a series about San Francisco's history. For his work on this series, Mendelson won a special award called a Peabody Award.
The Peanuts Adventure Begins
In 1963, Lee Mendelson started his own production company. His first project was a documentary about the famous baseball player Willie Mays. It was called A Man Named Mays.
Soon after this documentary aired, Mendelson saw a Peanuts comic strip. It was about Charlie Brown's baseball team. Mendelson thought, "I just made a film about the world's greatest baseball player. Now I should make one about the world's worst baseball player, Charlie Brown!"
He then contacted Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts. Mendelson suggested making a documentary about Schulz and his comic strip. Schulz liked the idea because he had enjoyed the Willie Mays documentary. This first documentary, called A Boy Named Charlie Brown (which was never shown on TV), started a 30-year partnership between Schulz and Mendelson.
Creating A Charlie Brown Christmas
While Mendelson was trying to find a TV channel for the Schulz documentary, something exciting happened. The Coca-Cola Company asked him if he wanted to produce an animated Christmas special for television. Mendelson said yes right away!
He quickly reached out to Charles Schulz about using the Peanuts characters. Schulz then suggested hiring an animator named Bill Melendez. Schulz had worked with Melendez before on Peanuts ads for the Ford Motor Company.
Mendelson also hired a jazz musician named Vince Guaraldi. He heard Guaraldi's song "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" while driving. He knew that was the perfect music for the special.
After a very fast six months of work, A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on December 9, 1965, on CBS. The show was a huge success! It won both an Emmy and another Peabody Award. This Christmas special was the first of more than 40 animated Peanuts shows that Mendelson, Melendez, and Schulz created together. They also worked on The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, a cartoon series that aired on Saturday mornings in the 1980s.
Lee Mendelson's Legacy
Lee Mendelson started and led Lee Mendelson Film Productions. This company was based in Burlingame, California. His company produced over 100 TV and film projects. They won 12 Emmys and 4 Peabody Awards. They also received many nominations for Grammy and Oscar awards.
Lee Mendelson passed away on December 25, 2019. He left behind his wife, Ploenta, and four children, including Lynda. His work brought joy to millions of people through the timeless Peanuts specials.
See also
In Spanish: Lee Mendelson para niños
