Bunny Tales

Those kwazy stowies about that kwazy wabbit have got Disney hopping to clarify a few points--we happened to come acwoss the studio’s memo to publicists dwumbeating the pic!

The memo on the upcoming “Roger Rabbit” was issued by director of field publicity Georgia O’Connor: “We are beginning to notice many errors in stories the press are printing/airing, and before it goes any further. . . .”

The “clarifications”:

“ ‘Roger Rabbit’ is not an animated film.” It “does not star Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, etc. . . . (they) have cameo roles only .” PR folks should stress that the stars are human actors Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy “and a few all-new cartoon characters.”

This is not a Steven Spielberg film. The Big Spiel only exec-produced; it was director Robert Zemeckis--who spent three years working on the movie--who was “the driving force who saw this project through from start to finish.” Moreover, “When speaking to your press, you should add that Zemeckis directed ‘Back to the Future,’ which grossed over $200 million and was the 10th highest grossing picture of all time.”

“Many stories have been quoting the budget as $50 million plus. Although we do not give budget figures out, and we do not wish you to be quoted, we would like to inform the press that this figure is incorrect, and the budget is much lower.”

Wanting to set the record straight, we called Disney.

“But I can’t give you an exact figure. None of us have any idea,” said a rep, “but I do know that it’s a lot less than $50 million. What we’re trying to do is end the misinformation.”

Still needing some finishing touches, “Roger” was screened for a test audience at Pasadena’s UA Marketplace Theater. Some of the animated characters were still in “outline” form, an Outtakes spy informed us.

He had a good time but “They drag out every corny old cartoon gag in the book.” Like eyeballs that boinnnng out. And Roger Rabbit’s got this box of “holes.” When he wants to escape, he pulls a hole out of the box and escapes into it.

Set in the ‘40s, the story finds down-and-out detective Bob Hoskins hired by Roger Rabbit--who’s been falsely accused of murder. The case leads Hoskins to Toontown, home to scores of recognizable animated characters (lots of Disney types, along with Betty Boop, Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam and more) who mingle with the “real” world when they work for the film studios as . . . cartoon characters.

The only “real” person who lives in Toontown is villainous Mayor Chris Lloyd, who’s trying to do in the Toontown populace by dousing them with a turpentine solution, which erases animated characters!

The Disney rep said a PG rating is anticipated, for some profanities, implied sex and off-color jokes (when a weasel-henchman puts his hand into the top of Mrs. Rabbit’s dress he finds a bear trap--which he calls a “booby” trap). So “Roger” will be released by Disney’s adultish Touchstone.