Public Domain
A Millionaire For Christy
1951 · Thor Productions / 20th Century Fox · Dir. George Marshall
Christy Sloane is sent on a business trip to inform radio personality Peter Lockwood that his uncle has died and left him $2 million. Christy, who's in financial straits, decides to try to snag Peter. Zany hijinks ensue and romantic sparks fly.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
A Millionaire For Christy was released in 1951 and was originally protected by a US copyright registration (LP1210, Sept 2, 1951) held by Thor Productions, Inc. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a formal renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during their 28th year of protection to extend copyright into a second term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal record for this motion picture. The film should have been renewed in 1978 or 1979; however, no such filing exists. As a result of this failure to renew, the film's US copyright expired, and the work entered the public domain on January 1, 1980.
The film's public domain status is well-documented in secondary film scholarship, including 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain' by D. Richard Baer, which lists the title as lapsed. It is frequently found on public domain retrospective DVD collections from distributors like Alpha Video and is available for unrestricted download on the Internet Archive without copyright challenge.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (tested for 'Millionaire For Christy')
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, Works for Hire, 1950-1959 (Pierce)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Baer, Hollywood Film Archive)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1951 entry)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.