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The Roger Rabbit You Never Saw

Before Richard Williams directed the animation for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, there was an earlier attempt at Disney, from 1981 to 1983, to adapt Gary K. Wolf’s book “Who Censored Roger Rabbit.” Some of the scenes here are straight out of the novel. The director was Darrell Van Citters.

DVD video: John Culhane takes us behind the scenes of the unmade Darrell Van Citters version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1983. With animator Mike Giamo and producer Marc Sturdivant.

Nearly 200 Images from the unmade Darrell Van Citters Roger Rabbit, 1981-1983.

Disney 1981-1983. Animators: Mike Giamo, Chris Buck, Mike Gabriel. Paul Reubens as Roger Rabbit. Peter Renaday and Mike Gabriel as Eddie Valiant. Russi Taylor as Jessica. Unknown as Captain Cleaver. Screenwriters Peter Seaman and Jeffrey Price. Producer Mark Sturdivant.

While Roger was a villain in the book, trying to solve his own murder, this Roger is a loveable goofball in white fur and red overalls - a prototype for the final film. Baby Herman is glimpsed only briefly, and Jessica Rabbit appears to be the villain of the piece. Still, this version clearly laid some groundwork for the Zemeckis/Williams production a few years later.

The prototype Roger Rabbit appears cheering in the stands in the featurette “Sport Goofy in Soccermania.”

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The Roger Rabbit You Never Saw