Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Edward Scissorhands arrived from 20th Century Fox in 1990, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp in the title role alongside Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest. It marked a turning point for Burton, blending suburban satire with gothic fairy tale, and gave Depp one of his defining early performances. The film has since become a touchstone of early 90s studio filmmaking, prized for its distinct visual imagination and its sympathetic take on an outsider protagonist, ensuring its place in discussions of that decade's most memorable American cinema.
This cell carries the simple designation of the film's own name, suggesting a piece drawn from broader promotional or title material rather than a single scripted scene. Such a cell often circulates among collectors precisely because it represents the film as a whole, tied to Edward himself, the character whose invented hands and quiet longing anchor the story. Pieces bearing the title rather than a specific line of dialogue or setting are valued for their symbolic weight, standing in for the entire work and its most iconic figure rather than any one isolated moment within it.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical 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; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
Two parallel white lines run along the bottom edge of the picture area, consistent with a dual variable-area optical soundtrack.
Edge print
Partial text readable along the top edge, appearing as 'N 30 TL' (mirrored); full key number sequence not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base carries a cool blue-tinted dye image; no obvious red shift or significant fading visible.
Projection history
Light horizontal scratch lines visible across the picture area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with Edward Scissorhands (1990).
Era check
The dual variable-area optical track, cool-toned dye image, and safety base stock are all consistent with a 1990s 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 000063487
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
