Public Domain
Caught in the Rain
1914 · Keystone Studios · Dir. Charlie Chaplin
When a married couple become separated in the park, a tramp sits with the lady and is beat up when her husband rejoins her. He takes a room in their hotel, and chaos ensues.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Caught in the Rain', starring and directed by Charlie Chaplin, was released on May 4, 1914. Under the United States copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of whether they were originally registered or renewed.
Since this film was produced and published in 1914, its maximum copyright term of 75 years (under the 1976 Act) or the expanded 95-year term (under the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act) has expired. The film became public domain in the United States no later than January 1, 1990. It is currently available on various archives such as the Internet Archive and in public domain collections due to its age.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://archive.org/details/1914-caught-in-the-rain
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0003741/
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- U.S. Copyright Office Circular 15a
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.