LabLynx Wiki

Posted on July 23, 2020 By Robert Payne

This article is about the film. For other uses, see Who Framed Roger Rabbit (disambiguation).

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Theatrical release poster depicting filmstrips shaped like Roger Rabbit. The title "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and a tagline "It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble." are shown at the left top of the image.
Theatrical release poster by Steven Chorney
Directed byRobert Zemeckis
Screenplay byJeffrey Price
Peter S. Seaman
Based onWho Censored Roger Rabbit?
by Gary K. Wolf
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDean Cundey
Edited byArthur Schmidt
Music byAlan Silvestri
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution[1]
Release dates
  • June 21, 1988 (1988-06-21) (New York City)
  • June 22, 1988 (1988-06-22) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50.6 million[nb 1]
Box office$351.5 million[6]

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman.[7] It is loosely based on the 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. The film stars Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, and Joanna Cassidy, along with the voices of Charles Fleischer and an uncredited Kathleen Turner. Combining live-action and animation, the film is set in an alternate history Hollywood in 1947, where humans and cartoon characters (referred to as "toons") co-exist. Its plot follows Eddie Valiant, a private investigator with a grudge against toons, who must help exonerate Roger Rabbit, a toon framed for murder.

Walt Disney Pictures purchased the film rights for the story in 1981. Price and Seaman wrote two drafts of the script before Disney brought in executive producer Steven Spielberg and his production company, Amblin Entertainment. Zemeckis was brought on to direct, and Canadian animator Richard Williams was hired to supervise the animation sequences. Production was moved from Los Angeles to Elstree Studios in England to accommodate Williams and his group of animators. While filming, the production budget rapidly expanded, and the shooting schedule ran longer than expected.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was released through Disney's Touchstone Pictures banner in the United States on June 22, 1988. The film received critical acclaim for its visuals, humor, writing, performances, and groundbreaking combination of live-action and animation. It grossed over $351 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1988, behind Rain Man. It brought a renewed interest in the golden age of American animation, spearheading modern American animation and the Disney Renaissance.[8] It won three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Williams' animation direction.

In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[9][10]

Plot

In 1947 Los Angeles, animated cartoon characters, or "toons", co-exist with humans, often employing their skills to entertain as film stars. Private detective Eddie Valiant, once a staunch ally of the toons alongside his brother and co-worker Teddy, has become a depressed alcoholic following Teddy's murder by an unknown toon five years earlier. Maroon Cartoon Studios owner R.K. Maroon, upset about the recent poor performance of his toon star Roger Rabbit, hires Eddie to investigate rumors that Roger's glamorous toon wife, Jessica, is having an affair with Marvin Acme, owner of both the Acme Corporation and Toontown, the animated metropolis in which toons reside.

After watching Jessica perform at The Ink and Paint Club, Eddie secretly photographs her and Acme playing patty-cake. He shows the pictures to Roger, who becomes distraught and flees, refusing to believe Jessica was unfaithful. The next morning, Acme is found murdered and evidence at the scene implicates Roger as a suspect. Eddie meets Judge Doom, the sinister human judge of Toontown—having bribed the electorate to gain their votes—and his five weasel minions, the Toon Patrol. Doom confirms he plans to execute Roger using the "Dip", a chemical concoction of acetone, benzene, and turpentine which is capable of destroying the otherwise invulnerable toons.

Roger's toon co-star, Baby Herman, suggests to Eddie that Acme's missing will—which supposedly bequeaths Toontown to the toons—may have been the killer's true motive. Eddie returns to his office and finds Roger waiting. Roger insists he has been framed and Eddie reluctantly agrees to help after finding evidence of Acme's will; he hides Roger in a bar tended by his girlfriend, Dolores. Jessica tells Eddie that Maroon threatened Roger's career unless she posed for the compromising photos. Meanwhile, Dolores's research uncovers that Cloverleaf Industries recently bought the city's Pacific Electric railway system and will purchase Toontown at midnight unless Acme's will is found. Doom and the Toon Patrol find Roger, but he and Eddie escape with help from Benny, a toon taxi cab. Sheltering in a local movie theater, Eddie sees a newsreel of Maroon selling his studio to Cloverleaf.

While Eddie goes to the studio to interrogate Maroon, Jessica abducts Roger. Maroon denies involvement in Acme's murder, admitting he intended to blackmail Acme into selling his company as otherwise Cloverleaf would not buy the studio. Maroon is assassinated and Eddie spots Jessica fleeing the scene. Assuming she is the assailant, he reluctantly follows her into Toontown, choosing to discard the last of his alcohol. After saving Eddie from being shot by Doom, Jessica reveals her actions were to ensure Roger's safety and it was Doom who killed Acme and Maroon. Acme gave his will to Jessica for safety but, when she examined it, the paper was blank.

Doom and the Toon Patrol capture Jessica and Eddie, bringing them to Acme's factory. Doom reveals he is the sole shareholder of Cloverleaf and plans to erase Toontown with a Dip-spraying machine so he can build a freeway in its place, and decommission the railway system to force people to use it. When Roger unsuccessfully attempts to save Jessica, the couple is tied onto a hook in front of the machine's sprayer. Eddie distracts the weasels by performing a comedic vaudeville act full of pratfalls, causing them to die of laughter before he kicks their leader into the Dip. Doom is flattened by a steamroller while fighting with Eddie, but he survives, revealing he is actually a disguised toon and Teddy's murderer. Struggling against Doom's toon abilities, Eddie empties the machine's Dip supply, spraying and dissolving Doom to death. The machine crashes through the wall into Toontown, where it is destroyed by a passenger train.

As police and toons gather at the scene, Eddie realizes that Acme's will was written on the blank paper in temporarily invisible ink, confirming the toons inherit Toontown. Having regained his sense of humor, Eddie happily enters Toontown alongside Dolores, Roger, Jessica, and the toons.

Cast

Bob Hoskins plays the role of Eddie Valiant.

