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List of films in the public domain in the United States

Most films are subject to copyright, but those listed here are believed to be in the public domain in the United States. This means that no government, organization, or individual owns any copyright over the work, and as such it is common property.[1] This list is not comprehensive; the vast majority of public domain films are not included here for various reasons. Films in this list may incorporate elements from other works that are still under copyright, even though the film itself is out of copyright.

Copyrightable elements of a film edit

There is no official list of films (or other works) in the public domain. It is difficult to determine the public domain status of a film because it can incorporate any or all of the following copyrightable elements:

Film copyright involves the copyright status of multiple elements that make up the film.[4] A film can lose its copyright in some of those elements while retaining copyright in other elements.[4] Experts in the field of public domain sometimes differ in their opinions as to whether a particular film is in the public domain.

The use of music in a film can cause uncertainty with regard to copyright. As of 2010, it is not known whether the use of music in a film constitutes publication of the music for the purpose of copyright.[5] Unpublished works are treated differently from published works under US copyright law.[6]

Judicial interpretation of public domain edit

Judges, too, differ in their interpretation of the laws governing copyright protection. The United States is a "patchwork quilt" of inconsistent copyright rules in different federal judicial districts. The courts of one jurisdiction are not obliged to follow the decisions of another.[7] The Supreme Court of the United States (which could resolve those inconsistencies) very seldom decides copyright cases, and then only when an important principle is involved.[citation needed]

Documenting public domain status edit

If a film appears on the list below, there is a high probability it has lost some or all of its United States copyright protection or, in the case of U.S. government films, was never protected by copyright.

There is no single method for determining if a film, or parts of it, is in the public domain. There are several methods that can be used to document a film's public domain status. These include the following:

Determining copyright registration edit

Motion picture copyright registrations prior to 1978 were published in semi-annual Copyright Catalogs. The Library of Congress also published cumulative Copyright Catalogs of motion picture registrations for the periods, which all are out of print.

  • 1894–1911
  • 1912–1939[8]
  • 1940–1949
  • 1950–1959
  • 1960–1969
  • 1970–1979
  • 1980–1989

However, the Film Superlist series is a complete reprint of all registrations in the Copyright Catalogs for 1894 through 1959. There is no cumulative Copyright Catalog for 1970–1977; the Copyright Office published 16 semi-annual Copyright Catalog booklets covering that eight-year period, but all are out of print and extremely rare. All copyright registrations from 1978 onward are online at the Library of Congress website.

Some decades of The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures include copyright registration information for feature films (not shorts) of United States origin. This can include a statement that research failed to disclose copyright registration for a particular film. Copyright registration information is given in the following:

  • The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures, 1931–1940; ISBN 0-913616-00-1
  • The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures, 1941–1950; ISBN 0-913616-39-7

The United States copyright website catalogs all the pre-1978 works that have been renewed in 1978 or later.[9] Several pieces of work have been renewed in the form of collections, thus giving the collection as a whole copyright protection.

Missing or flawed copyright notice edit

 
Screenshot of copyright notice that does not contain a claimant,[10] the notice merely saying "© 1965" (view enhanced image)

Films published before March 1, 1989, had to contain a valid copyright notice in order to claim copyright. At the bare minimum, the copyright notice had to include the word "copyright" or an acceptable abbreviation (like a circled C), the year of publication (which could not be more than one year ahead of the actual publication), and the name of any entity claiming the copyright.

For example, episodes of the animated TV series The New 3 Stooges were published with an incomplete copyright notice with a year and copyright symbol but no claimant. The series was published prior to 1989, and the lack of an explicit claimant ensured that the series immediately lapsed into the public domain. If the series had been published after this date, the owner of any copyright would have been unclear due to uncertainty over ownership of the series.

As a result of the passage of the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988, a copyright notice is not required for films published on March 1, 1989, or later. An invalid notice or a lack of one would not invalidate the copyright to works published between 1978 and March 1, 1989, as long as a proper notice was added to subsequent copies.[11]

Date of publication and renewal status edit

All motion pictures made and exhibited before 1929 are indisputably in the public domain in the United States. This date will move forward one year, every year, meaning that films released in 1929 will enter the public domain in 2025, films from 1930 in 2026, and so on, concluding with films from 1977 entering the public domain in 2073.

Films registered between 1929 and 1963 had to have their copyrights renewed in order for them not to enter the public domain. The semi-annual Copyright Catalog booklets have virtually complete lists of renewals for the films registered 28 years earlier. Those semi-annual booklets all are out of print. However, for 1929 through 1959, the Film Superlist books match copyright renewals with earlier registrations. Copyright registrations and renewals can be found in:

  • Volume 1: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894–1939
  • Volume 2: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1940–1949
  • Volume 3: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1950–1959

As a result of the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, copyrights registered between 1964 and later were automatically renewed.

Before the passage of the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) in 1998, the term of copyright in the U.S. was a maximum of 75 years, with the work entering the public domain on January 1 of the 76th year from creation (so, for example, a film made in 1930 whose copyright was properly registered and renewed would enter the public domain on January 1, 2006). As such, all films released before 1923 would have entered the public domain by January 1, 1998. Although the CTEA added 20 years to the terms of all existing copyrights until 2019, it explicitly refused to revive any copyrights that had expired prior to its passage. On January 1, 2019, the 20-year extension expired and new works began entering the public domain each year thereafter.

Underlying rights edit

Many of the films listed below are based on novels, plays, magazine stories or a combination of these sources. In some cases, a film's copyright has lapsed because of non-renewal while the underlying literary or dramatic source is still protected by copyright; for example, the film His Girl Friday (1940) became a public domain film in 1969 because it was not renewed, but it is based on the 1928 play The Front Page; as a practical matter, the film could not be used without permission until copyright on the play expired in 2024.[4]

Work of the United States government edit

All works made by United States government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain from their creation. The status of works made by contractors is dependent on the terms of their contract. Note that this applies only to the federal government, and not to state or local governments, which may or may not claim copyright depending on state laws.[12]

Films edit

Some films are not listed here in order to keep this list to a manageable size. These include films that were released before 1929 (see Category:Films by year for pre-1929 films) and works of the United States government. Films released under a free license such as Creative Commons are also excluded.

