Many Hispanic Americans have helped shape modern day society in the United States. Celebrities like 90 year old actress Rita Moreno, labor activist Cesar Chavez, Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor, theater icon Lin-Manuel Miranda and astronaut Ellen Ochoa are just a few examples of trailblazers we’ve covered on this site. But one icon who worked behind the scenes is equally acclaimed, and you may have never heard of him.
Jose Cuauhtemoc “Bill” Melendez was a respected Hollywood executive who racked up a 60 year career as a film director, voice-over actor and most importantly, a cartoon animator. And his hallmark accomplishment was probably directing the numerous “Peanuts” holiday productions, including the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” first aired in 1965 by 15 million households and still popular today.
Melendez was a big shot even before teaming up with “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz. The Hermosillo, Sonora native first went to work for Walt Disney Productions in 1935 where he helped develop iconic characters like Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi and the production Fantasia. After the Disney strike in 1941, Melendez moved on to Warner Brothers Studios where developed the animated comedy series, “Looney Tunes.” By the time he teamed up with Schulz, the talented artist had already become independent and was working out of the basement of his Los Angeles residence.
Melendez would follow up the inaugural Christmas masterpiece with the equally successful, “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” in 1967. After that came a series of four theatrical “Peanuts” films in which Melendez would provide the voice acting, plus the special effects gibberish of Snoopy and Woodstock. Later he would produce a couple of video games for children titled “Get Ready For School, Charlie Brown” and Snoopy’s “Campfire Stories.”
Along the way, Melendez directed a pair of side television jobs featuring the Jim Davis comic character, “Garfield” the lazy cat. He was tops at his craft, winning six Primetime Emmy awards, and nominated for 13 more. Besides breaking into the business with Disney however, the Melendez legacy was established with the “Peanuts” franchise. The relationship lasted until 2006, two years before he died at age 91.
So what was the most memorable gig for Bill Melendez? “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, of course, when he was presented with his first Peabody Award.
“Good Golly,” Melendez would recall saying years later. “I finally got involved in something big.”