Live-action cast

Voice cast

Production

Development

Walt Disney Productions purchased the film rights to Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? shortly after its publication in 1981. Ron W. Miller, then president of Disney, saw it as a perfect opportunity to produce a blockbuster.[12] Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman were hired to write the script, penning two drafts. Robert Zemeckis offered his services as director in 1982,[13] but Disney declined as his two previous films (I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Used Cars) had been box-office bombs.[14] Between 1981 and 1983 Disney developed test footage with Darrell Van Citters as animation director, Paul Reubens voicing Roger Rabbit, Peter Renaday as Eddie Valiant, and Russi Taylor as Jessica Rabbit.[15] The project was revamped in 1985 by Michael Eisner, the then-new CEO of Disney. Amblin Entertainment, which consisted of Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, were approached to produce Who Framed Roger Rabbit alongside Disney. The original budget was projected at $50 million, which Disney felt was too expensive.[16]

The film was finally green-lit when the budget decreased to $30 million, which at the time would have still made it the most expensive animated film ever produced.[16] Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg argued that the hybrid of live-action and animation would "save" Walt Disney Feature Animation. Spielberg's contract included an extensive amount of creative control and a large percentage of the box-office profits. Disney kept all merchandising rights.[16] Spielberg convinced Warner Bros., Fleischer Studios, Harvey Comics, King Features Syndicate, Felix the Cat Productions, Turner Entertainment, and Universal Pictures/Walter Lantz Productions to "lend" their characters to appear in the film with (in some cases) stipulations on how those characters were portrayed; for example, Disney's Donald Duck and Warner Bros.' Daffy Duck appear as equally talented dueling pianists, and Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny also share a scene. Apart from the agreement, and some of the original voice artists reprising their roles, Warner Bros. and the various other companies were not involved in the production of Roger Rabbit. Executives at Warner Bros. were displeased by animators using the Daffy design by Bob Clampett and demanded they use the design by Chuck Jones; in response Zemeckis had separate artists animate Daffy using Jones' design to satisfy Warner Bros., in order to have Clampett's design in the final film. The producers were unable to acquire the rights to use Popeye, Tom and Jerry, Little Lulu, Casper, or the Terrytoons characters for appearances from their respective owners (King Features, Turner, Western Publishing, Harvey Comics, and Viacom).[13][14]

Terry Gilliam was offered the chance to direct, but he found the project too technically challenging. ("Pure laziness on my part," he later admitted, "I completely regret that decision.")[17] Robert Zemeckis was hired to direct in 1985, based on the success of Romancing the Stone and Back to the Future. Disney executives were continuing to suggest Darrell Van Citters direct the animation, but Spielberg and Zemeckis decided against it.[16] Richard Williams was eventually hired to direct the animation. Zemeckis wanted the film to exhibit "Disney's high quality of animation, Warner Bros.' characterization, and Tex Avery humor."[18]

Casting

Harrison Ford was Spielberg's original choice to play Eddie Valiant, but his price was too high.[19] Chevy Chase was the second choice, but he was not interested.[20] Bill Murray was also considered for the role, but due to his idiosyncratic method of receiving offers for roles, Murray missed out on it.[21] Eddie Murphy reportedly turned down the role as he misunderstood the concept of toons and humans co-existing; he later regretted this decision.[22][23] Robin Williams, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Edward James Olmos, Wallace Shawn, Ed Harris, Charles Grodin and Don Lane were also considered for the role.[20] Ultimately, Bob Hoskins was chosen by Spielberg because of his acting skill and because Spielberg believed he had a hopeful demeanor and he looked like he belonged in that era.[24]

Paul Reubens originally auditioned for the role of Roger Rabbit and even provided his voice in an early 1983 screen test, but lost out.[25][26] Eddie Deezen, who had worked with Zemeckis previously, also auditioned to play Roger, but did not get the part.[27] The role was eventually given to Charles Fleischer.[25] Before filming, Fleischer was asked to come up with a speech impediment for Roger. He gave Roger a lisp and the stammering catchphrase "P-p-p-please!" as a tribute to all the other famous cartoon characters with speech impediments, which was inspired by Huntz Hall's Sach Jones in The Bowery Boys.[28][29] He had invented the "cheek flutter" while performing the voice of B.B. in Deadly Friend.[30] His portrayal of Roger was also inspired by Screwy Squirrel.[31] To facilitate Hoskins' performance, Fleischer dressed in a Roger Rabbit costume and "stood in" behind camera for most scenes.[32] Williams explained Roger was a combination of "Tex Avery's cashew nut-shaped head, the swatch of red hair... like Droopy's, Goofy's overalls, Porky Pig's bow tie, Mickey Mouse's gloves, and Bugs Bunny-like cheeks and ears."[13]

Kathleen Turner provided the uncredited voice of Jessica Rabbit, Roger Rabbit's wife.[33]

Tim Curry auditioned for the role of Judge Doom, but was rejected because the producers found him too terrifying.[34] Christopher Lee was also considered for the role, but turned it down.[20] John Cleese also expressed interest for the role, but was deemed not scary enough.[20] Peter O'Toole, F. Murray Abraham, Roddy McDowall, Eddie Deezen, and Sting were also considered for the role.[20] Christopher Lloyd was cast because he previously worked with Zemeckis and Spielberg on Back to the Future. He compared his part as Doom to his previous role as the Klingon commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, both overly evil characters which he considered "fun to play".[35] He avoided blinking his eyes while on camera to portray the character.[14]

Fleischer also voiced Benny the Cab, Psycho, and Greasy. Lou Hirsch, who voiced Baby Herman, was the original choice for Benny the Cab but was replaced by Fleischer.[32]

Writing

Pacific Electric Logo
The plot incorporated the actual closing of Pacific Electric.

