Sleepy Time Possum

Sleepy Time Possum is a 1951 Merrie Melodies short directed by Robert McKimson.
== Plot ==
Forest-dwelling Ma O'Possum asks Pa to find their son Junior, who hasn't peeled a potato despite being required to do so. Junior is hanging from a branch near the house by his tail, sleeping. Ma scolds Junior and asks him to march right back into the house to peel the potatoes, but he refuses and goes back to sleep. Pa says that talking to Junior won't get him to work, but taking a more physical approach will. Pa dresses like a dog, which unintentionally scares Ma, and then he walks out to deal with Junior.
Pa blows a horn and fires from a rifle, waking up Junior and scaring him. Junior falls off the tree and runs out into the forest. What follows are multiple attempts for Junior to get rid of the "dog" chasing after him:
* Junior clings onto the tail of the dog costume and sleeps there. Junior thinks the dog isn't real, and Pa says that he is until Pa realizes his mistake and barks. Junior runs off, and Pa tries to go after him but gets slams into a tree.
* Junior sleeps on another tree branch and keeps running branch after branch until he sleeps atop of the branch of a tall tree. Pa saws down the tree, but does not see Junior on the branch. Instead, Junior is sleeping atop of a saw handle, and Pa bangs on the saw to force Junior out.
* Cornered, Junior tries to play dead so Pa will walk away from him. Pa sees this and tries to tie Junior's feet to a firecracker. However, Junior wakes and walks behind Pa and ties Pa's feet instead. Pa realizes this and tries to pull out the fuse of the firecracker, revealing a stick of dynamite, which blows up.
* Pa uses a stethoscope to find the tree in which Junior is sleeping. Junior is atop a tree near a large cliff. Pa uses a small fir tree and a boulder to cross to the branch, but by the time Pa gets there, he only sees a note reading "Look out below". Junior, now below the tree bridge, cuts the rope, flinging Pa far away as he yells “No!”
After another chase pursues, Pa goes back to Ma, scaring her again. However, Pa proudly says to Ma that he finally made out with Junior. Junior, outside hanging by his tail, is now carried by balloons and forced to peel the potatoes outside.
== Availability ==
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6.jpg|(2008) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6, Disc Four (unrestored)
lt spotlight 6.jpg|(2008) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 6, Disc 2 (unrestored)
lt tcm doris.jpg|(2009) DVD TCM Spotlight: Doris Day Collection (unrestored)
 
=== Streaming ===
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (original titles restored)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - ) (original titles restored)
== Notes ==
* This short and "The Prize Pest" have slightly unique yet crooked WB opening shields compared to other WB opening shields.
== Gallery ==
SleepyTimePossumCredits1.png
SleepyTimePossumCredits2.png
File:Sleepy Time Possum (1951) - Up High.jpg
Kiddin' the Kitten Sleepy Time Possum A Fox in a Fix Lead Sheets.jpg|Part of the Animator Draft along with two other drafts for "Kiddin' the Kitten" and "A Fox in a Fix"
== References ==
 
Category:1951
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Shorts
Category:Cartoons directed by Robert McKimson
Category:Cartoons written by Tedd Pierce
Category:Cartoons animated by Charles McKimson
Category:Cartoons animated by Emery Hawkins
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Cornett Wood
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Richard H. Thomas
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:One-Shot Cartoons
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues