Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Ministry of Culture (India): Difference between pages

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Revision as of 13:55, 7 July 2007

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{{Infobox Film |

name = Who Framed Roger Rabbit |

image = Movie poster who framed roger rabbit.jpg |

director = [[Robert Zemeckis]] (live-action)<br>[[Richard Williams]] (animation) |

writer = [[Jeffery Price]]<br>[[Peter S. Seaman]] |

starring = [[Bob Hoskins]]<br>[[Charles Fleischer]]<br>[[Christopher Lloyd]]<br> [[Kathleen Turner]]<br>[[Joanna Cassidy]] |

producer = [[Frank Marshall (movie producer)|Frank Marshall]]<br>[[Robert Watts]] |

distributor = [[Buena Vista Pictures]] |

released = [[June 21]], [[1988]] |

runtime = 103 min. |

language= English |

budget = US$70,000,000 (est.) |

amg_id = 1:54379 |

imdb_id = 0096438}}

{{wikify|date=July 2007}}

'''''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''''' is a [[1988 in film|1988 film]], produced by [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] subsidiary [[Touchstone Pictures|Touchstone]] and [[Amblin Entertainment]], that [[live-action/animated film|combines animation and live action]]. The film takes place in a fictionalized [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] in 1947, where animated characters (always referred to as "[[Toon]]s") are real beings who live and work alongside humans in the real world, most of them as actors in [[animated cartoon]]s. At $70 million, it was one of the most expensive films ever at the time of its release, but it proved a sound investment that eventually brought in over $150 million during its original theatrical release. The film is notable for offering a unique chance to see many cartoon characters from different studios interacting in a single film and for being one of the last appearances by voice artists [[Mel Blanc]] and [[Mae Questel]] from [[The Golden Age of Hollywood animation|animation's Golden Era]].

The Ministry of Culture, [[Government of India]] is assigned the functions to preserve and promote all art and culture of India. This includes the maintenance and conservation of the country’s heritage, ancient monuments and historic sites; Promotion of literary, visual and performing arts; Administration of libraries, museums and institutions of anthropology; Maintenance, preservation and conservation of archival records and archival libraries; Research and development in the conservation of cultural property; Observation of centenaries and anniversaries of important national personalities and events; Promotion of institutions and organizations of Buddhist and Tibetan studies; Promotion of institutional and individual initiatives in the field of art and culture; and Entering into and implementation of cultural agreements with foreign countries.

==Plot==

{{spoiler}}

The Ministry is headed by a Smt. Ambika Soni.

[[Image:Roger Rabbit.jpg|frame|100px|right|Roger Rabbit, from the opening scene]]

The movie opens, innocently and deceptively, as a ''[[Baby Herman]]'' [[short subject]], which in the [[realm]] of this film is revealed to be a “live [[action]]” [[slapstick]] short in the midst of [[production]] (after the manner of The [[Three Stooges]]). This introduces the [[film]]'s title character, who plays the supporting comic foil to infant cartoon star (actually a grown man who appears to be a baby) Baby Herman. In the movie's milieu, cartoon characters are a cohabiting [[sapient]] species alongside [[human beings]], though unlike them, are unbounded by the [[laws of physics]] (except when it's funny). Eventually, it is revealed that Marvin Acme, the owner of the [[Acme Corporation|Acme Company]] and of [[Toontown]], has been murdered.

All signs point to [[Roger Rabbit]], a Toon star at [[Maroon Cartoons]],

who had recently been shown evidence

that Acme and Roger's wife, [[Jessica Rabbit]], a sexy Toon ''[[femme fatale]]''

(uncredited speaking voice by [[Kathleen Turner]], singing voice by [[Amy Irving]]),

had been playing [[Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man|pattycake]] together (literally) — this is tantamount to [[infidelity]] in the eyes of a Toon.

