National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING

AUTHENTIC

CROWN CERTIFIED

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MOVIEE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

SCENEE.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Title Card

FILM FORMAT35mm

YEAR1982

CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000000911

Film Record Public record

National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 1994

“Written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Steven Spielberg, this film chronicles the relationship between a young boy (Henry Thomas) and a benevolent alien who is stranded on Earth and trying to find his way back to his home planet. The film's masterful blending of hopeful innocence with excitement and humor made it both a critical and popular success.”

Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. Expanded essay by David Gibson

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Studio: Universal Pictures · Amblin Entertainment · 115 min
Box office: $792.9M worldwide on a $10.5M budget
Honors: Academy Awards — 4 wins, 9 nominationsGolden Globe Awards — 2 wins, 4 nominationsLos Angeles Film Critics Association — 2 winsBritish Academy Film Awards — 1 win, 8 nominations
All 20 wins · 27 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects
Academy Awards: Best Original Score
Academy Awards: Best Sound Editing
Academy Awards: Best Sound
Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globe Awards: Best Original Score
Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Film
Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Director
British Academy Film Awards: Best Original Music
Japan Academy Film Prize: Outstanding Foreign Language Film
David di Donatello: Best Foreign Director
National Board of Review: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Saturn Award: Best Special Effects
Saturn Award: Best Writing
Saturn Award: Best Science Fiction Film
Saturn Award: Best Music
Saturn Award: Best Classic Film DVD Release
National Society of Film Critics Award: Best Director
Boston Society of Film Critics Award: Best Director
Grammy Award: Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Scholarship: Named in the title of 28 peer-reviewed works
Examples
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial — 100 Science Fiction Films, 2013
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — A K Peters/CRC Press eBooks, 2010
E.T. the extra-terrestrial — Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter), 1982
Full list on OpenAlex

Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.

FILM NOTES

Released in 1982 by Universal Pictures, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the defining motion pictures of Steven Spielberg's career and a touchstone of American popular cinema. Its story of a stranded alien and the suburban boy who befriends him struck a chord with audiences worldwide, holding the record for highest-grossing film for over a decade. Built on themes of friendship, wonder, and childhood innocence, it remains a benchmark for family filmmaking and a frequently cited example of Spielberg's gift for blending spectacle with intimate emotion.

This piece marks the opening credit sequence, the frames that first present the film's name to the audience before the narrative unfolds. Cards like this hold particular appeal for collectors, as they represent the very introduction of the story, the first physical link between the reel and the audience's experience. Featuring Elliott and E.T., the two central figures whose bond anchors the entire film, this cell captures the beginning of their journey together, the moment the picture announces itself and invites viewers into its world.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Gauge: 35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations: Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack: A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single variable-area track.
Edge print: Text partially legible reads 'THE EXTRA' on each frame; full key numbers or manufacturer codes are not visible in this capture.
Base & colour: Base appears with a slight cool-neutral tint; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history: No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent on the frames shown.
Picture: Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be identical title-card frames, consistent with a title sequence from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Era check: A single variable-area optical track and saturated Eastmancolor-type dye image are consistent with a 1982 theatrical release print era for this title.

Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.

This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.

Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.

CROWN SERIAL 000062755

Original Film Capture As received

The film strip as photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation

Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size