Hollywood and Postal Service: Have They Found Love at Last?

Who says the Hollywood and Washington establishments are at odds? For an example of glorious synergy at work, check out “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and the current efforts of the U.S. Postal Service.

Postmark stamps on letters now bear the message “Happy Who-lidays!” and you can buy all sorts of Grinch goodies at post offices. And in the movie, Cindy Lou Who’s daddy is--you guessed it--a postal worker. The postal service Web site even links to Universal’s “Grinch” site.

Thank goodness the postal service is around to help out those little underdog kids’ movies that otherwise wouldn’t have stood a chance in the marketplace!

We’re sure this is just the first of many great Hollywood-postal service collaborations. Here are others we foresee:

* “Cast Away” (opens Dec. 22)

In-movie tie-in: We already know that Tom Hanks plays a Fed-Ex executive whose plane crashes in the ocean, but there’s still time to make this change: When he returns from the extended deserted-island stay, he finds that his company has been taken over by the postal service. “Hey, you didn’t exactly help their on-time delivery record,” a postal worker tells him.

Postmark: A postal service plane flying over a guy on a desert island, trailing the banner: “Next time, try Air Mail.”

* “Hannibal” (Feb. 9)

In-movie tie-in: Hannibal Lecter eats a UPS delivery person but declines to munch on the mailman who shows up minutes later. “I already had a box lunch,” he explains.

Postmark: A nicely wrapped box and the words “U.S. Mail: The best way to get a head!”

* “Planet of the Apes” (July 27)

In-movie tie-in: At the end of the Tim Burton remake, Mark Wahlberg falls to his knees on the beach, crying and cussing, as he comes across a familiar blue mailbox in the sand.

Postmark: A mailman with the voice bubble, “Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!”