Scarface arrived in 1983 through Universal Pictures, directed by Brian De Palma from a screenplay by Oliver Stone, and reimagined the 1932 gangster classic as a Miami-set saga of ambition and excess. Starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, the film was divisive on release, criticized for its violence and language, yet it steadily grew into one of the defining crime dramas of its decade, prized for its operatic scale and quotable dialogue. Its trailer campaign helped introduce audiences to a Cuban refugee's rise through the cocaine trade, setting expectations for the brutal, stylish world the film would deliver.
This cell comes from the original trailer reel and features Tony Montana alongside Manny Ribera, his closest friend and criminal partner played by Steven Bauer. Their pairing anchors much of the film's early momentum, representing loyalty and ambition before the story's inevitable unraveling. As a trailer fragment, this piece belongs to the promotional material used to build anticipation ahead of release, making it a piece of film history distinct from the feature print itself. For collectors, Montana and Manny together represent the partnership at the heart of Scarface's rise.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm positive release-print strip from the Scarface (1983) trailer.
Gauge
35mm layout: 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 holes that look cleanly punched and uniform.
Soundtrack
Not visible in this capture; the strip shows no optical track, data blocks or timecode line, only dark bands along one edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture; no manufacturer text, safety film wording or key numbers can be read along the edges.
Base & colour
The base looks neutral to slightly warm, and the dye image shows full colour with no obvious fade or red shift.
Projection history
A few light horizontal line marks run along the lower edge; no splices or cue marks are seen at this size.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames repeat one near-identical shot, and nothing in them contradicts the film on record.
Era check
Consistent with an early-1980s colour release print, since the dye image is still full-colour and the base is neutral, though no soundtrack or edge code confirms the date.
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 000070193
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
