The Possum That Didn't

A happy possum is hanging from a tree in the forest, happy and smiling. People come by, see the upside-down smile, and think the possum is unhappy. So they take it to the city, where it is miserable.

It's based on Frank Tashlin's children's book, published when he had ceased to do cartoons and was working his way up to directing live movies. Its message -- that there are people out there who think they know better than you what you want, and will ruin your life in helping you achieve it -- is, alas, something we still have to watch out for.

Tashlin may have created some classic cartoons at Warner Brothers and Columbia, but the golden days of theatrical cartoons was long past when this came out. It's basically someone reading the story, with the illustrations from the book. But at least it's a real story.