Milton lives life on the edge
The Jaywalker is a 1956 animated short film (6 1/2 minutes), directed by Robert Cannon, produced by UPA.
Milton Muffet is a mild-mannered office worker who, one day, carelessly goes jaywalking. He discovers it's the thrill of a lifetime. Milton devotes his entire life to jaywalking. He loses his job and wipes out his savings, but he doesn't care, because he's exploring the joys of walking through oncoming traffic.
Tropes:
- By the Lights of Their Eyes: A variation. Scenes of traffic only show headlights and taillights zipping past a black background.
- Character Narrator: Milton narrates his own story.
- Dead All Along: The ending reveals that Milton is an angel, with wings on his back. Presumably his jaywalking luck ran out.
- The Gambling Addict: With his life, not his money, but this is what Milton's doing every time he walks out into traffic. Milton calls jaywalking "the most awful, habit-forming vice a man falls prey to."
- Jaywalking Will Ruin Your Life: An unusual spin on this trope, in that Milton gets addicted to jaywalking, and that ruins his life.
- Limited Animation: UPA style, with simple drawings against plain backgrounds.
- The Shrink: Milton goes to a "head doctor" who gives him the sensible advice to only cross streets with the crowd. He tries, but falls back into his old habits.
- Thick-Line Animation: Done in the signature UPA style of thickly-drawn lines.
- Title Drop: Milton says "I finally realized I was a confirmed jaywalker."
