Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

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

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

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

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy

Won 3 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

'Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime suspect. Groundbreaking interaction between the live and animated characters, and lots of references to classic animation.

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Plot Keywords:

roger rabbit | maroon cartoon | private detective | year 1947 | rabbit | 

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Taglines:

JEEPERS! Look who's returning to theaters like never before?

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

For this movie, animation director Richard Williams set out to break three rules that previously were conventions for combining live-action and animation: first, move the camera as much as possible so the Toons don't look pasted on flat backgrounds; second, use lighting and shadows to an extreme that was never before attempted; third, have the Toons interact with real-world objects and people as much as possible.

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Goofs

A bar patron introduces Judge Doom to his invisible rabbit friend, Harvey. While the movie was not produced by 1947, it was already a play in 1944.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits: "Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Tweetie Bird, Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Porky Pig, Acme, and all other Warner Bros. characters are trademark of Warner Brothers Inc. Copyright 1988 Warner Bros. Inc. used by permission."

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Alternate Versions

The original film had a gag frame of Betty Boop where her dress was drawn too low in the front, revealing her nipples. The scene was edited before being released on video.

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Connections

Referenced in I Want Candy (2007)

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Soundtracks

Giant Killers (a)
(uncredited)
Music by Len Stevens
Plays during the newsreel

User Reviews

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.

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Who Shot Roger Rabbit?

Filming Locations:

2715 N Vermont Canyon Road, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,226,239, 26 June 1988

Gross USA:

$156,452,370

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$329,803,958

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Silver Screen Partners III

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints) Dolby SR (1995 Re-Release) DTS (Digital DTS Sound) (1998/2002 Re-Release) Dolby Digital (1998/2002 Re-Release) SDDS (1998/2002 Re-Release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1