Price and Seaman were brought aboard to continue writing the script once Spielberg and Zemeckis were hired. For inspiration, the two writers studied the work of Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Cartoons from the Golden Age of American animation, especially Tex Avery and Bob Clampett cartoons. The Cloverleaf streetcar subplot was inspired by Chinatown.[13] Price and Seaman said that "the Red Car plot, suburb expansion, urban and political corruption really did happen," Price stated. "In Los Angeles, during the 1940s, car and tire companies teamed up against the Pacific Electric Railway system and bought them out of business. Where the freeway runs in Los Angeles is where the Red Car used to be."[14] In Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the toons were comic-strip characters rather than movie stars.[13]

During the writing process, Price and Seaman were unsure of whom to include as the villain in the plot. They wrote scripts that had either Jessica Rabbit or Baby Herman as the villain, but they made their final decision with the newly created character Judge Doom. Doom was supposed to have an animated vulture sit on his shoulder, but this was deleted due to the technical challenges this posed.[14] Doom would also have a suitcase of 12 small, animated kangaroos that act as a jury, by having their joeys pop out of their pouches, each with letters, when put together would spell YOU ARE GUILTY. This was also cut for budget and technical reasons.[36]

The Toon Patrol (Stupid, Smart Ass, Greasy, Wheezy, and Psycho) satirizes the Seven Dwarfs (Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey), who appeared in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Originally seven weasels were to mimic the dwarfs complement, but eventually two of them, Slimey and Sleazy, were written out of the script.[14] Further references included The Ink and Paint Club resembling the Harlem Cotton Club, while Zemeckis compared Judge Doom's invention of the Dip to eliminate all the toons to Hitler's Final Solution.[13] Doom was originally the hunter who killed Bambi's mother.[36] Benny the Cab was first conceived to be a Volkswagen Beetle before being changed to a taxi cab. Ideas originally conceived for the story also included a sequence set at Marvin Acme's funeral, whose attendees included Eddie, Foghorn Leghorn, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Tom and Jerry, Heckle and Jeckle, Chip n' Dale, Felix the Cat, Herman and Katnip, Yakky Doodle, Mighty Mouse, Superman, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar, the Seven Dwarfs, Baby Huey, and Casper the Friendly Ghost in cameo appearances. This scene was cut for pacing reasons at the storyboard stage.[36][37] Before finally agreeing on Who Framed Roger Rabbit as the film's title, working titles included Murder in Toontown, Toons, Dead Toons Don't Pay Bills, The Toontown Trial, Trouble in Toontown, and Eddie Goes to Toontown.[38]

Filming

Judge Doom (played by Christopher Lloyd) threatens Roger Rabbit before introducing him to the dip. Mime artists, puppeteers, mannequins, and robotic arms were commonly used during filming to help the actors interact with "open air and imaginative cartoon characters".[32]

Williams admitted he was "openly disdainful of the Disney bureaucracy"[39] and refused to work in Los Angeles. Accommodating Williams and his animators, production moved to England where a studio, Walt Disney Animation UK (subsuming Richard Williams Animation), was created for this purpose;[40][41] located at The Forum, 74–80 Camden Street, in Camden Town, London, while the live-action production was based at Elstree Studios. Disney and Spielberg also told Williams that in return for doing the film, they would help distribute his unfinished film The Thief and the Cobbler.[39] Supervising animators included Van Citters, Dale Baer, Michael Peraza, Joe Ranft, Tom Sito, James Baxter, David Bowers, Andreas Deja, Mike Gabriel, Chris Jenkins, Phil Nibbelink, Nik Ranieri, Simon Wells, and Bruce W. Smith; Williams and associate producer Don Hahn spearheaded the animation production. The animation production was split between Walt Disney Animation UK and a specialized unit in Los Angeles, set up by Walt Disney Feature Animation and supervised by Baer.[42] The production budget continued to escalate, while the shooting schedule ran longer than expected. When the budget reached $40 million, Disney CEO Michael Eisner seriously considered shutting down production, but studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg talked him out of it.[39] Despite the budget escalating to over $50 million, Disney moved forward on production because they were enthusiastic to work with Spielberg.[16]

VistaVision cameras installed with motion-control technology were used for the photography of the live-action scenes, which would be composited with animation. Rubber mannequins of Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, and the Toon Patrol portrayed the animated characters during rehearsals to teach the actors where to look when acting with "open air and imaginative cartoon characters".[32] Many of the live-action props held by cartoon characters were shot on set with the props either held by robotic arms or manipulated with strings, similar to a marionette.[14] For example, a test was shot at ILM where an actor playing the detective would climb down a fire escape and the rabbit is supposed to follow and he knocks down some stacked boxes. Naturally, there would not be a rabbit during the test, so the camera would go down the fire escape and the boxes would fall when a wire was pulled.[24] The actor who played the voice of Roger, Charles Fleischer, insisted on wearing a Roger Rabbit costume while on the set, to get into character.[32] Filming began on November 2, 1986, and lasted for seven and a half months at Elstree Studios, with an additional month in Los Angeles and at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for blue screen effects of Toontown.[citation needed] The Dimco Buildings in London were dressed as the fictional Acme Factory.[43] The entrance of Desilu Studios in Los Angeles served as the fictional Maroon Cartoon Studio lot.[44]

Animation and post-production

Post-production lasted for 14 months.[14] ILM had already used CGI and digital compositing in a few movies, such as the stained glass knight scene in Young Sherlock Holmes, but the computers were still not powerful enough to make a complicated movie like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, so all the animation was done using cels and optical compositing.[45][32] First, the animators and layout artists were given black-and-white printouts of the live-action scenes (known as "photostats"), and they placed their animation paper on top of them. The artists then drew the animated characters in relationship to the live-action footage. Due to Zemeckis' dynamic camera moves, the animators had to confront the challenge of ensuring the characters were not "slipping and slipping all over the place."[14][32] Ensuring this did not happen and that the characters looked real, Zemeckis and Spielberg met for about an hour and a half and came up with an idea: "If the rabbit sits down in an old chair, dust comes up. He should always be touching something real."[24] After the rough animation was complete, it was run through the normal process of traditional animation until the cels were shot on the rostrum camera with no background. Williams came up with the idea of making the cartoon characters “2.5-dimensional”, and the animated footage was sent to ILM for compositing, where technicians animated three lighting layers (shadows, highlights, and tone mattes) separately, to give the characters a sense of depth and create the illusion of them affected by the set lighting.[46][32] Finally, the lighting effects were optically composited on to the cartoon characters, who were, in turn, composited into the live-action footage. One of the most difficult effects in the film was Jessica's dress in the nightclub scene because it had to flash sequins, an effect accomplished by filtering light through a plastic bag scratched with steel wool.[13]

Music

See also: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (soundtrack)

Regular Zemeckis collaborator Alan Silvestri composed the film score, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) under the direction of Silvestri. Zemeckis joked that "the British [musicians] could not keep up with Silvestri's jazz tempo". The performances of the music themes written for Jessica Rabbit were entirely improvised by a jazz combo performing with the LSO. The work of American composer Carl Stalling heavily influenced Silvestri's work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.[14][32] The film's soundtrack was originally released by Buena Vista Records on June 22, 1988, and reissued on CD on April 16, 2002.[47]

On January 23, 2018, Intrada Records released a three-CD set with the complete score, alternates, and a remastered version of the original 1988 album, plus music from three Roger Rabbit short films, composed and conducted by Bruce Broughton and James Horner.[48] Mondo Records and Walt Disney Records reissued the original 1988 album on vinyl on September 17, 2021.

