Protected
At the Circus
1939 · Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) · Dir. Edward Buzzell
Jeff Wilson, the owner of a small circus, owes his partner Carter $10,000. Before Jeff can pay, Carter's accomplices steal the money so he can take over the circus. Antonio Pirelli and Punchy, who work at the circus, together with lawyer Loophole try to find the thief and get the money back.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'At the Circus' starring the Marx Brothers was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1939. While the user-supplied year was 1944, this is the only major production by that title from that era. Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works from the 1928-1963 window required a manual renewal during the 28th year of the initial term to remain under copyright.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress CCE (Catalog of Copyright Entries) confirms that MGM filed a timely renewal for this production. The original registration was LP9252, dated October 17, 1939. The renewal was filed on October 25, 1966, under registration number R396347 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. Because it was successfully renewed, it was granted a total of 95 years of protection from the original publication date.
As a properly renewed 1939 film, it will not enter the public domain until January 1, 2035. The rights are currently managed by Warner Bros. (via Turner Entertainment), which acquired the pre-1986 MGM library.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R396347)
- U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) 1966 Motion Pictures
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.