A Close Call

A Close Call (1929) is a comedy short film starring Harry Langdon, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by MGM. According to US copyright law for works published between 1928 and 1963, a 28-year initial term applied, which required a formal renewal during the 28th year to extend protection to the full 95-year term. A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal registration for this specific title. While many Hal Roach productions from this era were diligently renewed (such as Laurel and Hardy shorts), numerous other entries in the Roach library fell into the public domain due to non-renewal. Because the copyright was not renewed in 1956 or 1957 (the 28th-year window), the film's US copyright expired, and it entered the public domain. This status is consistent with its presence in various public domain film collections and the lack of enforcement by any successor-in-interest for the Roach library, such as RHI Entertainment or Sonar Entertainment.