----

The only person who can help clear Roger's name is Eddie Valiant ([[Bob Hoskins]]), a washed-up, alcoholic detective who hates Toons because his brother, Teddy, was murdered by a Toon during a routine criminal investigation in Toontown years before when a piano was dropped on his head. Eddie is reluctantly forced into helping when Roger hides in his apartment, and soon finds himself shielding Roger from [[Judge Doom]] of the [[Toontown]] District Superior Court ([[Christopher Lloyd]]) and his "Toon Patrol" henchmen, a group of weasels: Smartass, Greasy, Psycho, Stupid, and Wheezy.

== Autonomus Bodies Under the Ministry ==

Meanwhile, Doom's giant [[cloverleaf interchange|Cloverleaf]] Corporation is plotting to buy out the [[Light rail|interurban railway]], the [[Pacific Electric Railway|Pacific-Electric]], nicknamed "the Red Cars," and replace it with [[freeway]]s (based on the [[General Motors streetcar conspiracy]] and the [[National City Lines]] to replace troellys with busses across the country). With Acme dead and no will having been found, Toontown is in danger of being bulldozed in order to make way for the freeway.

* '''Attached Offices'''

Eddie and Roger must find the will of the late Marvin Acme, which purportedly gives ownership of Toontown to the Toons, as per Acme’s solemn oath. Judge Doom is also trying to find the will in order to dispose of it, so he can destroy Toontown and build his freeway where the place once stood, making himself a profit out of the deal. If any Toons happen to get in his way, Judge Doom feels no qualms about subjecting them to the "dip": a mixture he’s concocted of [[acetone]], [[benzene]], and [[turpentine]], and the only sure way to kill a Toon.

# [[Archaeological Survey of India]]

# National Archives of India

* '''Subordinate Offices'''

Eddie goes to the studios of Maroon Cartoons, Roger's employer, to help clear the rabbit's name. There he speaks to R.K. Maroon, who is shot during the confrontation. Thinking the shooter to be Jessica Rabbit, playing Roger for a [[patsy]], Eddie chases the assassin all the way into Toontown, despite his trepidation; Eddie has not set foot in Toontown since brother Teddy’s demise. There Eddie discovers that the assassin was actually Judge Doom, who manages to kidnap Jessica, and later Roger, so he can "dip" them.

# National Gallery of Modern Arts, New Delhi

# National Museum, New Delhi

# National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property, Lucknow

# Central Reference Library, Kolkata

# National Library, Kolkata

# Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata

* '''Autonomous Organizations'''

In the film's climax, set in the Acme Warehouse, Judge Doom spews "dip" from a huge machine and tries to eradicate Roger and his wife, Jessica. He reveals his plans to then use his "dip" vehicle to erase Toontown. To combat Doom's weasel henchmen, the normally hard-nosed Eddie plays a clown (not completely out of character, as the audience has been shown a photo of him and his brother working for [[Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus|Ringling Brothers]] earlier in the film), causing the weasels to die of laughter—evidently another way to kill a Toon. During the final battle with Eddie, Judge Doom is revealed to be a Toon himself after a [[steam-roller]] flattens him, and he reinflates by using an air tank, revealing his Toon features. To Eddie's horror, Doom then reveals himself to be not just any Toon, but the very one who murdered Eddie's brother, then he fights Eddie by creating all sorts of tools - buzzsaws, anvils, and springs, which ''are'' lethal - from his hands and feet.

# Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manava Sangrahalaya, [[Bhopal]]

# National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata

# Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, new Delhi

# Sangeet Natak Alademi, New Delhi

# Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi

# Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi

# [[National School of Drama]], [[New Delhi]]

# Centre for Cultural Resources & Training, New Delhi

# Gandhi Smiriti & Darshan Samiti,New Delhi

# Allahabad Museum, Allahabad

# Delhi Public Library, Delhi

# Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata

# Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh;Jammu&Kashmir

# Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, varanasi

# Indian Museum, [[Kolkata]]

# [[Asiatic Society]], [[Kolkata]]

# Salarjung Museum, [[Hyderabad]]

# Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library, [[Patna]]

# Rampur Raza Library, Rampur, UP

# Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji’s Sarasavati Mahal Library, Tanjore; TN

# Kalashetra Foundation, Thiruvanmayur, Chennai

# National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology, [[Delhi]]

# Nav Nalanda Mahavihara, [[Nalanda]], [[Bihar]]

# Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, [[Kolkata]]

# Indira Gandhi National Centre For Arts, New Delhi

# North Zone Culture Centre, Patiala; [[Punjab]]

# South Zone Culture Centre, Tanjore; TN

# South Central Zone Cultural Centre, [[Nagpur]]

# North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur; [[Nagaland]]

# West Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur; [[Rajastan]]

# Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata

# North Central Zone Cultural Centre, [[Allahabad]]

----

Just when it seems that Judge Doom will get the upper hand, Eddie uses a scissor-spring-loaded punch-glove mallet to knock open the drain valve on the "dip" machine. Judge Doom is drenched with "dip" and melts away. Eddie frees Roger and Jessica, but the "dip" machine breaks through the wall, and enters Toontown. Fortunately, it is plowed into by a passenger [[train]] almost instantly.

== References ==

The police soon arrive, and realize that Judge Doom was responsible for the murders of Maroon, Acme, and Eddie Valiant's brother Teddy, though no one knows for sure who he was. Marvin Acme's will is found (Acme wrote it in "disappearing re-appearing ink" and Roger used the "blank" paper to write Jessica a love letter), and Toontown is handed over to the control of the Toons, who all cheer and [[singing|sing]] a chorus of "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile."

[http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/ Ministry of Culture]

==Background==

[[Category:Uncategorised India articles]]

The live-action sequences were [[film director|directed]] by [[Robert Zemeckis]] and mostly filmed at [[Elstree Studios|Borehamwood film studios]] in [[Hertfordshire, England]]. The animated sequences were directed by [[Richard Williams]] and produced at his [[London]] animation studio. The film stars [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Christopher Lloyd]], [[Joanna Cassidy]] and the voice of [[Charles Fleischer]]. The screenplay was adapted by [[screenwriter]]s [[Jeffrey Price]] and [[Peter S. Seaman]] from the [[1981]] [[novel]] ''[[Who Censored Roger Rabbit?]]'' by [[Gary K. Wolf]], and the music was composed by perennial Zemeckis film composer [[Alan Silvestri]] and performed by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. It was released by [[Buena Vista Distribution]] under its [[Touchstone Pictures]] division.

The lack of question mark in the title is allegedly due to a [[superstition]] that films with a question mark in the title do badly at the [[box office]].

The plot of the film is derived from the infamous [[General Motors streetcar conspiracy]], in which [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], [[Chevron Corporation|Standard Oil]] and [[Firestone]] Tires allegedly formed the [[National City Lines]] holding company that bought out and deliberately destroyed the [[Los Angeles]] [[Pacific Electric Railway|Red Car]] [[trolley]] system in the 1940s and 1950s. In the film, the real-life role of NCL is filled by the fictional "Cloverleaf Industries," owned solely by Judge Doom.

Much of the cinematography and several scenes of the film are a homage to [[Roman Polanski]]'s ''[[Chinatown (1974 movie)|Chinatown]]''.

As many as 100 separate pieces of film were optically combined to incorporate the animated and live-action elements. The animated characters themselves were hand-drawn without [[computer animation]]; analogue optical effects were used for adding shadows and lighting to the Toons to give them a more "realistic," three-dimensional appearance.

