Craig Schulz talks about Charlie Brown classic

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- It has been 50 years since "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" first aired.

Admission on Mondays at the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa is only $5 and one young girl named Olivia Walsh of Petaluma was there. It's the continuation of a Peanuts family tradition, according to her mom Stephanie. "I just like the simplicity of it and how it still resonates, today," she said.

And it has for more than half a century, as a most recent exhibit demonstrates.

Craig Schulz was there looking at the museum's newest find, a few remaining frames from 18,000 of them used in the making of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

A seasonal institution that only gets better with age. "I think the message is that children can continue on when they don't get what they want," Schultz said.

As the story goes, Linus messes up his holidays and confuses a mythical great pumpkin with Santa Claus. He sets out to create the world's most sincere pumpkin patch as an act of faith. He stays behind as a lookout on Halloween night while everyone else goes door-to-door, including his older sister, Lucy.

"I had no idea as a child that this would be so popular many years later," Stephanie said.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Peanuts roots run deep.

Robin Glazer of Mill Valley has the memories of a 10-year-old girl who began a continuing voice acting career as one of 27 children to play Lucy in the specials and films.

"I knew she was a bossy, crabby little girl who was mean to other kids, she was mean to Charlie Brown and her little brother, Linus. And I did not see myself that way, but it was fun to play a character like that," Glazer said.

It's worth noting that the bossy, but lovable Lucy was based on a real person. She was actually Craig's older sister.