The film features performances of "Hungarian Rhapsody" (Tony Anselmo and Mel Blanc), "Why Don't You Do Right?" (Amy Irving), "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (Charles Fleischer), and "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!" (Toon Chorus).

Release

Michael Eisner, then-CEO, and Roy E. Disney, who was the vice chairman of The Walt Disney Company, felt the film was too risqué with adult themes and sexual references.[49] Eisner and Zemeckis disagreed over various elements of it but since Zemeckis had final cut privilege, he refused to make alterations.[32] Roy E. Disney, head of Walt Disney Feature Animation along with studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, felt it was appropriate to release the film under the studio's adult-orientated Touchstone Pictures banner instead of the flagship Walt Disney Pictures banner.[49]

Box office

The film opened in the United States on June 22, 1988, grossing $11,226,239 in 1,045 theaters during its opening weekend; it was in first place at the US box office.[50] It was Disney's biggest opening weekend ever at the time of its release.[51] It went on to gross $154,112,492 in the United States and Canada and $197,387,508 internationally, coming to a worldwide total of $351,500,000.[52] At the time of release, it was the 20th-highest-grossing film of all time.[53] It was also the second-highest-grossing film of 1988, behind only Rain Man.[54] In the United Kingdom, the film also set a record opening for a Disney film.[55]

Home media

The film was first released on VHS on October 12, 1989,[56] and on DVD on September 28, 1999.

On March 25, 2003, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released it as a part of the "Vista Series" line in a two-disc collection with many extra features including a documentary, Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit; a deleted scene in which a pig's head is "tooned" onto Eddie's; the three Roger Rabbit shorts, Tummy Trouble, Roller Coaster Rabbit, and Trail Mix-Up; as well as a booklet and interactive games. The only short on the 2003 VHS release was Tummy Trouble. The 2003 DVD release presents the film in Full Screen (1.33:1) on Disc 1 and Widescreen (1.85:1) on Disc 2.

On March 12, 2013, Disney released the film on Blu-ray and DVD combo pack special edition for the film's 25th anniversary.[57][58] The film was also digitally restored for the release; frame-by-frame digital restoration was done by Prasad Studios removing dirt, tears, scratches, and other defects.[59][60] Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 7, 2021.[61]

Reception

Critical response

Who Framed Roger Rabbit received near-universal acclaim from critics, making Business Insider's "best comedy movies of all time, according to critics" list.[62] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 96% based on 76 reviews, and an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an innovative and entertaining film that features a groundbreaking mix of live action and animation, with a touching and original story to boot."[63] Aggregator Metacritic has calculated a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[64] Who Framed Roger Rabbit was placed on 43 critics' top ten lists, third to only The Thin Blue Line and Bull Durham in 1988.[65] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[66]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars out of four, calling it "sheer, enchanted entertainment from the first frame to the last-- a joyous, giddy, goofy celebration of the kind of fun you can have with a movie camera." He writes that the opening cartoon is "a masterpiece; I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at an animated short. But then when a stunt goes wrong and the cartoon 'baby' stalks off the set and lights a cigar and tells the human director to go to hell, we know we're in a new and special universe."[67] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune praised the film's "dazzling, jaw-dropping opening four-minute sequence"; he noted that the sequence alone took nearly nine months to animate.[68] Siskel gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four.[69] Ebert and his colleague Siskel spent a considerable amount of time in the Siskel & Ebert episode in which they reviewed the film analyzing its painstaking filmmaking.[70] In evaluating their top ten films of the year, Siskel ranked it number two[71] while Ebert ranked it as number eight.[72] Janet Maslin of The New York Times commented that this is "a film whose best moments are so novel, so deliriously funny and so crazily unexpected that they truly must be seen to be believed."[73] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post considered Roger Rabbit to be "a definitive collaboration of pure talent. Zemeckis had Walt Disney Pictures' enthusiastic backing, producer Steven Spielberg's pull, Warner Bros.'s blessing, Canadian animator Richard Williams' ink and paint, Mel Blanc's voice; Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman's witty, frenetic screenplay; George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic, and Bob Hoskins' comical performance as the burliest, shaggiest private eye."[74] Gene Shalit on the Today Show also praised the film, calling it "one of the most extraordinary movies ever made".[75] Filmsite.org called it "a technically-marvelous film" and a "landmark" that resulted from "unprecedented cooperation" between Warner Bros. and Disney.[76] On CNN's 2019 miniseries The Movies, Tom Hanks called it the "most complicated movie ever made."[77]

Richard Corliss, a writer for Time, said, "The opening scene upstages the movie that emerges from it". Corliss was mainly annoyed by the homages to the Golden Age of American animation.[78] Chuck Jones made a rather scathing attack on the film in his book Chuck Jones Conversations. Among his complaints, Jones accused Zemeckis of robbing Richard Williams of any creative input and ruining the piano duel that both Williams and he storyboarded.[79]

