Who Framed Roger Rabbit Page #2

EXT. MAROON STUDIO - DAY

Valiant emerges from the stage onto a bustling Hollywood

studio lot where CARTOON CHARACTERS (TOONS) and humans are

comingling as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Valiant stops by an Acme Novelty truck which is unloading

Toon props. There are bombs, rockets, flattened pocket

watches, anvils, giant slingshots, etcetera. The license

plate is California 1946. He fishes out a pack of

Chesterfields and taps out a half a butt that had been

stubbed out. As he lights it, Valiant regards a chubby,

balding man wearing a three-piece suit and a worried

expression coming towards him. He is R.K. MAROON, studio

boss. Maroon is leading an entourage of ASSISTANTS trying to

keep up.

MAROON:

Starting tomorrow there'll be no more

roast beef lunches. What happened to

cheese sandwiches? I was raised on

cheese sandwiches.

As the Assistants dutifully record his thoughts, Maroon sees

a GUY taking a nap in the shade of a palm tree.

MAROON:

(continuing)

And tell that guy sleepin' over there

he's fired!

ASSISTANT:

It's your wife's brother, R.K.

MAROON:

(reconsiders)

Oh... tell him he's promoted. But get

him out of my sight.

As the Assistants disperse, Maroon approaches Valiant.

MAROON:

Valiant, did you see the rabbit?

VALIANT:

He was blowin' his lines, all right.

So what?

MAROON:

So what? He's already put me three

weeks behind on the shooting schedule!

Now an EDITH HEAD-TYPE hustles up to show Maroon several

costume designs.

COSTUMER:

Your reaction, R.K.?

Maroon quickly checks out the drawing.

MAROON:

No! That's not funny.

She flips another drawing.

MAROON:

(continuing)

That's funny. Put a homburg on him

it'll even be funnier. Huh, Valiant?

He grabs the pad and shows Valiant. The rendering is of a

hippo in a pink polka-dot tu-tu.

VALIANT:

(deadpan)

Yeah, that'd be a riot.

Maroon responds to Valiant's sarcasm with raised eyebrows.

MAROON:

Boy, I hope what you have ain't

contagious or I'll be out of business.

He hands the pad back to the designer, who departs.

MAROON:

(continuing)

How much do you know about show

business, Valiant?

VALIANT:

Only there's no business like it, no

business I know.

Valiant watches an ALLIGATOR in a rebel uniform dragging a

brace of cannons and several TOADSTOOLS parade by.

MAROON:

Yeah, and there's no business as

expensive. I'm twenty-five grand over

budget on the latest Bunnysitter

cartoon and it's all because that

rabbit can't keep his mind on his work.

And you know why?

VALIANT:

One too many safes dropped on his head?

MAROON:

Nah, that goes with the territory.

He's a stunt bunny.

Maroon takes a copy of the "Hollywood Tattler" out of his

pocket.

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