Public Domain
A Pair of Tights
1929 · Hal Roach Studios / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) · Dir. Hal Yates
Two girls are invited by one of the girls boyfriend's tight boss for dinner. On the way they stop for a cheap ice cream. But swinging doors, ventilators, cops and a brat make it nearly impossible to get the ice cream even close to the car where the rest is waiting.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during their 28th year of protection to remain under copyright. 'A Pair of Tights', a Hal Roach comedy starring Anita Garvin and Marion Byron, was released/registered in 1929. To remain protected, a renewal would have needed to be filed in 1956 or 1957.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal record for this specific title. While many Laurel and Hardy shorts from Hal Roach Studios were meticulously renewed, many of the 'All-Star' or supporting comedy shorts of the period were allowed to lapse. Because no renewal was filed, the work entered the public domain in 1957. This film is widely available on public domain collections and has been confirmed as such by sources like the 'Film Superlist' by David Pierce and Baer.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (checked 1956-1958)
- U Penn Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) - Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939 (Baer/Hurst)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (short film records)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.