Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory arrived in 1971 from Paramount Pictures, adapted from Roald Dahl's novel with financial backing tied to the Quaker Oats Company, which hoped the film would help launch a new candy bar. It underperformed on initial release but found a second life through television broadcasts and home video, eventually becoming a beloved fixture of family cinema. Gene Wilder's performance as the enigmatic chocolatier gave the film its enduring charm, blending whimsy with an unsettling edge that set it apart from typical children's fare.
This cell comes from the credits sequence, the portion of a film reel that introduces cast and crew before or after the story unfolds. Featuring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, it captures the actor in his defining role, the character collectors most associate with the film's legacy. Credits cells hold appeal for those who want a piece tied directly to billing and recognition rather than a single narrative beat, a clean intersection of performer and part.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by 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 one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-band variable-area pattern.
Edge print
Text reading 'GENE WILDER' is printed across the picture area of each frame; no key numbers or SAFETY FILM edge text are legible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base carries a warm amber-yellow tint typical of acetate safety stock; the dye image shows a pronounced red-magenta shift consistent with colour fading.
Projection history
No visible splices or cue marks; fine longitudinal lines are present across the frame area consistent with projection wear.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and the credited name 'GENE WILDER' visible in the frames is consistent with a title card from the film on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical mono soundtrack, acetate base tint, and red-shifted Eastmancolor dye set are all consistent with a 1970s theatrical release print of a 1971 production.
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 000063307
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
