Public Domain
A Dream Walking
1934 · Fleischer Studios / Paramount Pictures · Dir. Dave Fleischer
Popeye and Bluto each wants to save Olive as she sleepwalks onto a construction site. But most of their efforts go into preventing each other from being the hero.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
A Dream Walking is a Popeye the Sailor cartoon produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures on September 24, 1934. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works from this era required a copyright renewal in the 28th year of their initial term to remain protected for a second term. For a 1934 release, the renewal window was open in 1961–1962.
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 film. While many Popeye cartoons were renewed by King Features Syndicate or Paramount, several entries from the 1933–1934 season were famously overlooked. This film is widely documented in filmographies (such as Hurst's Film Superlist) as having entered the public domain due to non-renewal. This lack of renewal is further supported by the film's widespread legal appearance on budget public domain collections (e.g., Alpha Video, Mill Creek) and its presence on the Internet Archive without takedowns from current Rights Holders.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (https://exhibits.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals)
- Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (referenced for production dates)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.