Note: This list is not comprehensive; the vast majority of public domain films are not listed here. This list includes a selection of notable films where a reliable secondary source is available that discusses public domain status. Others are on the list of animated films in the public domain in the United States.
Film title Release year Director Studio / Distributor Entered the public domain in (year) Reason for entering the public domain Note(s)
Abraham Lincoln 1930 D. W. Griffith United Artists 1958[13] Copyright not renewed.[13]
Africa Screams 1949 Charles Barton United Artists 1977 Copyright not renewed.[14][15]
Algiers 1938 John Cromwell United Artists 1966 Copyright not renewed.[16]
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp 1939 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures [data missing] [data missing][17] The third of three Popeye Technicolor two-reel specials.
The Amazing Mr. X 1948 Bernard Vorhaus Eagle-Lion Films [data missing] [data missing][18] Also known as The Spiritualist.
Angel and the Badman 1947 James Edward Grant Republic Pictures 1975 Copyright not renewed.[19]
The Animal Kingdom 1932 Edward H. Griffith RKO Radio Pictures 1960 Copyright not renewed.[16]
At War with the Army 1950 Hal Walker Paramount Pictures [data missing] [data missing][20]
Attack of the Giant Leeches 1959 Bernard L. Kowalski American International Pictures [data missing] [data missing][21]
The Bat 1959 Crane Wilbur Allied Artists [data missing] [data missing][22]
Beat the Devil 1953 John Huston United Artists 1980 Copyright not renewed.[23]
Beau Ideal 1931
(copyright notice: 1930)
Herbert Brenon RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Becky Sharp 1935 Rouben Mamoulian RKO Radio Pictures [data missing] [data missing][25]
Behind Office Doors 1931 Melville W. Brown RKO Radio Pictures 1959 Copyright not renewed.[24]
The Big Wheel 1949 Edward Ludwig United Artists [data missing] [data missing][26]
Bird of Paradise 1932 King Vidor RKO Radio Pictures 1960 Copyright not renewed.[16]
Blood on the Sun 1945 Frank Lloyd United Artists 1973 Copyright not renewed.[19]
Blue Steel 1934 Robert N. Bradbury Lone Star Pictures [data missing] [data missing][27]
Bowery at Midnight 1942 Wallace Fox Monogram Pictures [data missing] [data missing][28]
The Brain That Wouldn't Die 1962
(completed: 1959)
Joseph Green American International Pictures 1962 Missing copyright notice.[29] Originally completed in 1959 under the title The Black Door (it was then changed to The Head That Wouldn't Die), it was not released until May 3, 1962, where failure to add the copyright notice resulted in the film entering the public domain.[29]
Brideless Groom 1947 Edward Bernds Columbia Pictures 1960s[30] Copyright not renewed.[30]
A Bucket of Blood 1959 Roger Corman American International Pictures [data missing] [data missing][31]
Captain Kidd 1945 Rowland V. Lee United Artists [data missing] [data missing][32]
Carnival of Souls 1962 Herk Harvey Herts-Lion International Corp. 1962 Missing copyright notice.[33] There was a dispute about the rights to the film from 1990 to 1995.[34]
The entirety of the film rights might have been granted to John Clifford in 1996.[35]
The DVD release of the film by The Criterion Collection lists copyright by Harold Harvey and John Clifford.
Charade 1963 Stanley Donen Universal Pictures 1963 Defective copyright notice[36] Original music still in copyright.[37]
Original story by Peter Stone still in copyright.[36][38]
The Chase 1946 Arthur Ripley Nero Films/United Artists [data missing] [data missing] Independent film left without an owner.[39]
Check and Double Check 1930 Melville W. Brown RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[40]
Conspiracy 1930 Christy Cabanne RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Cyrano de Bergerac 1950 Michael Gordon United Artists 1980s [data missing][41][42]
The Dance of Life 1929 John Cromwell Paramount Pictures 1957 Copyright not renewed.[16]
Danger Lights 1930 George B. Seitz RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
The Deadly Companions 1961 Sam Peckinpah Pathé-America 1961 Missing copyright notice.[43]
Debbie Does Dallas 1978 Jim Clark VCX 1981 Missing copyright notice.[44] The Dallas Cowboys hold veto power on commercial publication because of unauthorized use of their trademarks.[45]
Dementia 13 1963 Francis Ford Coppola American International Pictures [data missing] [data missing][21] Also known as The Haunted and the Hunted.
Detour 1945 Edgar G. Ulmer Producers Releasing Corporation [data missing] Copyright not renewed[46]
The Devil Bat 1940 Jean Yarbrough Producers Releasing Corporation [data missing] [data missing][28]
Disorder in the Court 1936 Preston Black Columbia Pictures 1960s[30] Copyright not renewed.[30]
Dixiana 1930 Luther Reed RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[40]
D.O.A. 1950 Rudolph Maté United Artists 1977 Copyright not renewed.[47]
The Emperor Jones 1933 Dudley Murphy United Artists [data missing] [data missing][48]
Father's Little Dividend 1951
(copyright notice: 1950)
Vincente Minnelli MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed.[49]
A Farewell to Arms 1932 Frank Borzage Paramount Pictures 1960 Copyright not renewed.[50] Based on the copyrighted (R177406) novel by Ernest Hemingway.
Fear and Desire 1953 Stanley Kubrick Joseph Burstyn [data missing] Copyright not renewed.[51]
The Flying Deuces 1939 A. Edward Sutherland RKO Radio Pictures [data missing] [data missing][52]
The Front Page 1931 Lewis Milestone United Artists [data missing] [data missing][53]
Glen or Glenda 1953 Ed Wood Screen Classics [data missing] [data missing][54]
Go for Broke! 1951
(copyright notice: 1950)
Robert Pirosh MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed.[49]
God's Little Acre 1958 Anthony Mann United Artists [data missing] [data missing][55] The colorized version is not in the public domain.[55]
The Gorilla 1939 Allan Dwan 20th Century Fox [data missing] [data missing][56]
The Great Flamarion 1945 Anthony Mann Republic Pictures [data missing] Copyright not renewed[57]
Gulliver's Travels 1939 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures 1967 Copyright not renewed.[58][59]
Half Shot at Sunrise 1930 Paul Sloane RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
His Girl Friday 1940
(copyright date: 1939)
Howard Hawks Columbia Pictures 1967 Copyright not renewed.[60]
The Hitch-Hiker 1953 Ida Lupino RKO Radio Pictures [data missing] [data missing][61]
Hook, Line and Sinker 1930 Edward F. Cline RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
House on Haunted Hill 1959 William Castle Allied Artists [data missing] [data missing][62][63]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939 William Dieterle RKO Radio Pictures [data missing] [data missing][64]
Indestructible Man 1956 Jack Pollexfen Allied Artists [data missing] [data missing][65]
Inside the Lines 1930 Roy Pomeroy RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
The Inspector General 1949 Henry Koster Warner Bros. [data missing] [data missing][66]
It's a Wonderful Life 1946
(copyright notice: 1947)
Frank Capra Liberty Films
RKO Pictures
1975 Copyright not renewed.[67] While the film images are public domain, under rulings of Stewart v. Abend, the film text (script) is based on the copyrighted short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern.[67][68][69]
Republic also purchased the exclusive rights to the film's copyrighted music to further shore up its rights.[70]
Jack and the Beanstalk 1952 Jean Yarbrough Warner Bros. 1980 Copyright not renewed[14]
The Jackie Robinson Story 1950 Alfred E. Green Eagle-Lion Films [data missing] [data missing][71]
The Joe Louis Story 1953 Robert Gordon United Artists [data missing] [data missing][72]
Kansas City Confidential 1952 Phil Karlson United Artists [data missing] Copyright not renewed[73]
Kept Husbands 1931 Lloyd Bacon RKO Radio Productions 1959 Copyright not renewed.[24]
The Lady Refuses 1931 George Archainbaud RKO Radio Productions 1959 Copyright not renewed.[24]
A Lady to Love 1930 Victor Sjöström MGM 1958 Copyright not renewed.[16] Based on the play They Knew What They Wanted.
The Last Man on Earth 1964 Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow American International Pictures, 20th Century Fox 1992[74] Copyright not renewed.[74] Source novel I Am Legend (1954) is still under copyright.[75]
The Last Time I Saw Paris 1954
(copyright notice: 1944)
Richard Brooks MGM 1972 Copyright not renewed; defective copyright notice resulted in earlier expiration.[76] Music score still protected by copyright.[77]
Lawful Larceny 1930 Lowell Sherman RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Leathernecking 1930 Edward F. Cline RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Letter of Introduction 1938 John M. Stahl Universal Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed.[78]
Life with Father 1947 Michael Curtiz Warner Bros. 1975 Copyright not renewed.[79]
The Little Princess 1939 Walter Lang 20th Century Fox 1967 Copyright not renewed.[67]
Little Shop of HorrorsThe Little Shop of Horrors 1960 Roger Corman Filmgroup 1988 Copyright not renewed.[60][80]
Lonely Wives 1931 Russell Mack RKO Radio Pictures 1959 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Love Affair 1939 Leo McCarey RKO Radio Pictures 1967 Copyright not renewed.[16]
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy 1945 Willis Goldbeck MGM [data missing] Copyright not renewed.[81]
The Lucky Texan 1934 Robert N. Bradbury Lone Star Pictures [data missing] [data missing].[27]
Made for Each Other 1939 John Cromwell United Artists [data missing] [data missing][82]
Malice in the Palace 1949 Jules White Columbia Pictures 1960s[30] Copyright not renewed.[30]
The Man from Utah 1934 Robert N. Bradbury Lone Star Pictures [data missing] [data missing].[27]
The Man with the Golden Arm 1955 Otto Preminger United Artists [data missing] [data missing][83] Loosely based on the copyrighted novel by Nelson Algren, though Algren at least once disowned the film due to substantial changes from the source material[84][85] and never followed through on his legal effort to claim a copyright due to lack of funds.[86]
Maniac 1934 Dwain Esper Roadshow Attractions [data missing] [data missing][87] Also known as Sex Maniac.
Manos: The Hands of Fate 1966 Harold P. Warren Emerson Film Enterprises 1968 Failure to display copyright notice.[88] Original script may have been copyrighted.[88]
March of the Wooden Soldiers 1950 Gus Meins Lippert Pictures 1950 Failure to display copyright notice.[36] This is a later abridgement of Babes in Toyland (1934), which is still in copyright. Its public domain status remains unclear.[36]
McLintock! 1963 Andrew V. McLaglen United Artists 1991 Copyright not renewed.[89][90] Music score still under copyright.[89]
Meet John Doe 1941 Frank Capra Warner Bros. 1969 Copyright not renewed.[67]
Millie 1931 John Francis Dillon RKO Radio Pictures 1959 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Mr. Imperium 1951
(copyright notice: 1950)
Don Hartman MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed.[49]
My Dear Secretary 1948 Charles Martin United Artists [data missing] [data missing][91]
My Favorite Brunette 1947 Elliott Nugent Paramount Pictures 1975 Copyright not renewed.[19]
My Man Godfrey 1936 Gregory La Cava Universal Pictures [data missing] [data missing][92] While the film images are public domain, under rulings of Stewart v. Abend, the film text (script) is based on the copyrighted 1935 book My Man Godfrey by Eric S. Hatch.[93]
Night of the Living Dead 1968 George A. Romero Walter Reade 1968 Missing copyright notice and errors from the distributor. Night of the Living Dead entered the public domain because the original theatrical distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, neglected to place a copyright indication on the prints. In 1968, United States copyright law required a proper notice for a work to maintain a copyright: U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 92, Copyright Law of the United States of America, Chapter 4: Copyright Notice, Deposit, and Registration, Omission of notice on certain copies and phonorecords. Image Ten displayed such a notice on the title frames of the film beneath its original title, Night of the Flesh Eaters, but the distributor removed the statement when it changed the title.[94] The restored version released on home media by The Criterion Collection is under copyright by Image Ten, Inc.[95]
Nothing Sacred 1937 William A. Wellman Selznick,
United Artists
1965 Copyright not renewed.[60]
Of Human Bondage 1934 John Cromwell RKO Radio Pictures 1962 Copyright not renewed.[16]
Our Town 1940 Sam Wood United Artists [data missing] [data missing][96]
The Outlaw 1943 Howard Hughes Howard Hughes Prod., United Artists 1971 Copyright not renewed.[24]
The Painted Hills 1951 Harold F. Kress MGM 1979 Copyright not renewed.[49]
The Pay-Off 1930 Lowell Sherman RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Penny Serenade 1941 George Stevens Columbia Pictures 1968 Copyright not renewed.[97]
Plan 9 from Outer Space 1959 Ed Wood Distributors Corporation of America 1987 [data missing][98]
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves 1937 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures [data missing] [data missing][17] The second of three Popeye Technicolor two-reel specials.
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor 1936 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures [data missing] [data missing][17] The first of three Popeye Technicolor two-reel specials.
Pot o' Gold 1941 George Marshall United Artists [data missing] [data missing][99]
Quicksand 1950 Irving Pichel United Artists [data missing] [data missing][100]
Rage at Dawn 1955 Tim Whelan RKO Pictures [data missing] [data missing][101]
Rain 1932 Lewis Milestone United Artists 1960 Copyright not renewed.[19]
Randy Rides Alone 1934 Harry L. Fraser Lone Star Pictures 1934 Copyright notice lacks claimant.[27]
The Red House 1947 Delmer Daves United Artists [data missing] [data missing][102]
Reefer Madness 1936 Louis J. Gasnier Motion Picture Ventures 1936 Improper copyright notice.[103][104] Also known as The Burning Question, Dope Addict and Tell Your Children.
Riders of Destiny 1933 Robert N. Bradbury Lone Star Pictures [data missing] [data missing].[27]
Road to Bali 1952 Hal Walker Paramount Pictures 1980 Copyright not renewed.[105][106]
Rock, Rock, Rock! 1956 Will Price Distributors Corporation of America 1984 Copyright not renewed.[80] The Chuck Berry soundtrack of the film may not be in the public domain.
The Royal Bed 1931
(copyright notice: 1930)
Lowell Sherman RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Royal Wedding 1951
(copyright notice: 1950)
Stanley Donen MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed.[49]
Sagebrush Trail 1933 Armand Schaefer Lone Star Pictures 1933 Copyright notice lacks claimant.[107] Remake of Partners of the Trail (Wallace Fox, 1931).
Salt of the Earth 1954 Herbert Biberman Independent Productions 1982[108] Copyright not renewed.[108] Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992.[108]
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians 1964 Nicholas Webster Embassy Pictures Corporation [data missing] Missing copyright notice.[109][110] Musical score owned by Famous Music.
Santa Fe Trail 1940 Michael Curtiz Warner Bros. 1968 Copyright not renewed.[111][112]
Scarlet Street 1945 Fritz Lang Universal Pictures [data missing] [data missing][113][114]
The Screaming Skull 1958 Alex Nicol American International Pictures 1958 Not registered for copyright.[115][21]
Second Chorus 1940 H.C. Potter Paramount Pictures [data missing] Copyright not renewed.[116]
The Silver Horde 1930 George Archainbaud RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Sin Takes a Holiday 1930 Paul L. Stein RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed.[24]
Sing a Song of Six Pants 1947 Jules White Columbia Pictures 1960s[30] Copyright not renewed.[30]
Sinners in Paradise 1938 James Whale Universal Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed.[78]
The Snows of Kilimanjaro 1952 Henry King 20th Century Fox [data missing] [data missing][117] Based on the copyrighted novel by Ernest Hemingway
The Southerner 1945 Jean Renoir United Artists [data missing] [data missing][118]
A Star Is Born 1937 William A. Wellman Selznick,
United Artists
1965 Copyright not renewed.[50][60]
The Star Packer 1934 Robert N. Bradbury Lone Star Pictures [data missing] [data missing].[27]
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946 Lewis Milestone Paramount Pictures 1974 Copyright not renewed.[19]
The Stranger 1946 Orson Welles International Pictures, RKO Radio Productions 1973 Copyright not renewed.[119]
Suddenly 1954 Lewis Allen United Artists 1983 Copyright not renewed.[120]
Superman (1940s cartoon series) 1941-1943 Dave Fleischer, various Paramount Pictures [data missing][121] [data missing][121]
Swing High, Swing Low 1937 Mitchell Leisen Paramount Pictures 1965 Copyright not renewed.[16]
Teenagers from Outer Space 1959 Tom Graeff Warner Bros. 1987 Copyright not renewed.[60]
The Terror 1963 Roger Corman American International Pictures, Filmgroup 1963 Missing copyright registration.[122] In the early 1990s, Corman asked Mark Griffiths to shoot 12 minutes of additional footage starring Dick Miller, thus making a new film titled The Return of the Terror (1991), so Corman could claim his copyright.[123]
The Terror of Tiny Town 1938 Sam Newfield Columbia Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed.[124]
Three Guys Named Mike 1951
(copyright notice: 1950)
Charles Walters MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed.[49]
Till the Clouds Roll By 1946 Richard Whorf MGM 1974 Copyright not renewed.[49]
Too Late for Tears 1949 Byron Haskin United Artists [data missing] [data missing][125]
Topper Returns 1941 Roy Del Ruth United Artists 1969 Copyright not renewed.[80]
Utopia (a.k.a. Atoll K) 1951 Léo Joannon and John Berry (uncredited) Franco London Films 1951 No U.S. copyright filed.[126]
Vengeance Valley 1951
(copyright notice: 1950)
Richard Thorpe MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed.[49]
The Wasp Woman 1959 Roger Corman Filmgroup [data missing] [data missing][127]
West of the Divide 1934 Robert N. Bradbury Lone Star Pictures [data missing] [data missing].[27]
White Zombie 1932 Victor Halperin United Artists [data missing] [data missing][128] The source material for the film may not be in the public domain.[129]
Wives Under Suspicion 1938 James Whale Universal Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed.[78]