A slightly earlier draft of the screenplay revealed Judge Doom also to be the hunter who mortally shot [[Bambi]]'s mother, thus providing more insight into his sadistic, cruel, and calloused nature towards his fellow Toons. However, Disney allegedly nixed the idea, most likely believing the idea to be [[overkill (term)|overkill]] and not wanting to scare younger audiences with the character more than necessary for the emotional purpose of the movie. <ref>The idea of a villain killing Bambi's mother was later incorporated into Disney's ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', and suggested that [[Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)|Gaston]] was the one who shot Bambi's mother. This mention can be found in the [http://www.scifiscripts.com/cartoon/roger-rabbit.htm script for "Who Shot Roger Rabbit?"]</ref> In the graphic novel ''[[Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom]]'', it is revealed that Doom's real name was Baron von Rotten, and that he played villains in old cartoons, until one day, he was knocked unconscious and woke up thinking he was a real villain.

The film's credits run for nearly ten minutes. At the time of its release, ''Roger Rabbit'' held the record for having the longest end credits sequence in cinema history.

==Critical reaction==

Although test screenings proved disastrous, ''Roger Rabbit'' opened to generally positive reviews on [[June 21]] [[1988]]. Both [[Gene Siskel]] and [[Roger Ebert]] included the film on their lists of ten favorite films of 1988, with Ebert calling it "sheer, enchanted entertainment from the first frame to the last - a joyous, giddy, goofy celebration" [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19880622/REVIEWS/806220301/1023]. [[Rotten Tomatoes]] lists ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' as being #38 on its Best Of Rotten Tomatoes list [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt_year.php] all-time list with 100% positive reviews. As the website was created in 1995, and would only have the option of searching past archives, it is not able to give an accurate contemporary depiction of the review success.

While ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is considered a modern film classic, the film has also had its share of criticism. Much of the criticism revolves around the inconsistent tone of the film: the juxtaposition of the zany cartoon characters and the rough [[film noir]] story in which they appear. While a blend between the two was the intended result of the producers, some people feel that the tone of the film deviates too much to properly identify it as either a film for children or a film for adults. While sex and violence were very prominent in [[The Golden Age of American animation|Golden Age animation]], the more blatant and saturated usage of such elements in this film, particularly in the characters of Jessica Rabbit (sex) and Judge Doom (violence), make many American parents and viewers unaccustomed to seeing such elements in animation uncomfortable. {{fact}}

The film's finale, during which its main characters are essentially tied to a rope waiting to be sprayed by a hose, was cited as being weak and unimaginative. The film's animation is also accused of using too much superfluous movement. Held cels are very rarely used in ''Roger Rabbit'', and (for technical reasons due to camera moves) most of the animation is on "ones" (each frame is animated, as opposed to the cheaper, more familiar method of animating every other frame, i.e. "twos"). Even when characters are standing still, they continue to move (particularly Roger, whose ear movements were based upon [[ballet]] patterns), and some [[animator]]s and animation artists have cited the extra movement as unnecessary and distracting. {{fact}}

The movie won four [[Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing]]; [[Academy Award for Visual Effects|Best Effects, Visual Effects]]; [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]; and a Special Award for [[Richard Williams]] for "animation direction and creation of the cartoon characters". The film received four further nominations: [[Academy Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction-Set Decoration]], [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

Jessica Rabbit's look was designed after [[Veronica Lake]]. Jessica even sports Lake's trademark "Peek-a-Boo" hairstyle.

The film was disliked by [[Chuck Jones]], the famed animation director best known for his work at Warner Bros. Jones himself storyboarded the piano duel between [[Donald Duck|Donald]] and [[Daffy Duck]], but he felt that the version of the scene in the final film was horrible. Jones also felt that [[Richard Williams]] had become too subservient to [[Robert Zemeckis]].

