Public Domain
By the Sun's Rays
1914 · Universal Film Manufacturing Co. (Nestor Film Company) · Dir. Charles Giblyn
The earliest surviving film featuring Lon Chaney in a major role, By the Sun's Ray's was but one of several 2-reel westerns starring the florid Murdock MacQuarrie. MacQuarrie plays a detective investigating a series of gold shipment robberies. Along the way, he falls for a mine superintendent's pretty daughter (Agnes Vernon), much to the dismay of a sullen mine office clerk (Chaney), who is also smitten with the girl...
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the Copyright Act of 1998 (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act), all works published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain.
'By the Sun's Rays,' a silent western starring Lon Chaney and directed by Charles Giblyn, was released on July 22, 1914. Because the film was released prior to the 1928 cutoff, its statutory copyright term has expired. No renewal or registration status after this date can restore its protection in the U.S. market.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0003730/
- https://archive.org/details/ByTheSunsRays1914
- 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.