See also edit

Notes edit

  • G Public domain in the U.S. from creation as work of the United States government

References edit

  1. ^ "An Introduction to Films and Motion Pictures" at RoyaltyFreeMusic.com October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 4, 2009
  2. ^ Rich, Lloyd L. (1998). . The Publishing Law Center. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Adler, Kenneth A. (October 1, 1999). "Using Dramatic Characters in Multimedia Works – Avoiding the Pitfalls". Thelen LLP. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Fishman (2010), p. 180.
  5. ^ Fishman (2010), p. 181.
  6. ^ Hirtle, Peter B. (October 4, 2010). "Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States". Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  7. ^ Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1940–1949), page xii.
  8. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Cumulative Series. Motion Pictures 1912-1939 (51,112 films), published in 1951. L.C. card, 51-60018.
  9. ^ "United States Copyright Office Public Catalog". Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  10. ^ "Copyright Notice". Copyright Registration and Renewal Information Chart and Web Site. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "Omission of Notice and Errors of Notice" (PDF). Circular 3: Copyright Notice. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Kopel, Matthew. "LibGuides: Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain". guides.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Usai, Paolo Cherchi (2008). The Griffith Project: Essays on D.W. Griffith. British Film Institute. p. 208. ISBN 9781844572687. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Furmanek, Bob (February 6, 2004). "8 Abbott & Costello Films Coming!". hometheaterforum.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  15. ^ Miller, John M., "Africa Screams, Home Video Reviews", Turner Classic Movies
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Pierce (2007), pp. 131–134.
  17. ^ a b c Grandinetti, Fred (2004). Popeye: an illustrated cultural history. McFarland & Company. p. 125. ISBN 9780786416059.
  18. ^ Sullivan, Monica (1998). VideoHound's independent film guide. Visible Ink Press. pp. 12–13. ISBN 1578590183.
  19. ^ a b c d e Pierce, David (March 29, 2001). Legal Limbo: How American Copyright Law Makes Orphan Films (mp3 in "file3"). Orphans of the Storm II: Documenting the 20th Century. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  20. ^ Erickson, Hal (2012). Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918. McFarland. ISBN 9780786492671.page 68
  21. ^ a b c Smith, Gary A. (2009). The American International Pictures video guide. McFarland & Company. p. 8. ISBN 9780786433094.
  22. ^ Thompson, Nathaniel. "The Bat". Tcm.com. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  23. ^ Bailey, Jason (February 15, 2017). "A New Cut and Restoration Reframes Bogart and Huston's Strangest Film". Flavorwire. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Pierce (2007), pp. 140–143.
  25. ^ Slide, Anthony (2013). Nitrate Won't Wait: A History of Film Preservation in the United States. McFarland. ISBN 9781476604572.[page needed]
  26. ^ Alley (April 7, 2014). "RACER tribute to the late Mickey Rooney - "The Big Wheel"". Racer. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g Eyman, Scott (2014). John Wayne. The Life and Legend. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-4391-9958-9.
  28. ^ a b Lennig, Arthur (2003). The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 465. ISBN 9780813143767.
  29. ^ a b Thompson, Nathaniel, "Cult Movies, The Brain that Wouldn't Die", Turner Classic Movies
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h Hogan, David (2011). Three Stooges FAQ: Everything Left to Know about the Eye-Poking, Face-Slapping, Head-Thumping Geniuses. Applause Theatre and Cinema Books. ISBN 9781557839329.
  31. ^ Coffel, Chris (November 24, 2015). "HOME VIDEO[Blu-ray Review] 'A Bucket of Blood' is a Bucket of Fun!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  32. ^ Edgerton, Gary R.; Rollins, Peter C. (2015). Television Histories: Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813158297.page 274
  33. ^ Blake, Marc (2013). Writing the Horror Movie. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 91. ISBN 9781441193476.
  34. ^ "Papers of Herk Harvey". etext.ku.edu. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  35. ^ "Carnival Of Souls 720p 1962 | Public Domain Movies". publicdomainmovie.net. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  36. ^ a b c d Pierce (2007), p. 130.
  37. ^ Online search results for keywords "Henry Mancini Charade", from US Copyright Office.
  38. ^ The original story basis for Charade is The Unsuspecting Wife by Peter Stone and Marc Behm, which appeared in the July 1961 issue of Redbook magazine. The copyright to the story was renewed by Stone in 1989 (source: David Pierce (2007), Note #20, pg. 141).
  39. ^ Axmaker, Sean (July 11, 2016). "Videophiled Noir III: 'Try and Get Me' and the 1946 'The Chase' restored". Cinephiled. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  40. ^ a b Pierce (2007), p. 137.
  41. ^ Zuckerman, Faye (March 23, 1985). "Prism Into Public Domain: 24 Film Classics Set for Release". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
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Bibliography edit

  • Fishman, Stephen (2010). The Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More (5th ed.). Nolo (retrieved via Internet Archive). ISBN 978-1-4133-1205-8. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  • Pierce, David (June 2007). "Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain" (available at davidpiercefilm.com). Film History: An International Journal. 19 (2): 125–43. doi:10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125. ISSN 0892-2160. JSTOR 25165419. OCLC 15122313. S2CID 191633078. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

