Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Hocus Pocus arrived from Walt Disney Pictures in the summer of 1993, a Halloween comedy released in July, out of season and largely overlooked at the box office. Over the following decades it built a devoted following through television replays every October, becoming one of Disney's most enduring seasonal properties. The film's blend of family friendly spookiness and broad comedic performances gave it a second life that its initial theatrical run never suggested, and it now stands as a touchstone of Halloween viewing traditions for generations of fans.
This cell centers on Mary Sanderson, played by Kathy Najimy, one of the three Sanderson sisters whose comic chemistry anchors the film. Mary is the sniffing, eager sidekick of the trio, and collectors seek her likeness for the warmth she brings to an otherwise wicked ensemble. A cell bearing her name preserves a moment tied specifically to her presence within the reel, a physical fragment of the print itself rather than a promotional artifact. For fans of the Sanderson sisters, holding a piece dedicated to Mary alone offers a tangible connection to the character's role in the film's lasting appeal.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital theatrical release print of Hocus Pocus (1993)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, indicating a Dolby Digital / analog hybrid track
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture due to orientation and resolution; no key numbers or manufacturer text can be quoted with confidence
Base & colour
Base appears warm to slightly amber-tinted; dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious fading or red shift
Projection history
Light vertical scratches are visible running through the frame area, consistent with a projected print
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to show the same or closely consecutive shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of Hocus Pocus (1993)
Era check
The Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks combined with a dual bilateral variable-area analog track is consistent with a mid-1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1993 production date of the film on record
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 000063386
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
