Question: At the beginning, Dolittle was scared because a boy broke in his territory, so he says to Chee-Chee, "Possum, play dead." Why does he call the gorilla possum? Chee-Chee is a gorilla, not a possum. Also Possum is not his name nor nickname.
Answer: Opossums will go into a state where they appear dead when threatened, thus the term "playing possum." Dolittle was just saying to act like a opossum and play dead.
Question: At the beginning, in the animation cut, Dolittle frees the gorilla from a cage, and he gives a blanket or cape-looking thing to the gorilla who seems to very much like it. What exactly is that and what does it suggest?
Answer: Like any rescue victim, he was giving him comfort and aid.
Answer: 'Playing possum' is slang for pretending to be dead, as possums sometimes do that to avoid predators.
Brian Katcher