list, films, public, domain, united, states, most, films, subject, copyright, those, listed, here, believed, public, domain, united, states, this, means, that, government, organization, individual, owns, copyright, over, work, such, common, property, this, lis. Most films are subject to copyright but those listed here are believed to be in the public domain in the United States This means that no government organization or individual owns any copyright over the work and as such it is common property 1 This list is not comprehensive the vast majority of public domain films are not included here for various reasons Films in this list may incorporate elements from other works that are still under copyright even though the film itself is out of copyright Contents 1 Copyrightable elements of a film 2 Judicial interpretation of public domain 3 Documenting public domain status 3 1 Determining copyright registration 3 2 Missing or flawed copyright notice 3 3 Date of publication and renewal status 3 4 Underlying rights 3 5 Work of the United States government 4 Films 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 BibliographyCopyrightable elements of a film editThere is no official list of films or other works in the public domain It is difficult to determine the public domain status of a film because it can incorporate any or all of the following copyrightable elements Cinematography Drama Literature Music Art Graphical characters e g Bugs Bunny 2 Fictional characters e g James Bond 3 Film copyright involves the copyright status of multiple elements that make up the film 4 A film can lose its copyright in some of those elements while retaining copyright in other elements 4 Experts in the field of public domain sometimes differ in their opinions as to whether a particular film is in the public domain The use of music in a film can cause uncertainty with regard to copyright As of 2010 it is not known whether the use of music in a film constitutes publication of the music for the purpose of copyright 5 Unpublished works are treated differently from published works under US copyright law 6 Judicial interpretation of public domain editJudges too differ in their interpretation of the laws governing copyright protection The United States is a patchwork quilt of inconsistent copyright rules in different federal judicial districts The courts of one jurisdiction are not obliged to follow the decisions of another 7 The Supreme Court of the United States which could resolve those inconsistencies very seldom decides copyright cases and then only when an important principle is involved citation needed Documenting public domain status editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message If a film appears on the list below there is a high probability it has lost some or all of its United States copyright protection or in the case of U S government films was never protected by copyright There is no single method for determining if a film or parts of it is in the public domain There are several methods that can be used to document a film s public domain status These include the following Determining copyright registration edit Motion picture copyright registrations prior to 1978 were published in semi annual Copyright Catalogs The Library of Congress also published cumulative Copyright Catalogs of motion picture registrations for the periods which all are out of print 1894 1911 1912 1939 8 1940 1949 1950 1959 1960 1969 1970 1979 1980 1989 However the Film Superlist series is a complete reprint of all registrations in the Copyright Catalogs for 1894 through 1959 There is no cumulative Copyright Catalog for 1970 1977 the Copyright Office published 16 semi annual Copyright Catalog booklets covering that eight year period but all are out of print and extremely rare All copyright registrations from 1978 onward are online at the Library of Congress website Some decades of The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures include copyright registration information for feature films not shorts of United States origin This can include a statement that research failed to disclose copyright registration for a particular film Copyright registration information is given in the following The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures 1931 1940 ISBN 0 913616 00 1 The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures 1941 1950 ISBN 0 913616 39 7 The United States copyright website catalogs all the pre 1978 works that have been renewed in 1978 or later 9 Several pieces of work have been renewed in the form of collections thus giving the collection as a whole copyright protection Missing or flawed copyright notice edit nbsp Screenshot of copyright notice that does not contain a claimant 10 the notice merely saying c 1965 view enhanced image Films published before March 1 1989 had to contain a valid copyright notice in order to claim copyright At the bare minimum the copyright notice had to include the word copyright or an acceptable abbreviation like a circled C the year of publication which could not be more than one year ahead of the actual publication and the name of any entity claiming the copyright For example episodes of the animated TV series The New 3 Stooges were published with an incomplete copyright notice with a year and copyright symbol but no claimant The series was published prior to 1989 and the lack of an explicit claimant ensured that the series immediately lapsed into the public domain If the series had been published after this date the owner of any copyright would have been unclear due to uncertainty over ownership of the series As a result of the passage of the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988 a copyright notice is not required for films published on March 1 1989 or later An invalid notice or a lack of one would not invalidate the copyright to works published between 1978 and March 1 1989 as long as a proper notice was added to subsequent copies 11 Date of publication and renewal status edit All motion pictures made and exhibited before 1929 are indisputably in the public domain in the United States This date will move forward one year every year meaning that films released in 1929 will enter the public domain in 2025 films from 1930 in 2026 and so on concluding with films from 1977 entering the public domain in 2073 Films registered between 1929 and 1963 had to have their copyrights renewed in order for them not to enter the public domain The semi annual Copyright Catalog booklets have virtually complete lists of renewals for the films registered 28 years earlier Those semi annual booklets all are out of print However for 1929 through 1959 the Film Superlist books match copyright renewals with earlier registrations Copyright registrations and renewals can be found in Volume 1 Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1894 1939 Volume 2 Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1940 1949 Volume 3 Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1950 1959 As a result of the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992 copyrights registered between 1964 and later were automatically renewed Before the passage of the Copyright Term Extension Act CTEA in 1998 the term of copyright in the U S was a maximum of 75 years with the work entering the public domain on January 1 of the 76th year from creation so for example a film made in 1930 whose copyright was properly registered and renewed would enter the public domain on January 1 2006 As such all films released before 1923 would have entered the public domain by January 1 1998 Although the CTEA added 20 years to the terms of all existing copyrights until 2019 it explicitly refused to revive any copyrights that had expired prior to its passage On January 1 2019 the 20 year extension expired and new works began entering the public domain each year thereafter Underlying rights edit Many of the films listed below are based on novels plays magazine stories or a combination of these sources In some cases a film s copyright has lapsed because of non renewal while the underlying literary or dramatic source is still protected by copyright for example the film His Girl Friday 1940 became a public domain film in 1969 because it was not renewed but it is based on the 1928 play The Front Page as a practical matter the film could not be used without permission until copyright on the play expired in 2024 4 Work of the United States government edit Main article Copyright status of work by the U S government All works made by United States government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain from their creation The status of works made by contractors is dependent on the terms of their contract Note that this applies only to the federal government and not to state or local governments which may or may not claim copyright depending on state laws 12 Films editSome films are not listed here in order to keep this list to a manageable size These include films that were released before 1929 see Category Films by year for pre 1929 films and works of the United States government Films released under a free license such as Creative Commons are also excluded Note This list is not comprehensive the vast majority of public domain films are not listed here This list includes a selection of notable films where a reliable secondary source is available that discusses public domain status Others are on the list of animated films in the public domain in the United States Film title Release year Director Studio Distributor Entered the public domain in year Reason for entering the public domain Note s Abraham Lincoln 1930 D W Griffith United Artists 1958 13 Copyright not renewed 13 Africa Screams 1949 Charles Barton United Artists 1977 Copyright not renewed 14 15 Algiers 1938 John Cromwell United Artists 1966 Copyright not renewed 16 Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp 1939 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures data missing data missing 17 The third of three Popeye Technicolor two reel specials The Amazing Mr X 1948 Bernard Vorhaus Eagle Lion Films data missing data missing 18 Also known as The Spiritualist Angel and the Badman 1947 James Edward Grant Republic Pictures 1975 Copyright not renewed 19 The Animal Kingdom 1932 Edward H Griffith RKO Radio Pictures 1960 Copyright not renewed 16 At War with the Army 1950 Hal Walker Paramount Pictures data missing data missing 20 Attack of the Giant Leeches 1959 Bernard L Kowalski American International Pictures data missing data missing 21 The Bat 1959 Crane Wilbur Allied Artists data missing data missing 22 Beat the Devil 1953 John Huston United Artists 1980 Copyright not renewed 23 Beau Ideal 1931 copyright notice 1930 Herbert Brenon RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Becky