Accolades

Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards Best Art Direction Art Direction: Elliot Scott;
Set Decoration: Peter Howitt 		Nominated [80]
Best Cinematography Dean Cundey Nominated
Best Film Editing Arthur Schmidt Won
Best Sound Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, and Tony Dawe Nominated
Best Sound Effects Editing Charles L. Campbell and Louis Edemann Won
Best Visual Effects Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, and George Gibbs Won
Special Achievement Award Richard Williams Won
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Feature Film Arthur Schmidt Nominated
Annie Awards Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement Richard Williams Won
BMI Film & TV Awards Film Music Award Alan Silvestri Won
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Special Award Richard Williams Won [81]
British Academy Film Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman Nominated [82]
Best Cinematography Dean Cundey Nominated
Best Editing Arthur Schmidt Nominated
Best Production Design Elliot Scott Nominated
Best Visual Effects George Gibbs, Richard Williams, Ken Ralston, and Edward Jones Won
British Society of Cinematographers Awards Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film Dean Cundey Nominated [83]
Cahiers du Cinéma Best Film Robert Zemeckis 5th Place
César Awards Best Foreign Film Nominated [84]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Director Won [85]
David di Donatello Awards Best Foreign Producer Frank Marshall and Robert Watts Won
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Robert Zemeckis Nominated [86]
DVD Exclusive Awards Best Menu Design John Ross Nominated
Evening Standard British Film Awards Best Actor Bob Hoskins (also for The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne) Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated [87]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Bob Hoskins Nominated
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – ADR Larry Singer, Jessica Gallavan, Alan Nineberg, Charleen Richards,
and Lionel Strutt 		Won
Golden Screen Awards Won
Grammy Awards Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score
Written for a Motion Picture or Television 		Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Alan Silvestri Nominated [88]
Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation Robert Zemeckis, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, and Gary K. Wolf Won [89]
Jupiter Awards Best International Film Robert Zemeckis Won
Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Special Citation Robert Zemeckis Won [90]
National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Inducted
Online Film & Television Association Awards Film Hall of Fame: Productions Inducted [91]
Sant Jordi Awards Best Foreign Film Robert Zemeckis Won
Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Won [92]
Best Actor Bob Hoskins Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Christopher Lloyd Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Joanna Cassidy Nominated
Best Director Robert Zemeckis Won
Best Writing Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman Nominated
Best Music Alan Silvestri Nominated
Best Special Effects George Gibbs, Ken Ralston, and Richard Williams Won
Venice International Film Festival Children and Cinema Award Robert Zemeckis Won [93]
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman Nominated [94]

Legacy

See also: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (franchise), Toontown Online, and Disney Renaissance
Who Framed Roger Rabbit marks the first and so far the only time in animation history that Disney's Mickey Mouse and Warner Bros.' Bugs Bunny (as well as Donald Duck and Daffy Duck) have ever officially appeared on-screen together. In order for Disney to use Warner Bros.' characters for the film, both companies came to an agreement in which the screen time for the Warner Bros. characters would be equal to that of the Disney characters.

The critical and commercial success of the film rekindled an interest in the Golden Age of American animation, and in addition to sparking the Silver Age of American animation and the Disney Renaissance, it has also gained a cult following.[95][96] In November 1988, a few months after the film's release, Roger Rabbit made his guest appearance in the live-action and animated television special broadcast on NBC called Mickey's 60th Birthday in which to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Mickey Mouse. In 1991, Walt Disney Imagineering began to develop Mickey's Toontown for Disneyland, based on the Toontown that appeared in the film. The attraction also features a ride called Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.[49] Three theatrical animated shorts were also produced: Tummy Trouble was shown before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; Roller Coaster Rabbit was shown before Dick Tracy; and Trail Mix-Up was shown before A Far Off Place.[97][98] The film also inspired a short-lived comic book and video game spin-offs, including two PC games, the Japanese version of The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle (which features Roger instead of Bugs), a 1989 game released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and a 1991 game released on the Game Boy.[98]

In December 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[10]

Roger Rabbit served as inspiration for various live-action/animation films in the following decades including Cool World, Space Jam,[99] Tom & Jerry,[100] Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers,[101] and Once Upon a Studio.

Controversies

With the film's LaserDisc release, Variety first reported in March 1994 that observers uncovered several scenes of antics from the animators that supposedly featured brief nudity of Jessica Rabbit. While undetectable when played at the usual rate of 24 film frames per second, the LaserDisc player allowed the viewer to advance frame-by-frame to uncover these visuals. Whether or not they were actually intended to depict the nudity of the character remains unknown.[102][103] Many retailers said that within minutes of the LaserDisc debut, their entire inventory was sold out. The run was fueled by media reports about the controversy, including stories on CNN and various newspapers.[104]

Another frequently debated scene includes one in which Baby Herman extends his middle finger as he passes under a woman's dress and re-emerges with drool on his lip.[103][105] In the scene where Daffy Duck and Donald Duck are dueling on pianos, some heard Donald call Daffy a "goddamn stupid nigger", rather than the scripted and recorded line "doggone stubborn little".[106][107][108]

Gary K. Wolf, author of the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, filed a lawsuit in 2001 against The Walt Disney Company. He claimed he was owed royalties based on the value of "gross receipts" and merchandising sales. In 2002, the trial court in the case ruled that these only referred to actual cash receipts Disney collected and denied Wolf's claim. In its January 2004 ruling, the California Court of Appeal disagreed, finding that expert testimony introduced by Wolf regarding the customary use of "gross receipts" in the entertainment business could support a broader reading of the term. The ruling vacated the trial court's order in favor of Disney and remanded the case for further proceedings.[109] In a March 2005 hearing, Wolf estimated he was owed $7 million. Disney's attorneys not only disputed the claim but also said Wolf owed Disney $500,000–$1 million because of an accounting error discovered in preparing for the lawsuit.[110] Wolf won the decision in 2005, receiving between $180,000 and $400,000 in damages.[111]

Proposed sequel

Spielberg discussed a sequel in 1989 with J. J. Abrams as writer and Zemeckis as producer. Abrams' outline was eventually abandoned.[112] Nat Mauldin was hired to write a prequel titled Roger Rabbit: The Toon Platoon, set in 1941 to 1943. Similar to the previous film, Toon Platoon featured many cameo appearances by characters from The Golden Age of American Animation. It began with Roger Rabbit's early years, living on a farm in the midwestern United States.[95] With human Ritchie Davenport, Roger travels west to seek his mother, in the process meeting Jessica Krupnick (his future wife), a struggling Hollywood actress. While Roger and Ritchie are enlisting in the Army, Jessica is kidnapped and forced to make pro-Nazi German broadcasts. Roger and Ritchie must save her by going into Nazi-occupied Europe accompanied by several other Toons in their Army platoon. After their triumph, Roger and Ritchie are given a Hollywood Boulevard parade, and Roger is finally reunited with his mother and father, Bugs Bunny.[95][113]

