Public Domain
At War with the Army
1950 · York Pictures Corp / Paramount Pictures · Dir. Hal Walker
Two former nightclub partners are now enlisted in the Army. Sergeant Puccinelli ranks above his former partner, Private First Class Korwin. Puccinelli is desperately trying to get transferred from his dull job to active duty overseas. Meanwhile, all Korwin wants is a pass to see his wife and new baby.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'At War with the Army' was released in 1950 and originally registered for copyright by York Pictures Corp. under LP641 on January 24, 1951. Under the US Copyright Act of 1909, works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a manual renewal filing with the Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first term to maintain protection for a second term.
According to the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer), no renewal record exists for this title. The copyright would have needed to be renewed in 1978 or 1979; however, the records indicate the filing was missed. As a result, the film fell into the public domain in the United States upon the expiration of its initial 28-year term. The film is widely recognized in the industry as being in the public domain, which is evidenced by its ubiquitous presence in 'dollar bin' DVD collections and its availability on the Internet Archive without takedown notices from Paramount or the Jerry Lewis estate.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (Series: Motion Pictures)
- Hurst, Walter E. 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1950-1959)'
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Cumulative Series
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.