Sharp 1935 Rouben Mamoulian RKO Radio Pictures data missing data missing 25 Behind Office Doors 1931 Melville W Brown RKO Radio Pictures 1959 Copyright not renewed 24 The Big Wheel 1949 Edward Ludwig United Artists data missing data missing 26 Bird of Paradise 1932 King Vidor RKO Radio Pictures 1960 Copyright not renewed 16 Blood on the Sun 1945 Frank Lloyd United Artists 1973 Copyright not renewed 19 Blue Steel 1934 Robert N Bradbury Lone Star Pictures data missing data missing 27 Bowery at Midnight 1942 Wallace Fox Monogram Pictures data missing data missing 28 The Brain That Wouldn t Die 1962 completed 1959 Joseph Green American International Pictures 1962 Missing copyright notice 29 Originally completed in 1959 under the title The Black Door it was then changed to The Head That Wouldn t Die it was not released until May 3 1962 where failure to add the copyright notice resulted in the film entering the public domain 29 Brideless Groom 1947 Edward Bernds Columbia Pictures 1960s 30 Copyright not renewed 30 A Bucket of Blood 1959 Roger Corman American International Pictures data missing data missing 31 Captain Kidd 1945 Rowland V Lee United Artists data missing data missing 32 Carnival of Souls 1962 Herk Harvey Herts Lion International Corp 1962 Missing copyright notice 33 There was a dispute about the rights to the film from 1990 to 1995 34 The entirety of the film rights might have been granted to John Clifford in 1996 35 The DVD release of the film by The Criterion Collection lists copyright by Harold Harvey and John Clifford Charade 1963 Stanley Donen Universal Pictures 1963 Defective copyright notice 36 Original music still in copyright 37 Original story by Peter Stone still in copyright 36 38 The Chase 1946 Arthur Ripley Nero Films United Artists data missing data missing Independent film left without an owner 39 Check and Double Check 1930 Melville W Brown RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 40 Conspiracy 1930 Christy Cabanne RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Cyrano de Bergerac 1950 Michael Gordon United Artists 1980s data missing 41 42 The Dance of Life 1929 John Cromwell Paramount Pictures 1957 Copyright not renewed 16 Danger Lights 1930 George B Seitz RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 The Deadly Companions 1961 Sam Peckinpah Pathe America 1961 Missing copyright notice 43 Debbie Does Dallas 1978 Jim Clark VCX 1981 Missing copyright notice 44 The Dallas Cowboys hold veto power on commercial publication because of unauthorized use of their trademarks 45 Dementia 13 1963 Francis Ford Coppola American International Pictures data missing data missing 21 Also known as The Haunted and the Hunted Detour 1945 Edgar G Ulmer Producers Releasing Corporation data missing Copyright not renewed 46 The Devil Bat 1940 Jean Yarbrough Producers Releasing Corporation data missing data missing 28 Disorder in the Court 1936 Preston Black Columbia Pictures 1960s 30 Copyright not renewed 30 Dixiana 1930 Luther Reed RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 40 D O A 1950 Rudolph Mate United Artists 1977 Copyright not renewed 47 The Emperor Jones 1933 Dudley Murphy United Artists data missing data missing 48 Father s Little Dividend 1951 copyright notice 1950 Vincente Minnelli MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed 49 A Farewell to Arms 1932 Frank Borzage Paramount Pictures 1960 Copyright not renewed 50 Based on the copyrighted R177406 novel by Ernest Hemingway Fear and Desire 1953 Stanley Kubrick Joseph Burstyn data missing Copyright not renewed 51 The Flying Deuces 1939 A Edward Sutherland RKO Radio Pictures data missing data missing 52 The Front Page 1931 Lewis Milestone United Artists data missing data missing 53 Glen or Glenda 1953 Ed Wood Screen Classics data missing data missing 54 Go for Broke 1951 copyright notice 1950 Robert Pirosh MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed 49 God s Little Acre 1958 Anthony Mann United Artists data missing data missing 55 The colorized version is not in the public domain 55 The Gorilla 1939 Allan Dwan 20th Century Fox data missing data missing 56 The Great Flamarion 1945 Anthony Mann Republic Pictures data missing Copyright not renewed 57 Gulliver s Travels 1939 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures 1967 Copyright not renewed 58 59 Half Shot at Sunrise 1930 Paul Sloane RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 His Girl Friday 1940 copyright date 1939 Howard Hawks Columbia Pictures 1967 Copyright not renewed 60 The Hitch Hiker 1953 Ida Lupino RKO Radio Pictures data missing data missing 61 Hook Line and Sinker 1930 Edward F Cline RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 House on Haunted Hill 1959 William Castle Allied Artists data missing data missing 62 63 The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939 William Dieterle RKO Radio Pictures data missing data missing 64 Indestructible Man 1956 Jack Pollexfen Allied Artists data missing data missing 65 Inside the Lines 1930 Roy Pomeroy RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 The Inspector General 1949 Henry Koster Warner Bros data missing data missing 66 It s a Wonderful Life 1946 copyright notice 1947 Frank Capra Liberty FilmsRKO Pictures 1975 Copyright not renewed 67 While the film images are public domain under rulings of Stewart v Abend the film text script is based on the copyrighted short story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern 67 68 69 Republic also purchased the exclusive rights to the film s copyrighted music to further shore up its rights 70 Jack and the Beanstalk 1952 Jean Yarbrough Warner Bros 1980 Copyright not renewed 14 The Jackie Robinson Story 1950 Alfred E Green Eagle Lion Films data missing data missing 71 The Joe Louis Story 1953 Robert Gordon United Artists data missing data missing 72 Kansas City Confidential 1952 Phil Karlson United Artists data missing Copyright not renewed 73 Kept Husbands 1931 Lloyd Bacon RKO Radio Productions 1959 Copyright not renewed 24 The Lady Refuses 1931 George Archainbaud RKO Radio Productions 1959 Copyright not renewed 24 A Lady to Love 1930 Victor Sjostrom MGM 1958 Copyright not renewed 16 Based on the play They Knew What They Wanted The Last Man on Earth 1964 Ubaldo Ragona Sidney Salkow American International Pictures 20th Century Fox 1992 74 Copyright not renewed 74 Source novel I Am Legend 1954 is still under copyright 75 The Last Time I Saw Paris 1954 copyright notice 1944 Richard Brooks MGM 1972 Copyright not renewed defective copyright notice resulted in earlier expiration 76 Music score still protected by copyright 77 Lawful Larceny 1930 Lowell Sherman RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Leathernecking 1930 Edward F Cline RKO Radio Productions 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Letter of Introduction 1938 John M Stahl Universal Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed 78 Life with Father 1947 Michael Curtiz Warner Bros 1975 Copyright not renewed 79 The Little Princess 1939 Walter Lang 20th Century Fox 1967 Copyright not renewed 67 Little Shop of Horrors The Little Shop of Horrors 1960 Roger Corman Filmgroup 1988 Copyright not renewed 60 80 Lonely Wives 1931 Russell Mack RKO Radio Pictures 1959 Copyright not renewed 24 Love Affair 1939 Leo McCarey RKO Radio Pictures 1967 Copyright not renewed 16 Love Laughs at Andy Hardy 1945 Willis Goldbeck MGM data missing Copyright not renewed 81 The Lucky Texan 1934 Robert N Bradbury Lone Star Pictures data missing data missing 27 Made for Each Other 1939 John Cromwell United Artists data missing data missing 82 Malice in the Palace 1949 Jules White Columbia Pictures 1960s 30 Copyright not renewed 30 The Man from Utah 1934 Robert N Bradbury Lone Star Pictures data missing data missing 27 The Man with the Golden Arm 1955 Otto Preminger United Artists data missing data missing 83 Loosely based on the copyrighted novel by Nelson Algren though Algren at least once disowned the film due to substantial changes from the source material 84 85 and never followed through on his legal effort to claim a copyright due to lack of funds 86 Maniac 1934 Dwain Esper Roadshow Attractions data missing data missing 87 Also known as Sex Maniac Manos The Hands of Fate 1966 Harold P Warren Emerson Film Enterprises 1968 Failure to display copyright notice 88 Original script may have been copyrighted 88 March of the Wooden Soldiers 1950 Gus Meins Lippert Pictures 1950 Failure to display copyright notice 36 This is a later abridgement of Babes in Toyland 1934 which is still in copyright Its public domain status remains unclear 36 McLintock 1963 Andrew V McLaglen United Artists 1991 Copyright not renewed 89 90 Music score still under copyright 89 Meet John Doe 1941 Frank Capra Warner Bros 1969 Copyright not renewed 67 Millie 1931 John Francis Dillon RKO Radio Pictures 1959 Copyright not renewed 24 Mr Imperium 1951 copyright notice 1950 Don Hartman MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed 49 My Dear Secretary 1948 Charles Martin United Artists data missing data missing 91 My Favorite Brunette 1947 Elliott Nugent Paramount Pictures 1975 Copyright not renewed 19 My Man Godfrey 1936 Gregory La Cava Universal Pictures data missing data missing 92 While the film images are public domain under rulings of Stewart v Abend the film text script is based on the copyrighted 1935 book My Man Godfrey by Eric S Hatch 93 Night of the Living Dead 1968 George A Romero Walter Reade 1968 Missing copyright notice and errors from the distributor Night of the Living Dead entered the public domain because the original theatrical distributor the Walter Reade Organization neglected to place a copyright indication on the prints In 1968 United States copyright law required a proper notice for a work to maintain a copyright U S Copyright Office Circular 92 Copyright Law of the United States of America Chapter 4 Copyright Notice Deposit and Registration Omission of notice on certain copies and phonorecords Image Ten displayed such a notice on the title frames of the film beneath its original title Night of the Flesh Eaters but the distributor removed the statement when it changed the title 94 The restored version released on home media by The Criterion Collection is under copyright by Image Ten Inc 95 Nothing Sacred 1937 William A Wellman Selznick United Artists 1965 Copyright not renewed 60 Of Human Bondage 1934 John Cromwell RKO Radio Pictures 1962 Copyright not renewed 16 Our Town 1940 Sam Wood United Artists data missing data missing 96 The Outlaw 1943 Howard Hughes Howard Hughes Prod United Artists 1971 Copyright not renewed 24 The Painted Hills 1951 Harold F Kress MGM 1979 Copyright not renewed 49 The Pay Off 1930 Lowell Sherman RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Penny Serenade 1941 George Stevens Columbia Pictures 1968 Copyright not renewed 97 Plan 9 from Outer Space 1959 Ed Wood Distributors Corporation of America 1987 data missing 98 Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba s Forty Thieves 1937 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures data missing data missing 17 The second of three Popeye Technicolor two reel specials Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor 1936 Dave Fleischer Paramount Pictures data missing data missing 17 The first of three Popeye Technicolor two reel specials Pot o Gold 1941 George Marshall United Artists data missing data missing 99 Quicksand 1950 Irving Pichel United Artists data missing data missing 100 Rage at Dawn 1955 Tim Whelan RKO Pictures data missing data missing 101 Rain 1932 Lewis Milestone United Artists 1960 Copyright not renewed 19 Randy Rides Alone 1934 Harry L Fraser Lone Star Pictures 1934 Copyright notice lacks claimant 27 The Red House 1947 Delmer Daves United Artists data missing data missing 102 Reefer Madness 1936 Louis J Gasnier Motion Picture Ventures 1936 Improper copyright notice 103 104 Also known as The Burning Question Dope Addict and Tell Your Children Riders of Destiny 1933 Robert N Bradbury Lone Star Pictures data missing data missing 27 Road to Bali 1952 Hal Walker Paramount Pictures 1980 Copyright not renewed 105 106 Rock Rock Rock 1956 Will Price Distributors Corporation of America 1984 Copyright not renewed 80 The Chuck Berry soundtrack of the film may not be in the public domain The Royal Bed 1931 copyright notice 1930 Lowell Sherman RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Royal Wedding 1951 copyright notice 1950 Stanley Donen MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed 49 Sagebrush Trail 1933 Armand Schaefer Lone Star Pictures 1933 Copyright notice lacks claimant 107 Remake of Partners of the Trail Wallace Fox 1931 Salt of the Earth 1954 Herbert Biberman Independent Productions 1982 108 Copyright not renewed 108 Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992 108 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians 1964 Nicholas Webster Embassy Pictures Corporation data missing Missing copyright notice 109 110 Musical score owned by Famous Music Santa Fe Trail 1940 Michael Curtiz Warner Bros 1968 Copyright not renewed 111 112 Scarlet Street 1945 Fritz Lang Universal Pictures data missing data missing 113 114 The Screaming Skull 1958 Alex Nicol American International Pictures 1958 Not registered for copyright 115 21 Second Chorus 1940 H C Potter Paramount Pictures data missing Copyright not renewed 116 The Silver Horde 1930 George Archainbaud RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Sin Takes a Holiday 1930 Paul L Stein RKO Radio Pictures 1958 Copyright not renewed 24 Sing a Song of Six Pants 1947 Jules White Columbia Pictures 1960s 30 Copyright not renewed 30 Sinners in Paradise 1938 James Whale Universal Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed 78 The Snows of Kilimanjaro 1952 Henry King 20th Century Fox data missing data missing 117 Based on the copyrighted novel by Ernest Hemingway The Southerner 1945 Jean Renoir United Artists data missing data missing 118 A Star Is Born 1937 William A Wellman Selznick United Artists 1965 Copyright not renewed 50 60 The Star Packer 1934 Robert N Bradbury Lone Star Pictures data missing data missing 27 The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 1946 Lewis Milestone Paramount Pictures 1974 Copyright not renewed 19 The Stranger 1946 Orson Welles International Pictures RKO Radio Productions 1973 Copyright not renewed 119 Suddenly 1954 Lewis Allen United Artists 1983 Copyright not renewed 120 Superman 1940s cartoon series 1941 1943 Dave Fleischer various Paramount Pictures data missing 121 data missing 121 Swing High Swing Low 1937 Mitchell Leisen Paramount Pictures 1965 Copyright not renewed 16 Teenagers from Outer Space 1959 Tom Graeff Warner Bros 1987 Copyright not renewed 60 The Terror 1963 Roger Corman American International Pictures Filmgroup 1963 Missing copyright registration 122 In the early 1990s Corman asked Mark Griffiths to shoot 12 minutes of additional footage starring Dick Miller thus making a new film titled The Return of the Terror 1991 so Corman could claim his copyright 123 The Terror of Tiny Town 1938 Sam Newfield Columbia Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed 124 Three Guys Named Mike 1951 copyright notice 1950 Charles Walters MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed 49 Till the Clouds Roll By 1946 Richard Whorf MGM 1974 Copyright not renewed 49 Too Late for Tears 1949 Byron Haskin United Artists data missing data missing 125 Topper Returns 1941 Roy Del Ruth United Artists 1969 Copyright not renewed 80 Utopia a k a Atoll K 1951 Leo Joannon and John Berry uncredited Franco London Films 1951 No U S copyright filed 126 Vengeance Valley 1951 copyright notice 1950 Richard Thorpe MGM 1978 Copyright not renewed 49 The Wasp Woman 1959 Roger Corman Filmgroup data missing data missing 127 West of the Divide 1934 Robert N Bradbury Lone Star Pictures data missing data missing 27 White Zombie 1932 Victor Halperin United Artists data missing data missing 128 The source material for the film may not be in the public domain 129 Wives Under Suspicion 1938 James Whale Universal Pictures 1966 Copyright not renewed 78 See also edit nbsp Film portal nbsp United States portal History of film List of open source films Lists of films List of animated films in the public domain in the United States List of years in film Open source film Outline of film List of public domain works with multimedia adaptations Public domain in the United States The Story of Film An OdysseyNotes editG Public domain in the U S from creation as work of the United States governmentReferences edit An Introduction to Films and Motion Pictures at RoyaltyFreeMusic com Archived October 7 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 4 2009 Rich Lloyd L 1998 Protection of Graphic Characters The Publishing Law Center Archived from the original on September 4 2015 Retrieved January 20 2012 Adler Kenneth A October 1 1999 Using Dramatic Characters in Multimedia Works Avoiding the Pitfalls Thelen LLP Retrieved October 31 2010 a b c Fishman 2010 p 180 Fishman 2010 p 181 Hirtle Peter B October 4 2010 Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States Retrieved October 31 2010 Film Superlist Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1940 1949 page xii Catalog of Copyright Entries Cumulative Series Motion Pictures 1912 1939 51 112 films published in 1951 L C card 51 60018 United States Copyright Office Public Catalog Retrieved October 10 2009 Copyright Notice Copyright Registration and Renewal Information Chart and Web Site Retrieved July 16 2017 Omission of Notice and Errors of Notice PDF Circular 3 Copyright Notice Retrieved May 2 2021 Kopel Matthew LibGuides Copyright Services Copyright Term and the Public Domain guides library cornell edu Retrieved January 5 2023 a b Usai Paolo Cherchi 2008 The Griffith Project Essays on D W Griffith British Film Institute p 208 ISBN 9781844572687 Retrieved January 16 2016 a b Furmanek Bob February 6 2004 8 Abbott amp Costello Films Coming hometheaterforum com Archived from the original on February 13 2019 Retrieved February 13 2019 Miller John M Africa Screams Home Video Reviews Turner Classic Movies a b c d e f g h Pierce 2007 pp 131 134 a b c Grandinetti Fred 2004 Popeye an illustrated cultural history McFarland amp Company p 125 ISBN 9780786416059 Sullivan Monica 1998 VideoHound s independent film guide Visible Ink Press pp 12 13 ISBN 1578590183 a b c d e Pierce David March 29 2001 Legal Limbo How American Copyright Law Makes Orphan Films mp3 in file3 Orphans of the Storm II Documenting the 20th Century Retrieved January 5 2012 Erickson Hal 2012 Military Comedy Films A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918 McFarland ISBN 9780786492671 page 68 a b c Smith Gary A 2009 The American International Pictures video guide McFarland amp Company p 8 ISBN 9780786433094 Thompson Nathaniel The Bat Tcm com Retrieved May 9 2019 Bailey Jason February 15 2017 A New Cut and Restoration Reframes Bogart and Huston s Strangest Film Flavorwire Retrieved April 2 2018 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Pierce 2007 pp 140 143 Slide Anthony 2013 Nitrate Won t Wait A History of Film Preservation in the United States McFarland ISBN 9781476604572 page needed Alley April 7 2014 RACER tribute to the late Mickey Rooney The Big Wheel Racer Retrieved July 25 2023 a b c d e f g Eyman Scott 2014 John Wayne The Life and Legend New York Simon amp Schuster Paperbacks p 71 ISBN 978 1 4391 9958 9 a b Lennig Arthur 2003 The Immortal Count The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi The University Press of Kentucky p 465 ISBN 9780813143767 a b Thompson Nathaniel Cult Movies The Brain that Wouldn t Die Turner Classic Movies a b c d e f g h Hogan David 2011 Three Stooges FAQ Everything Left to Know about the Eye Poking Face Slapping Head Thumping Geniuses Applause Theatre and Cinema Books ISBN 9781557839329 Coffel Chris November 24 2015 HOME VIDEO Blu ray Review A Bucket of Blood is a Bucket of Fun Bloody Disgusting Retrieved June 23 2017 Edgerton Gary R Rollins Peter C 2015 Television Histories Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age University Press of Kentucky ISBN 9780813158297 page 274 Blake Marc 2013 Writing the Horror Movie Bloomsbury Publishing Plc p 91 ISBN 9781441193476 Papers of Herk Harvey etext ku edu Retrieved November 18 2019 Carnival Of Souls 720p 1962 Public Domain Movies publicdomainmovie net Retrieved November 18 2019 a b c d Pierce 2007 p 130 Online search results for keywords Henry Mancini Charade from US Copyright Office The original story basis for Charade is The Unsuspecting Wife by Peter Stone and Marc Behm which appeared in the July 1961 issue of Redbook magazine The copyright to the story was renewed by Stone in 1989 source David Pierce 2007 Note 20 pg 141 Axmaker Sean July 11 2016 Videophiled Noir III Try and Get Me and the 1946 The Chase restored Cinephiled Retrieved January 20 2022 a b Pierce 2007 p 137 Zuckerman Faye March 23 1985 Prism Into Public Domain 24 Film Classics Set for Release Billboard Retrieved March 10 2018 Gray Marianne 1991 Depardieu Sinclair Stevenson Limited p 160 ISBN 9781856190954 Retrieved January 20 2016 Erickson Hal May 10 2013 New DVDs Peckinpah s Deadly Companions and Major Dundee New York Times M amp A Associates v VCX 657 F Supp 454 conclusions 27 United States District Court April 8 1987 Although Arno asked Weisberg for copyright protection of the film in early 1979 Weisberg first became aware of the legal significance