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 creative powers. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time, displacing Star Wars, and remains a defining work of American cinema — a story of childhood, longing, and connection that resonated across generations. Its score by John Williams and its imagery entered the cultural vocabulary almost immediately.

This cell presents the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial title card across three successive frames of 35mm film, each capturing the iconic red logo set against a luminous full moon. Elliott and E.T. appear in silhouette on their bicycle, suspended against that glowing disc — the single image most associated with the film, preserved here in its original photographic form.