20 Things You Didn’t Know About “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

It’s been 25 years since this landmark film hit the big screen.

1. The movie was based on the 1981 novel “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?” by Gary Wolf.

Via: isfdb.org

2. Terry Gilliam turned down the chance of directing the movie.

Gilliam later admitted, “I completely regret that decision.”

Via: nerve.com

3. Bill Murray was Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg’s first choice to play Eddie Valiant. Unable to get a hold of him they went with Bob Hoskins.

Murray reportedly screamed out loud when he heard about this years later and said he definitely would have accepted the role.

Via: st-listas.20minutos.es

4. Tim Curry auditioned for the role of Judge Doom, but was nixed because Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner all considered his performance too terrifying.

Via: cineplex.com

5. In one of the early versions of the script, Judge Doom was revealed to be the one who killed Bambi’s mother.

Via: 2.bp.blogspot.com

6. Paul Rubens auditioned to be the voice of Roger Rabbit.

The role ended up going to Charles Fleischer.

Via: lastagetimes.com

7. Charles Fleischer delivered his lines off camera in a full Roger Rabbit costume.

Via: guiadoscuriosos.com.br

8. Jessica Rabbit is primarily based on the Tex Avery’s cartoon character Red.

Via: cinefamily.org

9. Jessica Rabbit’s speaking voice was performed by Kathleen Turner….

Via: foros.vogue.es

10. And Amy Irving (then-wife to Steven Spielberg) performed her singing voice.

Via: assets.acasatv.ro

11. Warner Brothers would only allow the use of their toons if they got the same screen time as Disney’s toons. This lead to Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny appearing on-screen together.

Additionally they have the same amount of lines, and they are on-screen for exactly the same amount of time, down to the frames.

Via: whatculture.com

12. Warner’s and Disney made the same arrangement for Daffy and Donald.

Via: wbau.wikia.com

13. In the car crash scene the animators snuck in a few frames of Jessica Rabbit clearly wearing no panties. This was corrected for the DVD release.

They digitally added white panties.

14. Mae Questel who originally provided the voice for Betty Boop in the ‘30s, reprised the role in a cameo appearance.

Via: theblackcatreviews.blogspot.com

15. Tom and Jerry do not appear in the film.

Spielberg was not able to acquire the rights for their use.

Via: blog.bonardt.nl

16. Neither does Popeye.

Via: rantingravingblog.blogspot.com

17. The three ingredients of the dip (turpentine, benzene and acetone) are all paint thinners which are used to remove animation from cels.

18. To make Judge Doom extra creepy, Robert Zemeckis instructed Christopher Lloyd not to blink during his scenes.

Via: disney.wikia.com

19. An early stage of the films production, Roger Rabbit is killed in the crossfire during the final duel with Judge Doom.

20. Sting wrote the song “The Lazarus Heart”, to be used as the movie’s musical finale (in the version which Roger is killed).

When Disney ordered that the death scene to be removed, the song was deleted from the script and ended up on Sting’s album …Nothing Like the Sun instead.

Via: popdose.com

Facts courtesy of:

IMDb

Neotorama