Who Framed Roger Rabbit

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Theatrical poster

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 comedy-fantasy film, produced by Touchstone Pictures. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it is a loose adaptation of Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. This film marks the last time Mel Blanc provided the voices of all the Looney Tunes characters in a film as he died a year later. In addition, this is the only film in which Warner Brothers and Disney Studios have had their characters appear together. With the possible exception of Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, this collaboration is not likely to happen again, at least officially.

Cameos / References

• Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny make cameos in the Toontown scene in which they heckle a falling Eddie Valiant who is "jumping without a parachute". Bugs appeared in his 1940-1945 design.
• Daffy and Donald Duck appear as performers at the Ink & Paint club, having a piano duel. Daffy comments that this "would be the last time [he] worked with someone with a speech-inpediment." A similar crack at Donald is made by Daffy in (Blooper) Bunny as well, when Daffy says "The next thing you know they'll stick me with three snot-nosed nephews".
• In one scene, Yosemite Sam is blasted out of Toontown with his rear end ablaze. Yelping, he extinguishes himself in a puddle of water. Earlier, a gun is seen with an engraving on its case saying "Thanks for getting me out of the hoosegow" signed by Yosemite Sam.
• Tweety makes a cameo in the Toontown scene, playing "widdle piddies" with Eddie's fingers, which are holding precariously onto a flagpole (a callback to the Merrie Melodies cartoon "A Tale of Two Kitties"). In this sequence, Tweety appeared in his 1942-1945 design by Bob Clampett, albeit with yellow feathers.
• The film ends with Porky Pig saying, "Th- th-- th-- that's all, folks!," a nod to the ending of various late-1930s & early-1940s Looney Tunes cartoons.
• Silhouettes of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner appear briefly as the elevator (maneuvered by Droopy) goes up. They later appear at the end of the film.
• The song "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile", which the Toons sing when Eddie Valiant first arrives in Toontown and also at the end of the picture, is featured in an eponymous 1931 Merrie Melodie, "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!" In the cartoon, the full song is not sung, while in the movie it is.
• At the beginning, when Eddie is walking around the Maroon Cartoon studio lot, Michigan J. Frog, Toro the Bull, Yoyo Dodo, George the Fox, and a prototype Bugs appear as extras in the background.
• Bugs, Sylvester, Daffy, Porky, Speedy, Road Runner, Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Wile E. Coyote, Tweety, Marc Antony, and Marvin the Martian all make cameos at the end of the film. In this sequence, as mentioned before, Tweety appeared in his modern design by Friz Freleng and Marc Antony is colored gray. In addition, Eddie briefly says "hi" to Tweety in an amicable way.
  • Elmer Fudd appears briefly in the background when the Toons react to Roger's hand-buzzing trick. He appears again during the final shot of the film as the crowd exits the scene. In these scenes, only part of his head and hunting cap show and has no dialogue.
  • Gracie the Kangaroo from "Pop 'im Pop!" makes a cameo at the end of the film, viewed from the back, just as Porky Pig closes the movie. She is colored light brown in this film.
• Eddie startles R.K. Maroon by saying "What's up, Doc?", a reference to Bugs' famous line.
• The exchange between Eddie and Roger in the barroom is a callback to the "duck season/rabbit season" routine from "Rabbit Fire", "Rabbit Seasoning, and Duck! Rabbit, Duck!
• There are a few scenes where The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down (the main theme to the Looney Tunes) is performed. Roger sings the song while entertaining patrons at the bar and Eddie Valiant also sings to it in a later scene to make the Toon Patrol weasels laugh themselves to death.

Scrapped Cameos

• Witch Hazel makes a brief cameo during the deleted "pig head" scene, flying around on Beelzebub before getting struck down by lightning.
• A deleted scene involving Marvin Acme's funeral would've featured Foghorn Leghorn as the preacher giving the sermon. Despite being cut from the final film, Joe Alaskey is still credited as voicing him in the end credits.
• Pepé Le Pew and Taz were also planned to appear, but did not for unknown purposes.

Parodies

• Tiny Toon Adventures - Roger, like Steven Spielberg himself, makes several cameos in the series, and is even impersonated by Babs Bunny. Another character, Jessica Rabbit is also impersonated by Babs.

Character Cameos Gallery

Donald and Daffy during the cartoon piano stage scene

Tweety is about to play This Little Piggy causing Eddie Valiant to fall (NOTE: Tweety is in his first design with modern colors)

Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny skydiving with a falling Eddie Valiant

"Th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th That's all, Folks!" (NOTE: Gracie the Kangaroo is seen on the right, viewed from the back, in front of Spike from MGM's Tom and Jerry)

Sylvester next to Woody Woodpecker, Foghorn Leghorn and the bottom Marvin the Martian (NOTE:A gray version of Marc Antony in the background)

Cameos by Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales

Roger Rabbit in Tiny Toon Adventures

Babs Bunny as Roger Rabbit

Notes

• Although Mel Blanc reprised his role for most of the Looney Tunes characters in this film, he did not reprise his role as Yosemite Sam, instead Joe Alaskey replaced him for the role in this film. This is because that Blanc at that time could no longer create yelling voices as they could strain his vocal chords during his old age.
• MPAA Number: 29171

Video

Early unmade version of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" Paul Reubens, Darrell Van Citters, Disney 1983-0

Very early scenes of the film during development in 1983 which also used as a special feature from the Who Framed Roger Rabbit DVD.