National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, with Steven Spielberg directing at the height of his early career. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time, displacing Star Wars, and earned four Academy Awards. Shot by cinematographer Allen Daviau, it remains a defining work of the New Hollywood era and a touchstone of American family cinema.

This cell captures the title sequence E.T. and Elliott Flying, preserving three frames from the daytime bicycle riding sequence in which Elliott pedals through a suburban road with E.T. riding in the front basket. The continuous shot across all three frames documents one of cinema's most recognized images, with Elliott and E.T. sharing the frame against a backdrop of trees and open road.