Mauldin later retitled his script Who Discovered Roger Rabbit. Spielberg left the project when deciding he could not satirize Nazis after directing Schindler's List.[114][115] Eisner commissioned a rewrite in 1997 with Sherri Stoner and Deanna Oliver. Although they kept Roger's search for his mother, Stoner and Oliver replaced the WWII subplot with Roger's inadvertent rise to stardom on Broadway and Hollywood. Disney was impressed and Alan Menken was hired to write five songs for the film and offered his services as executive producer.[115] One of the songs, "This Only Happens in the Movies", was recorded in 2008 on the debut album of Broadway actress Kerry Butler.[116] Eric Goldberg was set to be the new animation director, and began to redesign Roger's new character appearance.[115]

Spielberg became busy establishing DreamWorks, while Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy decided to remain as producers. Test footage for Who Discovered Roger Rabbit was shot sometime in 1998 at the Disney animation unit in Lake Buena Vista, Florida; the results were a mix of CGI, traditional animation, and live-action that did not please Disney. A second test had the toons completely converted to CGI, but this was dropped as the film's projected budget would escalate past $100 million. Eisner felt it was best to cancel the film.[115] In March 2003, producer Don Hahn doubted a sequel, arguing that public tastes had changed since the 1990s with the rise of computer animation. "There was something very special about that time when animation was not as much in the forefront as it is now."[117]

In December 2007, Marshall stated that he was still "open" to the idea,[118] and in April 2009, Zemeckis revealed he was still interested.[119] According to a 2009 MTV News story, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman were writing a new script for the project, and the animated characters would be in traditional two-dimensional, while the rest would be in motion capture.[120] In 2010, Bob Hoskins had agreed to sign on for a sequel, but expressed scepticism about the use of "performance capture" in the film.[121] Zemeckis said that the sequel would remain hand-drawn animated and live-action sequences will be filmed, just like in the original film, but the lighting effects on the cartoon characters and some of the props that the toons handle will be done digitally.[122] Also in 2010, Hahn, who was the film's original associate producer, confirmed the sequel's development in an interview with Empire. He stated, "Yeah, I couldn't possibly comment. I deny completely, but yeah... if you're a fan, pretty soon you're going to be very, very, very happy."[123] Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 after a Parkinson's disease diagnosis a year earlier, and died from pneumonia in 2014.[124] Marshall confirmed that the film would be a prequel, similar to earlier drafts, and that the writing was almost complete.[125] During an interview at the premiere of his film Flight, Zemeckis stated that the sequel was still possible, despite Hoskins' absence, and the script for the sequel was sent to Disney for approval from studio executives.[126]

In February 2013, Gary K. Wolf, writer of the original novel, said Erik Von Wodtke and he were working on a development proposal for an animated Disney buddy comedy starring Mickey Mouse and Roger Rabbit called The Stooge, based on the 1952 film of the same name. The proposed film is set in a prequel, taking place five years before Who Framed Roger Rabbit and part of the story is about how Roger met Jessica. Wolf has stated the film is currently wending its way through Disney.[127]

