Gag drawings are an outlet for frustration, a tip of the hat to colleagues, and a chronicling of life during the production of any animated film. Who framed Roger Rabbit was no different – and on its crew was the master of the gag drawing, Tom Sito.
SFX Crew at The Forum
The Effects crew at The Forum in Camden Town had a wonderful respect and affection for its Department Supervisor, Chris Knott. These caricatures of the crew were drawn by Lily Dell as part of a birthday card for Knott.
Puppeteering at Elstree Studio in London
Principal live-action filming was done at Elstree Studio in Borehamwood, near London. It was a 20-minute trip by rail from St. Pancras Station. The producers initially budgeted for one puppeteer to be on set for several days. Instead, a core crew of seven puppeteers were on set for the whole …
‘Who framed Roger Rabbit’ vehicle props at Walt Disney World
The Disney-MGM Studio theme park at Walt Disney World opened on May 1, 1989. Who framed Roger Rabbit had been released the previous summer and it was a bona fide hit. Disney/Amblin was following up with a theatrical short, Tummy Trouble, to build the Roger Rabbit brand. The Roger Rabbit …
‘Trail Mix-Up’ – Mount Rushmore scene
At the conclusion of Trail Mix-Up, the third Roger Rabbit short, the Old Predictable Geyser blasts a giant boulder towards Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore is animated in a wild Tex Avery-style ‘take’ immediately before being hit by the boulder. The film cuts to a large sculpture of the wild take. …
‘The Spirit’ – Brad Bird and Jerry Rees
The Disney Animation Department in the late 1970s and early 1980s was moribund in the opinion of Brad Bird, and he was quite vocal in his opinion. It ultimately got him fired. He worked on ‘The Plague Dogs’, which was produced in the San Francisco Bay area. ‘The Plague Dogs’ …
Edinboro Castle – a Roger Rabbit crew watering-hole
Pubs were a part of the London culture and the Roger Rabbit crew had several favorite pubs in Camden Town. The Edinboro Castle is located on Mornington Terrace, about a ten-minute walk from The Forum. It was the location of a Roger Rabbit crew reunion held on September 25, 2015.
The Forum, Camden Town (London)
Animation for Who framed Roger Rabbit was produced at The Forum, 74-80 Camden Street, in the Borough of Camden, London. The Who framed Roger Rabbit production eventually occupied the top three stories of the five-story Edwardian warehouse/office building.
61st Annual Academy Awards – March 29, 1989
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Oscar ceremony was held at the old Shrine Auditorium on March 29, 1989. Who framed Roger Rabbit had been nominated for six Oscars. It won for ‘Best Achievement in Visual Effects’ (with Ken Ralston, Edward Jones, George Gibbs, and Richard Williams receiving …
‘Who Censored Roger Rabbit?’
Who Censored Roger Rabbit? was Gary K. Wolf’s fourth published novel. It was intended as the fourth book of a four-book contract with Doubleday, but Doubleday rejected it. They said that it was ‘not categorizable’ and nobody would know where to put it on the bookstore shelves. Wolf asked them …