Public Domain
A Drunkard's Reformation
1909 · Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith
A man arrives home late and drunk as usual. His wife reminds him that he's supposed to take their daughter out to a play. While watching the play, he's faced with his own drinking evils and how his life would be without them.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
A Drunkard's Reformation is a definitive public domain work because it was published before January 1, 1928. Directed by D.W. Griffith and produced by the Biograph Company, the film was released on April 1, 1909. Under U.S. copyright law, all works published prior to 1928 have seen their copyright terms expire regardless of renewal or registration status.
The film was originally registered for copyright as a series of paper prints (a common practice of the era to protect motion pictures as 'photographs') on April 1, 1909, under registration number H125139. However, the age of the work renders any original copyright protections moot as it has surpassed the maximum 95-year term allowed for works of that period.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Paper Print Collection
- Internet Archive (Film Archive)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Silent Era (silentera.com)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.