Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Edward Scissorhands arrived from Twentieth Century Fox in 1990, directed by Tim Burton and led by Johnny Depp in his first major collaboration with the director, alongside Winona Ryder. It marked a turn toward the gothic suburban fairy tale that would define much of Burton's career, pairing handcrafted production design with a fable about isolation and difference. Danny Elfman's score and Depp's largely silent, physical performance helped the film become a cult touchstone of early nineties studio filmmaking, still discussed for its blend of dark fantasy and heartfelt sincerity.
This 35mm cell carries the film's own name, placing it among the strip's foundational frames rather than a single scripted scene. Material bearing the picture's title is prized by collectors as a marker of origin, the point where the story itself is announced before character or incident takes shape. As the film's namesake, Edward stands as its emotional center, the gentle outsider whose invented hands become both gift and burden. Owning this segment means holding a piece tied directly to the work's identity rather than one isolated moment within it.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Edward Scissorhands (1990).
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 and appearing cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area format.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers clearly.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint consistent with colour dye layers; the image shows saturated colour with no obvious 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, and the subject matter is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical soundtrack and colour positive stock are consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 1990s, matching the 1990 release date 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 000063484
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
