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 by TriStar Pictures, blending Muppet-scale creature work with Jennifer Connelly's live-action lead and David Bowie's turn as Jareth the Goblin King. Its mix of practical effects, puppetry, and dark fairy-tale logic made it a box-office disappointment on first release, only to become a defining cult favorite through home video and repeated television airings. The film's reputation now rests on its craftsmanship: labyrinthine sets, Henson Creature Shop puppets, and a soundtrack of Bowie originals, all of which secure its place among the era's most distinctive fantasy productions.
This cell carries the name Ludo, the gentle rock-and-fur beast who befriends Sarah on her journey through the labyrinth. Among the film's creatures, he stands out as a favorite for collectors drawn to Henson's practical puppetry and to a character built on loyalty rather than menace. A 35mm cell bearing his name preserves a single frame of animation history, a physical trace of the labor behind one of the era's most labor-intensive creature designs, valued for its tie to a beloved supporting figure in a genre landmark.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm optical-track release print of Labyrinth (1986).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with rounded rectangular corners, no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-yellow tint consistent with older acetate safety stock; dye image appears warm with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Faint horizontal lines consistent with projection wear are visible running across the frame area; no splices or cue marks 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 variable-area optical soundtrack, acetate base tint, and perforation style 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 000063050
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
