Bill Melendez
Biography
Bill Melendez was a Mexican-American animator and director who spent over 60 years working in animation, most of it on the Peanuts specials. Born in Hermosillo, Mexico, and educated in Arizona and at the Chouinard Art Institute, he joined Disney in 1938 as an assistant animator and worked on features including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. He later animated Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for Warner Bros. Cartoons, then moved to UPA, where he worked on Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950). Hired in 1959 to make Peanuts commercials, he directed most of the television specials, among them A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), and he was also the voice of Snoopy and Woodstock. He directed four Peanuts theatrical films as well, including A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) and Snoopy Come Home (1972). He received six Primetime Emmy Awards, along with nominations for an Oscar and five Grammys, and he died in 2008.
91years old at death
- Born Hermosillo
- Died Santa Monica
- Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
- José Luis Cuauhtémoc Meléndez (birth name)Also credited as Jose Cuauhtemoc Melendez, C. Melendez, J.C. Melendez and José Cuauhtémoc Melendez
Movie Career
- Films
- 14
- Career span
- 50 years1965 to 2015
Genres
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Getting ready for a role
Bill Melendez supplied the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock in each Peanuts production, performing gibberish in the studio that was then sped up mechanically at differing speeds to distinguish the two characters.
Getting ready for a role
Schulz refused to let the beagle speak English lines, so Melendez recorded gibberish on tape, quickened the playback and placed that sound in the soundtrack.
First role
After he watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Melendez found work at Disney in 1938. There he served as an assistant animator to Hawley Pratt.
Early training
Melendez went on to study at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, a school that eventually became California Institute of the Arts.
A change of course
Melendez was fired by producer Edward Selzer after animating several shorts for McKimson. He then moved to United Productions of America, where he animated on cartoons including Gerald McBoing-Boing in 1950.
Big break
Charles M. Schulz would let no one but Melendez adapt his Peanuts comic creations for television. Melendez's studio contributed to each Peanuts television special and direct-to-video film, and he directed most of them.
Bill Melendez movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Phil Roman directed four of these films, Sam Jaimes three. Two actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Peter Robbins's page
Stephen Shea's page
Ann Altieri's page
Christopher DeFaria's page
Jimmy Ahrens's page
Linda Ercoli3 films together, 1972 to 1975
Linda Ercoli's page
Phil RomanDirector, 4 films, 1973 to 1980
All films by Phil Roman
Sam JaimesDirector, 3 films, 1985 to 1990
All films by Sam Jaimes
Also three films together2 more actors
- Melanie KohnRace for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977), Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975) and It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974)
- Sally DryerA Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) and A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 1979 | Winsor McCay Award | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.