==Legacy==

''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is seen as a landmark film that sparked the [[Modern animation of the United States|most recent era in American animation]]. The field had become lackluster and worn-out during the 1970s and 1980s, to the point where even giants in the field such as [[The Walt Disney Company]] were considering giving up on major animated productions. This expensive film (production cost of $70 million - a staggering amount for the time) was a major risk for the company, but one that paid off handsomely. It inspired other studios to dive back into the field of animation; it also made animation acceptable with the movie-going public. After ''Roger Rabbit,'' interest in the history of animation exploded, and such legends in the field as [[Tex Avery]], [[Chuck Jones]], and [[Ralph Bakshi]] were seen in a new light and received credit and acclaim from audiences worldwide.

The film featured the last major voice role for two legendary cartoon voice artists: [[Mel Blanc]] (voicing Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and also [[Sylvester (Looney Tunes)|Sylvester]] in a one-line cameo) and [[Mae Questel]] (voicing, of course, Betty Boop). Blanc (who would shortly pass away at the age of 81) did not do Yosemite Sam's voice in the movie. (He had admitted that in his later years he was no longer able to do Sam's voice, which was very rough on his vocal cords.)

Despite being produced by Disney's [[Touchstone Pictures]] division (in association with [[Steven Spielberg]]'s [[Amblin Entertainment]]), ''Roger Rabbit'' also marked the first (and to date, only) time that characters from several animation studios (including [[Universal Pictures|Universal]], [[MGM]], [[Republic Pictures|Republic]], [[Turner Entertainment]], and [[Warner Bros.]]) appeared in one film. This allowed the first-ever meetings between [[Bugs Bunny]] and [[Mickey Mouse]]. A contract was signed between Disney and Warner stating that their respective icons, [[Mickey Mouse]] and [[Bugs Bunny]], would each receive exactly the same amount of screen time. This is why the script had Bugs, Mickey, and Eddie together in one scene falling from a skyscraper; in this scene, the mouse and the rabbit speak the same exact number of words of dialogue, as per the contract. However, a split-second shot of Bugs is seen just before the scene changes to the red car stopping. Also the [[speakeasy]] scene features the first and only meeting of [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Donald Duck]] performing a unique dueling piano act. Finally the unique pairing is given a final send off at the end of the film when [[Porky Pig]] faces the audience and says the traditional Warner Brothers animation closing line, "That's all, Folks!" just before [[Tinkerbell]] appears to tap the scene in the traditional Disney ending manner.

Eventually, several additional animated shorts featuring Roger Rabbit, Jessica Rabbit, and Baby Herman would be released. These shorts were presented in front of various Touchstone/Disney features in an attempt to revive short subject animation as a part of the movie-going experience. These shorts include ''[[Tummy Trouble]]'' released in front of ''[[Honey, I Shrunk The Kids]]'' (this was included on the original video release of the film), ''[[Roller Coaster Rabbit]]'' shown in front of ''[[Dick Tracy (film)|Dick Tracy]]'' and ''[[Trail Mix-Up]]'' shown in front of ''[[A Far Off Place]]''. They were all released on video in 1996 on a tape called ''[[The Best of Roger Rabbit]]'', and in 2003 on a special edition DVD of ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. ''Tummy Trouble'' was produced at the main [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] studio in [[Burbank, California]] and the other two shorts ''Roller Coaster Rabbit'' & ''Trail Mix-Up'' were produced at the satellite studio located at [[Disney-MGM Studios]] in [[Orlando, Florida]].

In 1991, the [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] [[Imagineer]]s began to develop a new land for the [[Disneyland]] theme park in [[Anaheim, California]], completely based on the Toontown of ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. [[Mickey's Toontown]] opened to rapturous applause in 1993 and spawned "Toontown" (without the ''Mickey's'' prefix) at [[Tokyo Disneyland]] in [[Japan]]. The Californian and Japanese Toontowns feature a ride based on Roger Rabbit's adventures, called [[Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin]].

