Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Robert Zemeckis in 1988. The movie is based upon Gary Wolf's original novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? It takes place in a world in which animated cartoon characters live and interact with human beings. In the film, Roger Rabbit, an animated TV star, is framed for murder. He seeks out the acclaimed toon detective Godfrey in order to try and right his name. Unfortunately, Judge Doom has it in for Roger and all of toontown.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was not the first film to mix animation with live-action. Other films that had combined animation with live-action, like Mary Poppins and "You Ought to Be in Pictures" with Porky Pig, did not permit the animated characters to interact much with the live actors. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was innovative in that it had its animted characters interact with the live actors as much as possible. Zemeckis used puppeteers in order to move live-action objects through the air as if animated characters were actually carrying them. The characters would later be added via cel-animation. After the animated characters were painted in, they were sent to a special effects studio where shading and lighting were added in order to make the animated characters seem more realistic. The special effects rendering is especially noticable and well done in the scene in which Jessica Rabbit performs at the night club. Zemeckis also made a point to film the movie as if it were a live-action film. He would move the camera as if it were the a live-action film even though it made it more difficult to add the animated characters later. The extra work paid off, however, and the film was a great success.

In addition to doing well in the box office, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was a success in that it helped revive animation as a popular medium. It was the first time Warner Bros., MGM, and Disney's animated characters were shown in the same film. In doing so, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? not only paid an endearing tribute to animation but it also led to widespread interest in animation as entertainment among the adult public.