Public Domain
A Gold Necklace
1910 · Biograph Company · Dir. Frank Powell
Mazie lends her necklace to Nellie, her guest. Nellie is asleep in a hammock when Sam, her sweetheart, arrives in his auto. He awakens Nellie with a kiss. As she starts up she drops the necklace in the grass and their efforts to find it prove futile. Sam promises to buy her one to replace it, thinking it was her own properly. He has her minutely describe it that he may get an exact duplicate. Meanwhile, the governess has found the necklace and given it to its owner, Mazie, who is unknown to Sam. He sees it on Mazie's neck and after a chase insists on purchasing it.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'A Gold Necklace' was directed by D.W. Griffith for the Biograph Company (American Mutosiuscope & Biograph) and was released in October 1910. It features Mary Pickford and Mack Sennett in early screen roles.
According to the current United States copyright laws, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of whether they were originally registered or renewed. Because this film was released in 1910, its maximum term of 75 years (under the 1976 Act) or 95 years (extending into the 1998 CTEA period) has long since expired.
The film is part of the Biograph collection and is held by several film archives. As a work from the silent era produced in the United States prior to 1928, its public domain status is absolute and requires no further search of renewal records.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0001225/
- https://www.loc.gov/item/96515814/
- Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: 1894-1939 (Volume 1).
- Gunning, Tom. D.W. Griffith and the Origins of American Narrative Film.
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.