of the omission of the copyright notice from the film in January of 1981 Weisberg thus received notice of the defect at that latter date See M Kramer Mfg Co v Andrews 783 F 2d 421 443 amp n 21 4th Cir 1986 Weisberg s failure to take reasonable 657 F Supp 463 efforts resulted in the film being irretrievably injected into the public domain several months later Miller Jeffrey 2002 Ardor in the Court Sex and the Law ECW Press p 152 ISBN 1 55022 528 6 Herzogenrath Bernd 2009 The Films of Edgar G Ulmer Scarecrow Press p 151 ISBN 9780810867369 Researching the Copyright Status of a Work illustrations chart copyrightdata com Slide Anthony 2013 Nitrate Won t Wait A History of Film Preservation in the United States McFarland ISBN 9781476604572 page needed a b c d e f g h Pierce 2007 pp 138 139 a b Pierce 2007 pp 134 137 Hutchinson Sean April 6 2017 Fear and Desire The Movie Stanley Kubrick Didn t Want You to See Mental Floss Retrieved May 26 2019 The Flying Deuces 1939 June 20 2015 Ladwig Samantha September 5 2017 30 Hollywood Classics Streaming for Free in the Public Domain Vulture com Retrieved March 10 2018 with the first being the 1931 Lewis Milestone directed The Front Page which also fell into the public domain Wilson John 2005 The Official Razzie Movie Guide Enjoying the Best of Hollywoods Worst Hachette Book Group ISBN 9780446510080 a b Stim Richard 2013 Getting Permission How to License amp Clear Copyrighted Materials Online amp Off Nolo p 279 ISBN 9781413319330 Brotherton Jamie Okuda Ted 2013 Dorothy Lee The Life and Films of the Wheeler and Woolsey Girl McFarland ISBN 9780786433636 page 152 Peros Mike 2016 Dan Duryea Heel with a Heart Univ Press of Mississippi ISBN 9781496809933 The Great Flamarion is among Duryea s more visible efforts because it fell into the public domain when the original copyright lapsed page needed Miller John M Mr Bug Goes to Town aka Hoppity Goes to Town Turner Classic Movies Kehr David March 6 2009 Classics From Disney and a Lilliputian Competitor New York Times Retrieved October 26 2013 a b c d e Fishman 2010 pp 174 180 Ladwig Samantha September 9 2017 30 classic Hollywood movies you can stream for free Business Insider Retrieved March 10 2018 Miska Brad January 12 2017 They re Re remaking House on Haunted Hill Bloody Disgusting Retrieved March 10 2018 House on Haunted Hill screening set in Vacaville Daily Republic October 6 2017 Retrieved March 10 2018 Haasbroek Luc November 14 2022 10 Best Movies in the Public Domain According to IMDb Collider Retrieved July 25 2023 Thompson Nathaniel The Indestructible Man Cult Movies Turner Classic Movies Hicks Chris June 18 2004 Chris Hicks Kaye movies are hard to find on DVD Deseret News Retrieved March 10 2018 a b c d Pierce 2007 p 126 Cox Stephen It s a Wonderful Life A Memory Book Nashville Tennessee Cumberland House 2003 115 Print ISBN 1 58182 337 1 Copyright of the short story The Greatest Gift expires after 2038 95 years after publication Renewal Registrations p 1614 Catalog of Copyright Entries January June 1971 U S Copyright Office Retrieved November 8 2010 Nesi Ted Why You Can t Watch It s A Wonderful Life on Demand WPRI com Archived from the original on January 27 2012 Retrieved August 20 2012 Harris Aisha April 11 2013 When Jackie Robinson Played Himself Slate Retrieved March 10 2018 Deane Pamela S 2009 James Edwards African American Hollywood Icon McFarland ISBN 9780786458165 page 82 Kehr Dave July 10 2007 New DVDs The New York Times Retrieved April 4 2018 a b Lampley Jonathan Malcolm 2010 Women in the Horror Films of Vincent Price McFarland p 98 ISBN 9780786457496 I Am Legend Copyright Record U S Copyright Public Catalog Retrieved November 21 2021 Copyright Notice illustrations chart copyrightdata com Online results from keyword search Last Time I Saw Paris Conrad Salinger in United States Copyright Office Retrieved June 17 2012 a b c Pierce 2007 p 138 Hannan Brian 2016 Coming Back to a Theater Near You A History of Hollywood Reissues 1914 2014 McFarland ISBN 9780786498130 page 272 a b c Pierce 2007 p 128 Film Superlist Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1940 1949 page 222 Erickson Glenn Made for Each Other Home Video Reviews Tcm com Retrieved May 17 2019 Kehr Dave October 11 2005 New DVD s The New York Times Retrieved March 9 2018 Huebner Jeff November 19 1998 Full Nelson Chicago Reader Retrieved July 13 2011 Christopher Rob May 18 2009 Interview Filmmaker Michael Caplan Chicagoist Archived from the original on October 19 2010 Retrieved July 13 2011 Fujiwara Chris The World and Its Double The Life and Work of Otto Preminger p 194 Wilson John 2005 The Official Razzie Movie Guide Enjoying the Best of Hollywoods Worst Hachette Book Group ISBN 9780446510080 a b Rossen Jake December 3 2015 The Battle Over the Worst Movie Ever Playboy Archived from the original on December 3 2015 Retrieved October 3 2015 a b FitzPatrick Eillen May 14 1994 Court Rules for Goodtimes in McLintock Case Billboard pp 73 82 Fishman 2010 p 337 Cady Brian My Dear Secretary 1948 Home Video Reviews Tcm com Retrieved June 23 2018 Sinofsky Esther Rita 1988 A copyright primer for educational and industrial media producers Copyright Information Services p 29 ISBN 9780914143123 Retrieved January 20 2016 But remember the underlying works may still be copyrighted My Man Godfry Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database Retrieved January 20 2016 Boluk Stephanie Lenz Wylie June 16 2011 Introduction Generation Z the Age of Apocalypse In Boluk Stephanie Lenz Wylie eds Generation Zombie Essays on the Living Dead in Modern Culture Jefferson North Carolina US McFarland amp Company p 5 ISBN 978 0 7864 6140 0 Retrieved August 26 2011 Night Of The Living Dead 1968 Criterion Collection High Def Digest February 26 2018 Retrieved December 19 2020 Shales Tom May 24 2003 Showtime s Our Town Newman s Own The Washington Post Retrieved May 4 2019 Sadly the movie slipped between the cracks and into the public domain and there now appear to be no decent prints left in existence Erickson Hal April 18 2007 FILM COM MOVIE OF THE WEEK PENNY SERENADE MTV News Retrieved March 10 2018 Lodge Guy August 20 2018 Film in the public domain here be buried treasures The Guardian Retrieved February 14 2019 Coniam Matthew 2015 The Annotated Marx Brothers A Filmgoer s Guide to In Jokes Obscure References and Sly Details McFarland ISBN 9780786497058 page 199 Neibaur James L 2016 The Essential Mickey Rooney Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 9781442260962 page 184 Herzberg Bob 2013 Hang Em High Law and Disorder in Western Films and Literature McFarland ISBN 9781476601243 page 114 Stanley John January 6 2013 DVD review The Red House San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved March 10 2018 Shaye Robert May 22 2003 Graduation 2003 Anderson Patrick 1981 High in America the true story behind NORML and the politics of marijuana The Viking Press p 101 Film Superlist Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1950 1959 pages 287 509 Film Superlist Motion Pictures in the U S Public Domain 1940 1949 page 8 Eyman Scott 2014 John Wayne The Life and Legend New York Simon amp Schuster Paperbacks p 71 ISBN 978 1 4391 9958 9 a b c Roe Matthew February 12 2019 Anarchic Cinema Salt of the Earth Film Inquiry Retrieved December 4 2020 Public Domain Film History A Cottage Industry of Copyright Mishaps October 26 2017 Wilson John 2005 The Official Razzie Movie Guide Enjoying the Best of Hollywoods Worst Hachette Book Group ISBN 9780446510080 Filmmakers Newsletter Volume 7 Suncraft International Incorporated 1973 Segrave Kerry September 17 2015 Piracy in the Motion Picture Industry ISBN 9780786481606 Rapold Nicolas February 14 2014 Even Good Films May Go to Purgatory Old Films Fall Into Public Domain Under Copyright Law The New York Times Retrieved March 10 2018 Murray Noel November 23 2005 Scarlet Street amp House By The River The A V Club Retrieved March 10 2018 The Screaming Skull AFI Catalog of Feature Films American Film Institute Retrieved April 6 2017 Simosko Vladimir 2000 Artie Shaw A Musical Biography and Discography Scarecrow Press ISBN 9780810833975 page 89 Hicks Chris March 8 2007 DVD reviews Oldies make their DVD debut Deseret News Retrieved June 16 2013 The Snows of Kilimanjaro 1952 color has injured writer Gregory Peck going over his past to see if his life has meaning with Ava Gardner and Susan Hayward This one has been on many public domain labels but this is a pristine print and looks gorgeous King Susan February 24 1991 How Hollywood Dealt with Great Depression Los Angeles Times Retrieved March 12 2018 Peary Gerald October 10 2010 He s on the hunt for lost movie treasures Boston Globe Retrieved October 29 2015 Orson Welles s The Stranger is their newest HD release made feasible because the RKO picture has fallen into public domain American Film Volume 11 Issues 1 10 American Film Institute 1985 Retrieved March 10 2018 page 70 a b Rossen Jake 2008 Superman Vs Hollywood How Fiendish Producers Devious Directors and Warring Writers Grounded an American Icon Chicago Review Press ISBN 9781569765012 Ray Fred Olen 1991 The New Poverty Row Independent Filmmakers as Distributors McFarland amp Company Inc p 51 ISBN 9780899506289 Stevens Brad 2003 Monte Hellman His Life and Films McFarland amp Company Inc p 34 ISBN 9780786481880 Bernard Sheila Curran Rabin Kenn 2012 Archival Storytelling A Filmmaker s Guide to Finding Using and Licensing Third Party Visuals and Music Taylor and Francis p 119 ISBN 9781136060861 Arnold Jeremy Too Late For Tears 1949 Tcm com Retrieved May 13 2018 Aping Norbert 2014 The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K McFarland p 193 ISBN 9780786451746 Retrieved September 26 2020 Dessem Matthew July 19 2017 Lena Dunham Is Joining American Horror Story Season 7 Slate Retrieved April 18 2018 Rhodes Gary D 2001 White Zombie Anatomy of a Horror Film McFarland amp Company Inc p 280 ISBN 9780786427628 Turek Ryan July 6 2010 Tobe Hooper Walking With White Zombie Shocktillyoudrop com Archived from the original on March 1 2016 Retrieved January 1 2020 Bibliography editFishman Stephen 2010 The Public Domain How to Find amp Use Copyright Free Writings Music Art amp More 5th ed Nolo retrieved via Internet Archive ISBN 978 1 4133 1205 8 Retrieved October 31 2010 Pierce David June 2007 Forgotten Faces Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain available at davidpiercefilm com Film History An International Journal 19 2 125 43 doi 10 2979 FIL 2007 19 2 125 ISSN 0892 2160 JSTOR 25165419 OCLC 15122313 S2CID 191633078 Retrieved July 13 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of films in the public domain in the United States amp oldid 1222944985, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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