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 a David Bowie performance that has only grown in stature over time. Henson's collaboration with George Lucas and conceptual designer Brian Froud gave the film a distinct visual language, and while it underperformed on first release, home video and cult devotion turned it into one of the defining fantasy pictures of its decade, cherished for its puppetry, practical effects, and unusual sincerity toward its teenage heroine.
This cell centers on Sarah Williams, the story's protagonist, whose journey through the Goblin King's realm anchors the entire narrative. Collectors seek her frames because she carries the emotional weight of the picture, the audience's entry point into Henson's constructed world. A 35mm cell bearing her name preserves a piece of that central thread, a physical remnant tied directly to the character whose choices and growth drive Labyrinth from opening to close.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Labyrinth (1986).
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 corners are cleanly rounded with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as two bilateral variable-area lines with a separate mono track stripe.
Edge print
Mirrored text reading '3 A S' (reads 'S A 3' when corrected) is visible along the lower edge; no additional key numbers or manufacturer text are legible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm cream-yellow tint consistent with an acetate safety base; the dye image appears slightly warm but not significantly red-shifted or faded.
Projection history
Light longitudinal lines consistent with projection wear are visible running the length of the strip; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Labyrinth (1986).
Era check
The bilateral variable-area optical soundtrack, warm acetate base tint, and colour dye image are all consistent with a mid-1980s theatrical release print of the period when Labyrinth was distributed.
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 000063049
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
