Public Domain
Animal Cracker Circus
1938 · Charles Mintz / Screen Gems · Dir. Ben Harrison
[A toddler] refuses to eat his spinach and had fed some of it to the dog before the cracker ringmaster promises a show if he finishes it. He does and the show starts.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Animal Cracker Circus is a theatrical short film part of the 'Color Rhapsodies' series, produced by Charles Mintz and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was originally registered for copyright on September 12, 1938, under registration number MP8735. Under the law governing works from 1928–1963, copyright protection was granted for an initial 28-year term, necessitating a renewal filing during the 28th year to extend protection to the full 75-year (now 95-year) term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries for the years 1965 and 1966 (the applicable renewal window) shows no record of renewal for this title. While many Columbia shorts were renewed, a significant portion of the Mintz/Screen Gems library fell into the public domain due to administrative oversight or perceived lack of commercial value. Because the copyright expired without renewal in 1966, the film is currently in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (covering 1965-1967)
- Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912–1939 (MP8735)
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894–1939)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.