In November 2016, while promoting his film Allied in England, Zemeckis stated that the sequel "moves the story of Roger and Jessica Rabbit into the next few years of period film, moving on from film noir to the world of the 1950s". He also stated that the sequel would feature a "digital Bob Hoskins", as Eddie Valiant would return in "ghost form". While the director went on to state that the script is "terrific" and the film would still use hand-drawn animation, Zemeckis thinks that the chances of Disney green-lighting the sequel are "slim". As he explained more in detail, "The current corporate Disney culture has no interest in Roger, and they certainly don't like Jessica at all".[128] In December 2018, while promoting his film Welcome to Marwen and given the 30th anniversary of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Zemeckis reiterated in an interview with Yahoo! Movies that though the sequel's script is "wonderful", Disney is still unlikely to ever produce it, and he does not see the possibility of producing it as an original film for the streaming service Disney+, as he feels that it does not make any sense as there is no "Princess" in it.[129] In November 2024, while promoting his latest film Here, Zemeckis again said that one of the reasons Disney will never produce the script, "as good as it is", is that Disney finds Jessica Rabbit "too hot", citing that they dressed her in a trench coat in the Disneyland attraction Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. Zemeckis said that the original film was made at the right time.[130]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The budget has been commonly reported as $70 million, including by The New York Times in 1991, which subsequently issued an erratum to state that both Amblin and Touchstone insist the budget was "about $50 million".[3] Publications of the film's accounts since then indicate that the exact production cost of the film was $58,166,000,[4] including the production overhead which came to a total of $7,587,000, putting the net cost at $50,587,000.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit (PG)". BBFC. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  3. ^ Greenburg, James (May 26, 1991). "FILM; Why the 'Hudson Hawk' Budget Soared So High". The New York Times. p. 3. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
  4. ^ Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autrey, eds. (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-By-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. HarperCollins. p. 615. ISBN 978-0-06-177889-6. Production cost (with overhead): $58,166 (Unadjusted $s in Thousands of Dollars)
  5. ^ Vogel, Harold L. (2010). Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis. Cambridge University Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-107-00309-5. Production cost: 50,579; Production overhead: 7,587 (Data in $000s)
  6. ^ "The Numbers: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)". Allmovie. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  8. ^ King, Susan (March 21, 2013). "Classic Hollywood: On the case of 'Roger Rabbit'". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  9. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "With "20,000 Leagues," the National Film Registry Reaches 700". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  11. ^ "2011 Disneyana Fan Club Convention Highlight: Voice Panel" (Video). YouTube. August 24, 2011. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  12. ^ Stewart, p.72
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Norman Kagan (May 2003). "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". The Cinema of Robert Zemeckis. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 93–117. ISBN 0-87833-293-6.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Robert Zemeckis, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, Ken Ralston, Frank Marshall, Steve Starkey, DVD audio commentary, 2003, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
  15. ^ TheThiefArchive (September 5, 2014). "Early unmade version of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" [Paul Reubens, Darrell Van Citters, Disney 1983]". YouTube. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c d e James B. Stewart (2005). DisneyWar. New York City: Simon & Schuster. p. 86. ISBN 0-684-80993-1.
  17. ^ Ian Nathan (May 1996). "Dreams: Terry Gilliam's Unresolved Projects". Empire. pp. 37–40.
  18. ^ Don Hahn, Peter Schneider, Waking Sleeping Beauty DVD commentary, 2010, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
  19. ^ "'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' And Six Other Big Roles Harrison Ford Missed Out On". July 13, 2015. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  20. ^ a b c d e "15 Things You Might Not Know About Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Mental Floss. April 10, 2015. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  21. ^ Farr, John (September 19, 2014). "Bill Murray and the Roles That Got Away". HuffPost. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  22. ^ Evans, Bradford (April 7, 2011). "The Lost Roles of Eddie Murphy". Splitsider. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  23. ^ Fallon, Jimmy (December 20, 2019). "Eddie Murphy Confirms Rumors and Stories About Prince, Ghostbusters and More". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  24. ^ a b c "Who Framed Roger Rabbit: A Look at How the Cartoons Came to Life". Closer Weekly. June 13, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Galindo, Brian (March 12, 2013). "20 Things You Didn't Know About "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  26. ^ Reyes, Mike (September 11, 2014). "Listen To Pee-Wee Herman As The Voice Of Roger Rabbit". CinemaBlend. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  27. ^ "PMC 35: Eddie Deezen". Pop My Culture podcast. March 6, 2011. Archived from the original on April 20, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  28. ^ "Interview with Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit". San Diego Reader. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  29. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit Turns 35: Voice of Roger Reflects on Filming Classic Cartoon Crossover". SYFY WIRE. June 22, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  30. ^ "Charles Fleischer, the voice behind Roger Rabbit, explores the meaning of life". March 25, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  31. ^ Scott, Keith (October 3, 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 1. BearManor Media.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Robert Zemeckis, Richard Williams, Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Frank Marshall, Alan Silvestri, Ken Ralston, Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit, 2003, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
  33. ^ Rabin, Nathan (May 4, 2012). "Kathleen Turner talks The Perfect Family, Body Heat, and her return to cinema". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  34. ^ Staff, Brian Galindo BuzzFeed (March 12, 2013). "20 Things You Didn't Know About "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  35. ^ Harris, Will (October 12, 2012). "Christopher Lloyd on playing a vampire, a taxi driver, a toon, and more". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  36. ^ a b c Who Shot Roger Rabbit, 1986 script by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman
  37. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman".
  38. ^ DVD production notes
  39. ^ a b c Stewart, p.87
  40. ^ Solomon, Charles (Fall 1987). "Future Disney Classics: New Animated Features on the Way". Disney News. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  41. ^ Solomon, Charles (June 22, 1988). "The Animated Arena of 'Roger Rabbit': Integration of Cartoons With Live Action Will Set Standard". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  42. ^ Wolf, Scott (2008). "DON HAHN talks about 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'". Mouseclubhouse.com. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  43. ^ The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit filming locations". Archived from the original on March 26, 2006. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
  44. ^ Robert Zemeckis, Frank Marshall, Jeffrey Price, Peter Seaman, Steve Starkey, and Ken Ralston. Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Blu-ray audio commentary, 2013, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
  45. ^ ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Hits 30: A Look Back At ILM’s Astonishing Old-School Optical VFX
  46. ^ ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Creators on How They Broke All the Rules
  47. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Alan Silvestri)". Filmtracks. April 16, 2002. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  48. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (3CD)". Intrada's official press-release. January 23, 2018. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  49. ^ a b c Stewart, p.88
  50. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for June 24-26, 1988". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. June 27, 1988. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  51. ^ Murphy, Arthur D. (October 31, 1989). "Leading North American Film Boxoffice Weekends in History". Daily Variety. p. 53.
  52. ^ "The Numbers: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  53. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  54. ^ "1988 Domestic Totals". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  55. ^ Groves, Don (December 20, 1993). "'Aladdin' isn't sharing B.O. wealth". Variety. p. 16.
  56. ^ "More Toons For Grownup 'Roger' Fans". Chicago Tribune. October 13, 1989. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  57. ^ Lewis, Dave (December 18, 2012). "'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and more modern Disney classics head to Blu-ray". HitFix. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  58. ^ Rawden, Jessica (December 18, 2012). "Who Framed Roger Rabbit And Three More Disney Titles To Hit Blu-ray In March". Cinemablend.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  59. ^ prasadgroup.org, Digital Film Restoration[usurped]
