Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Gary K. Wolf (novel)
Jeffrey Price (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Crime | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble.

Plot:

A toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.

Plot Keywords:

Rabbit | Detective | Roger Rabbit | Murder | Maroon Cartoon

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Bob Hoskins	...	Eddie Valiant
Christopher Lloyd	...	Judge Doom
Joanna Cassidy	...	Dolores
Charles Fleischer	...	Roger Rabbit / Benny The Cab / Greasy / Psycho (voice)
Stubby Kaye	...	Marvin Acme
Alan Tilvern	...	R.K. Maroon
Richard LeParmentier	...	Lt. Santino (as Richard Le Parmentier)
Lou Hirsch	...	Baby Herman (voice)
Betsy Brantley	...	Jessica's Performance Model
Joel Silver	...	Raoul
Paul Springer	...	Augie
Richard Ridings	...	Angelo
Edwin Craig	...	Arthritic Cowboy
Lindsay Holiday	...	Soldier
Mike Edmonds	...	Stretch

Also Known As:

Dead Toons Don't Pay Bills (USA) (working title)
Murder in Toontown (USA) (working title)
The Toontown Trial (USA) (working title)
Toons (USA) (working title)
Trouble in Toontown (USA) (working title)
Who Censored Roger Rabbit? (USA) (working title)
Who Shot Roger Rabbit? (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:PG | Brazil:10 | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12/9 (original rating) | France:U | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:10 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

Every frame of the movie which featured a mixture of animation and live action had to be printed up as a still photograph. An animator would then draw the particular illustration for that frame on tracing paper set on top of the photo. The outline drawing then had to be hand-colored. Once that was done, the drawing had to be composited back into the original frame using an optical printer.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the weasels cross the street to Valiant's office, they disappear behind the window frame in the foreground. Their shadows, however, do not.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mrs. Herman: Mommy's going to the beauty parlor, darling, but I'm leaving you with your favorite friend, Roger. He's going to take very, very good care of you, because if he doesn't... HE'S GOING BACK TO THE SCIENCE LAB.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tiny Toon Adventures: Who Bopped Bugs Bunny? (#1.50)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Smile, Darn Ya, Smile

Great fun for kids and adults alike.

I'm a fan of both cartoons and film noir movies, and so Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a great experience to me. Set in the 1940's, in a shadowy atmosphere reminiscent of Bogart classics such as The Maltese Falcon, the movie blends in cartoon characters and live actors almost seamlessly. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the movie was seeing Disney and Warner Bros cartoon characters in the same scenes - for the first time in film history, I believe. Who could forget the piano duel of Donald and Daffy? The live actors were a bit theatrical and over-dramatic at times, but not to an extent that would have made the film unbearable or bad. The cartoon characters saved a lot, too.

Fast-paced, entertaining film that can be viewed by anyone. I liked it very much.