Public Domain
A Star Is Born
1937 · Selznick International Pictures · Dir. William A. Wellman
Esther Blodgett is just another starry-eyed farm kid trying to break into the movies. Waitressing at a Hollywood party, she catches the eye of her idol Norman Maine, is sent for a screen test, and before long attains stardom as newly minted Vicki Lester. She and Norman marry, though his career soon dwindles to nothing due to his chronic alcoholism.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The 1937 film 'A Star Is Born' was originally registered for US copyright by Selznick International Pictures, Inc. under registration number LP7058 following its release in April 1937. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a formal renewal during the 28th year of the initial term to maintain protection for a second 28-year term.
A thorough search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals that no renewal was ever filed for this specific production. While the 1954 and 1976 remakes remain under copyright, the 1937 original fell into the public domain in 1965 when its initial 28-year term expired without renewal. This is a well-documented case cited in David Pierce's 'Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals' and Hurst's 'Film Superlist'. The film is widely distributed by various public domain labels such as Alpha Video and is available on the Internet Archive without restriction.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE)
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- David Pierce, Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals 1950-1959
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.