Public Domain
Cattle Stampede
1943 · Producers Releasing Corporation · Dir. Sam Newfield
Billy the Kid and Fuzzy Jones are on their way out of Arizona being chased by some riders who hope to cash in on the reward money for their capture. They are warned in time by Ed Dawson, but Ed is wounded in the getaway. They get a doctor to attend to Ed. The latter tells them there is a range war in progress across the border and that he is looking for men to help make a cattle drive to the rail junction.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Cattle Stampede, a PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) Western starring Buster Crabbe, was released in 1943. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their initial term to maintain protection for a second 28-year term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal registration for this title. PRC films from this era frequently fell into the public domain due to the studio's financial instability and eventual dissolution, which often resulted in a failure to file for renewals. The film is widely distributed today by known public domain labels such as Alpha Video and is available on the Internet Archive without copyright restriction or takedown notices. According to the 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain' by D. Richard Baer, this film did not have its copyright renewed and is legally in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (No renewal found for Cattle Stampede)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1940-1949) by D. Richard Baer
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) 1970-1972
- IMDb: Cattle Stampede (1943)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.