  60. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit Gets Digital Restoration For 25th Anniversary Screening". March 4, 2013. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  61. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (August 19, 2021). "Cult Classic 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' Debuts on 4K in December". Animation Magazine. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  62. ^ Lynch, John (March 16, 2018). "The 100 best comedy movies of all time, according to critics". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  63. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. June 21, 1988. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  64. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 11, 2004. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  65. ^ McGilligan, Pat; Rowland, Mark (January 8, 1989). "100 Film Critics Can't Be Wrong, Can They? : The critics' consensus choice for the 'best' movie of '88 is . . . a documentary!". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  66. ^ "Cinemascore :: Movie Title Search". December 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  67. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 22, 1988). "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  68. ^ Siskel, Gene (July 3, 1988). "Tooned In". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 142, no. 185. p. 59. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  69. ^ Siskel, Gene (December 9, 1988). "Siskel's Flicks Picks". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 142, no. 344. p. 179. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  70. ^ Ebert, Roger; Siskel, Gene (June 25, 1988). "Who Framed Roger Rabbit/Aria/The Great Outdoors". Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. Syndicated. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  71. ^ "TOP TEN MOVIES: 1969-1998". Chicago Tribune. October 15, 1999. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  72. ^ Ebert, Roger (December 31, 1988). "The Best 10 Movies of 1988". Roger Ebert's Journal. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  73. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 22, 1988). "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  74. ^ Thomson, Desson (June 24, 1988). "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  75. ^ "Roger Rabbit TV spot". YouTube. June 27, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  76. ^ AMC Filmsite: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Archived November 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 15, 2014
  77. ^ Croot, James (October 20, 2019). "The Movies: Why you need to see Tom Hanks' impressive chronicle of US cinema". stuff. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  78. ^ Corliss, Richard (June 27, 1988). "Creatures of A Subhuman Species" (Registration required to read article). Time. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  79. ^ Furniss, Maureen (2005). Chuck Jones: Conversations. Conversations with Comic Artists. Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 152–153. ISBN 1-578067-2-86.
  80. ^ "The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  81. ^ "BSFC Winners: 1980s". Boston Society of Film Critics. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  82. ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1989". BAFTA. 1989. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  83. ^ "Best Cinematography in Feature Film" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  84. ^ "The 1989 Caesars Ceremony". César Awards. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  85. ^ "Chicago Film Critics Awards – 1988–97". Chicago Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  86. ^ "41st DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  87. ^ "Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  88. ^ "31st Annual GRAMMY Awards". Grammy Awards. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  89. ^ "The Hugo Awards: 1989". The Hugo Awards. July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  90. ^ "The 14th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  91. ^ "Film Hall of Fame Productions". Online Film & Television Association. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  92. ^ "Past Saturn Awards". Saturn Awards Organization. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  93. ^ "VENICE 1988 – THE 45TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL". Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  94. ^ "Awards Winners". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  95. ^ a b c Chris Gore (July 1999). "Roger Rabbit Two: The Toon Platoon". The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made. New York City: St. Martin's Press. pp. 165–168. ISBN 0-312-20082-X.
  96. ^ 22 Animated Cult Classics Worth Checking Out - MovieWeb
  97. ^ Aljean Harmetz (July 19, 1989). "Marketing Magic, With Rabbit, for Disney Films". The New York Times.
  98. ^ a b Maria Eftimiades (April 29, 1990). "It's Heigh Ho, as Disney Calls the Toons to Work". The New York Times.
  99. ^ Failes, Ian (November 15, 2016). "The Oral History of 'Space Jam': Part 1 - Launching the Movie". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  100. ^ Fowler, Matt (February 23, 2021). "Tom and Jerry Director on the Film's Roger Rabbit Influences". IGN. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  101. ^ Silverio, Ben (May 20, 2022). "Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers Writers Doug Mand And Dan Gregor Talk About Creating A Spiritual Successor To Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Slashfilm. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  102. ^ "No Underwear Under There". Chicago Tribune. March 22, 1994. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  103. ^ a b Michael Fleming (March 14, 1994). "Jessica Rabbit revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  104. ^ Adam Sandler (March 16, 1994). "Rabbit frames feed flap". Variety. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  105. ^ "Naked Jessica Rabbit". Snopes.com. August 6, 1996. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
  106. ^ Schweizer, Peter; Schweizer, Rochelle (1998). Disney: The Mouse Betrayed. Regnery. pp. 143 & 144. ISBN 0-89526-387-4.
  107. ^ "Quacking Wise". December 30, 1998. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  108. ^ Smith, Dave. Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia.
  109. ^ Paul Sweeting (February 5, 2004). "Disney, Roger Rabbit author in spat". Video Business. Archived from the original on February 1, 2002. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  110. ^ Jesse Hiestand (March 22, 2005). "Roger Rabbit Animated In Court". AllBusiness.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  111. ^ "Disney To Pay Wolf 'Rabbit' Royalties". Billboard. July 5, 2005. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  112. ^ J. J. Abrams; Dan Trachtenberg (March 11, 2016). Episode 791: Nerdist Podcast - J.J. Abrams and Dan Trachtenberg. The Nerdist Podcast. Event occurs at 01:24:55. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  113. ^ "Script Review: Roger Rabbit II: Toon Platoon". FilmBuffOnline.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  114. ^ Steve Daly (April 16, 2008). "Steven Spielberg and George Lucas: The Titans Talk!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
  115. ^ a b c d Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman (April 3, 2003). "Who Screwed Roger Rabbit?". Animation World Magazine. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
  116. ^ "Kerry Butler's 'Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust' Set For May Release". Broadway World. February 28, 2008. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  117. ^ Staff (March 26, 2003). "Don't expect a Rabbit sequel". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  118. ^ Shawn Adler (September 11, 2007). "Roger Rabbit Sequel Still In The Offing? Stay Tooned, Says Producer". MTV Movies Blog. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  119. ^ Eric Ditzian (April 29, 2009). "Robert Zemeckis 'Buzzing' About Second 'Roger Rabbit' Movie". MTV Movies Blog. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
  120. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Robert Zemeckis Indicates He'll Use Performance-Capture And 3-D In 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel". Moviesblog.mtv.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  121. ^ Irwin, Lew (September 22, 2010). "Roger Rabbit Sequel Perplexes Bob Hoskins". contactmusic.com. Contact Music. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  122. ^ "Toontown Antics - Roger Rabbit's adventures in real and animated life: Roger Rabbit 2 – In 3D?". Toontownantics.blogspot.com. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  123. ^ "Exclusive: The Lion King To Go 3D! | Movie News". Empire. Empireonline.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  124. ^ "Bob Hoskins retires from acting". Itv.com. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  125. ^ "Frank Marshall Talks WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT 2 Sequel, THE BOURNE LEGACY, THE GOONIES 2, More". Collider. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  126. ^ Fischer, Russ (October 15, 2012). "Despite Bob Hoskins' Retirement, the 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel is Still Possible". /Film. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  127. ^ "• View topic - Mickey Mouse & Roger Rabbit in The Stooge". Dvdizzy.com. March 13, 2013. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  128. ^ Brew, Simon. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 would include "digital Bob Hoskins"". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  129. ^ Butler, Tom. "Robert Zemeckis on 'Welcome To Marwen', 'Back To The Future, and 'Roger Rabbit 2'". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  130. ^ Sharf, Zack (November 2024). "Jessica Rabbit Too Hot for Disney? Robert Zemeckis Says Studio 'Can't Make a Movie With Her' Anymore: 'They Put Her in a Trench Coach' at Disneyland". Variety. Retrieved November 2, 2024.

Further reading

  • Mike Bonifer (June 1989). The Art of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. First Glance Books. ISBN 0-9622588-0-6.
  • Martin Noble (December 1988). Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Novelization of the film. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-352-32389-2.
  • Gary K. Wolf (July 1991). Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?. Spin-off from the film and Wolf's Who Censored Roger Rabbit?. Villard. ISBN 978-0-679-40094-3.
  • Bob Foster (1989). Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom. Comic book sequel between Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the theatrical short Tummy Trouble. Marvel Comics. ISBN 0-87135-593-0.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Framed_Roger_Rabbit

    by Robert Payne

    Follow me opinions Website

    Related Posts