Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Labyrinth arrived in 1986 as a Jim Henson production released through TriStar Pictures, blending Muppet-style creature work with George Lucas's fantasy production muscle and David Bowie's star presence. It underperformed on release but grew into a cult favorite through home video, prized today for its practical effects, puppetry, and Bowie's singular screen presence. The film sits at a crossroads of 1980s studio fantasy, a genre that rarely paired rock stardom with children's adventure so directly, and its afterlife has made it a touchstone for collectors of both Henson-era craft and Bowie's film career.
This 35mm cell preserves a frame of Jareth the Goblin King, the character David Bowie portrayed as the film's central antagonist and its most enduring image. Jareth anchors the collector market for Labyrinth material, standing as the intersection of Bowie's music-world glamour and Henson's puppet kingdom. A single frame like this functions as a fragment of the release print itself, a physical artifact from the reel that once ran through theater projectors, offering a direct link to the character's screen presence rather than a reproduction or promotional still.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm optical-soundtrack release print of Labyrinth (1986).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A dual variable-area optical soundtrack track runs along one edge, consistent with a stereo optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base shows a warm cream-yellow tint typical of acetate safety stock; dye image appears stable with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible; the surface appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Labyrinth (1986).
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, acetate base tint, and Eastmancolor-style dye image are all consistent with a mid-1980s theatrical release print.
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 000063030
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
