Public Domain
A Spanish Dilemma
1912 · Biograph Company · Dir. Mack Sennett
Fred Ward and Mack Sennett are two Spanish brothers seeking the hand of a lovely senorita played by Mabel Normand. They provide some simple amusement in this pleasant little ditty. They cut cards, do shooting tricks with a gun and duel with swords to determine who will be the one to get Mable.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'A Spanish Dilemma' was released on March 11, 1912. It was directed by Mack Sennett and produced by the Biograph Company.
Under current United States copyright law, the maximum term of copyright protection for any work published with notice before 1929 is 95 years from the date of publication. As this film was published in 1912, it entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 1988, regardless of whether the copyright was originally registered or renewed. All works published in the U.S. prior to January 1, 1928, are now in the public domain.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress, Moving Image Copyright Descriptions, 1912–1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Though a short, Biograph records confirm 1912 release)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894–1939
- IMDb (A Spanish Dilemma 1912/I)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.