Some parallels between Roger Rabbit and Robert Zemeckis's movie trilogy [[Back to the Future trilogy|Back to the Future]] (BTTF) can be discovered. [[Christopher Lloyd]] appears in all four films, as Judge Doom and as Dr. Emmett Brown. [[Charles Fleischer]], the voice of Roger Rabbit, appears as Terry the mechanic (soliciting donations for the clock tower in 2015 and returning Biff his car in 1955) in [[Back to the Future Part II|BTTF Part II]]. Also, Eddie Valient discovers a missing will in Acme's pocket by examining a newspaper photo under a magnifying glass, in the same way as Doc Brown discovers the missing sports almanac in Biff's pocket in BTTF Part II. The car chase in which the weasels chase Eddie and Roger in Benny the Cab has similar elements to Biff and his friends chasing Marty on a skateboard around the Hill Valley town square in the original [[Back to the Future|BTTF]]; in both cases, the chasers say the line "I'm gonna ram him" just before they crash into a truck. The two movies were both scored by Alan Silvestri, and some of the music sounds very similar. The tunnel into Toontown resembles the River Road tunnel. Also, part of the mechanism designed for Benny The Cab was used in [[Back to the Future Part III|BTTF Part III]] when Marty is dragged by a horse.

==Controversies, Easter eggs and deleted sections==

[[Image:Jessica Rabbit crotch.jpg|right|frame|100px|The removed frame of Jessica Rabbit.]]

Several [[easter egg (virtual)|Easter egg]]s were hidden in the film by its animators. Tape-based analog video such as [[VHS]] did not reveal these, but better image-quality-delivering-technologies such as the [[laserdisc]] were said to reveal amongst others the phone number of Disney CEO [[Michael Eisner]]. Also, when Bennie the Cab wrecks at night and Eddie and Jessica roll out, there are two separate frames (2170-2172 on side 4 of the laserdisc version), within two seconds of each other, showing a blurry shot of her crotch. Disney recalled the laserdisc and issued another disc, later claiming that it was an incorrectly painted cel. Oddly, they also stated that the cel in question could be seen on the new disc and on the VHS version, prompting many to raise the question "if it's on the VHS version too, why was only the laserdisc recalled, and if the new discs were reissued with the same flawed cel, why did they go to the trouble in the first place?". The best way to see this on VHS is with a 4-head or 6-head VCR, as these have a clearer pause function than a 2-head VCR with no interference such as noise bars and loss of color while paused.

A brief scene consisting of the toon Baby Herman giving a sexual gesture to a female (human) extra on the set of the opening cartoon was edited out of the first DVD edition of the movie, though it can be found on editions of the [[VHS]], [[laserdisc]], and [[DVD]] issues.

[[Gary Wolf]], author of the original novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?,'' corresponded with many fans of the film through written letters and the [[Internet]], compiling an exhaustive listing of the many hidden "easter eggs" in the film and in the later ''Roger Rabbit'' short films. Wolf also sued Disney in 2001 for unpaid earnings related to the film.

In the piano duel scene with [[Donald Duck]] and [[Daffy Duck]], Daffy says "That's the last time I work with someone with a speech impediment" and Donald supposedly replies, in his kazoo-like voice "God damn stupid nigger...." [[Snopes]], a noted debunking website, debunks this with the closed-captioning which records Donald as saying "Goddurn stubborn nitwit," though Snopes actually believes he's saying something akin to his typical exclamation, "Why you doggone little...I'll...waaagh!" as is heard in many old Disney cartoons. The Snopes conclusion is that people are much more able to hear something negative when they know ahead of time what they are supposed to be hearing (suggestibility) as well as thinking the worst of an entertainment mega-corporation (distrust) which will lead them to hear what they want, whether or not it's true. [http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/donald.htm]

