Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Labyrinth arrived in 1986 from Jim Henson Productions and TriStar Pictures, a fantasy musical built on Henson's creature work, Brian Froud's design, and David Bowie's performance as its antagonist. It underperformed on release but found a devoted following through home video, eventually becoming one of the most collected fantasy films of its decade. Its reputation now rests on Bowie's presence as much as on the puppetry, making any frame tied to his character a point of interest for both film collectors and music fans who crossed over into the Henson world.
This cell preserves a moment of Jareth the Goblin King, the role that anchors the film's appeal for so many collectors. As the ruler of the labyrinth and Sarah's adversary, Jareth is the figure around whom the film's tension and myth are built, and his scenes carry the weight of Bowie's involvement in the production. A 35mm cell of this character represents a physical fragment of that performance, a tangible piece of the reel rather than a reproduction, valued for its direct connection to the film's original release print.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm optical-soundtrack release print of Labyrinth (1986).
Gauge
35mm: four perforations per frame along both edges, and the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, with rounded-rectangle punches that look clean and uniform.
Soundtrack
Two parallel white optical track lines run along one edge beside the picture; no Dolby Digital blocks, DTS timecode or SDDS tracks are visible.
Edge print
Blue dot-matrix text reads "SAFE.TY FILM", with a partial code at the left end and a short symbol string at the right, partly cut off.
Base & colour
The base is a neutral, slightly grey-white, and the dye image keeps warm amber and black tones without obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, cue marks or splices are seen at this size; a few specks and a small pen-like mark sit near the lower edge perforations.
Picture
Positive image, three consecutive frames from one shot with near-identical content; it cannot be checked against the film on record without describing the scene.
Era check
A two-line optical track and safety-film edge print fit a 1980s 35mm release print, which suits a 1986 release.
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 000070183
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
