Shotgun Law
PUBLIC DOMAIN FYI
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Call of the Yukon poster
Public Domain

Call of the Yukon

1938 · Republic Pictures · Dir. B. Reeves Eason

Adventuring author Jean Williams is living in the wilds of Alaska alongside the Eskimo people gathering material for her novel. She befriends several animals who become her loyal friends such as a pair of bear cubs whose mother has been killed by hunter Gaston Rogers, a talking raven and the bereaved collie Firefly who will not leave the grave of her master, a game warden killed in the line of duty. The community is imperiled by a pack of wolves and wild dogs, led by a wild dog called Swift Lightning, who are killing all the reindeer. With the supply of fresh meat gone, the Eskimos are migrating to lands with more food. Hunter Gaston agrees to take Jean to Nenana, Alaska, along with his furs by dog sled. Jean, who despises Gaston as being more savage and blood thirsty than the four-legged predators, is followed by her loyal animals.

Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works published in the United States between 1928 and 1963 required a copyright renewal in their 28th year to remain protected. 'Call of the Yukon' was released by Republic Pictures on April 1, 1938, and registered for copyright on the same date (LP7965). To maintain protection, a renewal application should have been filed in 1965 or 1966. A thorough search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal registration for this title. While many Republic Pictures titles were renewed by the studio or subsequent rights holders (like NTA or Spelling), 'Call of the Yukon' was not among them. This lack of renewal caused the work to fall into the public domain at the end of its first 28-year term. This film is frequently cited in public domain filmographies, such as 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain' by D. Richard Baer, which confirms the absence of a renewal record. It is widely available through public domain distributors and archive sites without copyright challenge from Paramount (the ultimate successor to most Republic assets).
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

  • Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912–1939
  • Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (https://exhibits.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals)
  • Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer)
  • IMDb: Call of the Yukon (1938)

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.