==Anachronisms==

''Roger Rabbit'' takes place in Hollywood in 1947. With this in mind, several [[Anachronism|anachronistic]] errors are easily spotted. For instance the [[model sheets]] used for many of the characters in it, especially the [[Warner Bros.]] stars, who were on paid license from Warner Bros., were typically older ones that were not actually in use at the time ([[Bugs Bunny]], noticeably, used an early sheet that was phased out of use at [[Warner Bros.]]/[[Leon Schlesinger]] Pictures in 1943). It could be, however, that these Toons are still around although retired from films. Also, several characters who were created after 1947 were included at the behest of the film crew; for example, the [[Road Runner cartoon series|Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote]] appear because they are Robert Zemeckis' favorite cartoon characters. The appearance of post-1947 Toons can be explained by the idea that in the universe of the film, Toons are sentient beings who exist independent of humans and that certain Toons were around but hadn't started working in films yet.

There are some anachronisms in the film that aren't so easily explained by ''Roger Rabbit’s'' [[premise]]. In the scene where Judge Doom comes to the café looking for Roger, Angelo speaks up when he hears that there is a reward for the rabbit. He says: "Yeah, I've seen a rabbit", then he turns around and addresses thin air: "Say hello, Harvey." Many believe this is a reference to the [[James Stewart (actor)|James Stewart]] movie ''[[Harvey (film)|Harvey]]'' (in which the title character is a six-foot-tall talking rabbit seen only by the protagonist) and perceive it as an error, because the movie came out in 1950 and ''Roger Rabbit'' takes place in 1947. However the stage version of ''[[Harvey (play)|Harvey]]'' came out on [[Broadway (New York City)|Broadway]] in 1944, to which, logically, Angelo could be referring. Also, it is possible that the character himself is not intentionally or directly referencing the movie nor theatre production, and merely gives his 'rabbit' the name 'Harvey', thus enabling the filmmakers to reference the movie regardless of when it was released.

Another error that cannot be justified is the cartoon that plays in the theater where Eddie and Roger hide out: ''[[Goofy Gymnastics]]'', a ''[[Goofy]]'' cartoon from 1949. In ''Roger Rabbit'' DVD special commentary, they explain the justification for the cartoon. When the movie was made, the film makers used ''Goofy Gymnastics'' because they considered it to be the most violent and comical cartoon Disney had made to that date.

Finally, at the end of the film Porky Pig casually claims to spontaneously come up with his famous stuttering "That's all folks!" line and, decides to conclude the film with it. However, nearly all Looney Tunes cartoons ending with Porky saying that line were made before 1945.

Regarding the errors, writer Peter Seaman said that the aim of the film was "entertainment, not animation history" which explains why these anachronisms were overlooked.

==Animated characters==

===Main cartoon characters===

These characters were all created for and made their first appearances in the film.

*[[Roger Rabbit]]

*[[Jessica Rabbit]]

*[[Benny The Cab]]

*[[Baby Herman]]

*[[The Weasels (Who Framed Roger Rabbit/The Wind in The Willows/Looney Tunes)|The Weasels]]: Smart Ass, Psycho, Wheezy, Greasy, and Stupid

*[[Judge Doom]] (presented as a human for most of the film, but then revealed at the end to be a toon in disguise)

===Cartoon characters that make [[cameo appearances]]===

These characters had all appeared in either film or cartoon shorts made by various studios.

====[[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]====

*[[Mickey Mouse]]

*[[Minnie Mouse]]

*[[Donald Duck]]

*[[Daisy Duck]]

*[[Goofy]]

*[[Pluto (dog)|Pluto]]

*[[Black Pete|Pete]]

*[[Horace Horsecollar]]

*[[Clarabelle Cow]]

*[[Clara Cluck]]

*[[Peter Pig]]

*[[Brer Bear]] from ''[[Song of the South]]''.

