Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pikachu's Vacation screened as a companion short ahead of Pokémon: The First Movie in the summer of 1999, produced by OLM and distributed through Warner Bros. as part of the Pokémon franchise's aggressive theatrical push in the United States. The short followed Pikachu and a gathering of Pokémon left in the woods while their trainers attended a conference, offering a quieter, character-driven counterpoint to the feature's battle spectacle. For a generation introduced to the series through this double bill, the short remains a fond footnote to the franchise's cinematic debut.
This cell carries Marill, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon, a small and popular figure among collectors of early Pokémon film material for its round, approachable design tied to the water-type roster expanding rapidly in the games and cards of the era. As a figure appearing within the vacation gathering, Marill represents the ensemble nature of the short, where numerous Pokémon species shared screen time outside their trainers' company. A single-character 35mm cell like this one preserves a specific frame excerpted directly from the theatrical print, a tangible artifact from the physical film reel rather than a reproduction.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: Pikachu's Vacation (1999).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds one frame fully visible with partial frames above and below.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a standard mono or stereo optical print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers, manufacturer text, or SAFETY FILM legend.
Base & colour
The base appears neutral to very slightly warm with no obvious red shift or fading; dye saturation in the image appears full.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the single fully visible frame shows animation consistent with the Pokémon franchise and matches the film on record.
Era check
A 35mm colour positive print with a variable-area optical soundtrack is fully consistent with a 1999 theatrical release print of this title, which predates DTS or SDDS being the sole format.
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, 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.
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