*[[Hummingbird]]s from ''[[Song of the South]]''

*[[Sis Mole]]s from ''[[Song of the South]]''

*[[Dumbo]]

*[[Mrs. Jumbo]]

*[[Casey Junior]]

* Thumper (from Bambi) is referred to as Roger's uncle

*[[Crows]] from ''[[Dumbo]]''

*Various ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]'' characters: [[broomstick]]s from ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'', a dancing [[Hippopotamus|hippo]] and [[ostrich]] from ''[[Dance of the Hours]]'', mushrooms from ''[[Nutcracker Suite]]'' and cupids and a Pegasus from ''[[Symphony No. 6 (Beethoven)|The Pastoral Symphony]]''

*[[Jose Carioca]] from ''[[Saludos Amigos]]'' and ''[[The Three Caballeros]]''

*[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]

*[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]

*[[Jiminy Cricket]]

*[[Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)|The Queen]] (appearing as the Witch) from ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]''

*[[Bambi]]

*The [[Big Bad Wolf]] and the [[Three Little Pigs]]

*[[The Reluctant Dragon]]

*[[Bill]], the lizard with a ladder from ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''*

*[[Maleficent]]'s goons from ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]''*

*Mr. Toad from ''[[The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad]]''*

*The [[penguin]]s from Disney's ''[[Mary Poppins (1964 film)|Mary Poppins]]''*

*[[Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Piglet]]*

*[[Peter]] from the ''[[Peter and the Wolf]]'' segment of ''[[Make Mine Music]]''

*[[Tinkerbell]]*

*Danny, the sheep from ''[[So Dear to My Heart]]''

====[[Warner Bros.]]====

*[[Bugs Bunny]]

*[[Daffy Duck]]

*[[Porky Pig]]

*[[Road Runner cartoon|The Road Runner]]*

*[[Road Runner cartoon|Wile E. Coyote]]*

*[[Yosemite Sam]]

*[[Speedy Gonzales]]*

*[[Tweety]]

*[[Sylvester the Cat|Sylvester]]

*[[Foghorn Leghorn]]

*[[Marvin the Martian]]*

*The Do-Do Bird

*[[Sam Sheepdog]]*

====[[MGM]]====

*[[Droopy Dog]]

====[[Paramount Pictures]]/[[Fleischer Studios]]====

*[[Betty Boop]]

*[[Koko the Clown]]

====[[Walter Lantz]]====

*[[Woody Woodpecker]]

''[[Chilly Willy]] and [[Screwy Squirrel]] are mentioned''

(*) Denotes [[anachronism]]s; these characters (or, in the cases of characters such as Tinkerbell, the animated versions of them that appear in the film) were created after 1947.

==References and footnotes==

* "Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit". (2003). ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', Vista Series [DVD]. Burbank: Buena Vista Home Video.

* Gray, Milton (1991). ''Cartoon Animation: Introduction to a Career''. Lion's Den Publications. ISBN 096-284445-4.

*''Chuck Jones Conversations''. Edited by Maureen Furniss. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1-57806-729-4.

<references />

==External links==

{{wikiquote}}

*[http://video.movies.go.com/products/2439803.html Disney's official site for this film]

*{{imdb title|id=0096438|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit}}

*[http://www.filmsite.org/whof.html Filmsite.org - Who Framed Roger Rabbit]

*[http://www.davesrailpix.com/pe/perr.htm Dave Mewhinney's Pacific Electric Photos - Roger Rabbit Collection]

*[http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2000/12/31/297.aspx The Sad Tail ... I mean "Tale" ... of the stalled Roger Rabbit sequel]

*[http://www.weaselboard.proboards105.com/ A Forum Shrine to the Weasels of Roger Rabbit]

{{Disney theatrical animated features}}

[[Category:1988 films]]

[[Category:Animated comedy films]]

[[Category:Disney animated films]]

[[Category:Disney films]]

[[Category:Crossover fiction]]

[[Category:Films based on fiction books]]

[[Category:Films directed by Robert Zemeckis]]

[[Category:Live-action/animated films]]

[[Category:Neo-noir]]

[[Category:Roger Rabbit]]

[[Category:Hugo Award winning works]]

[[Category:Touchstone Pictures films]]

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