Public Domain
Character Studies
1927 · Cary-Morgan Productions · Dir. Roscoe Arbuckle
Carter DeHaven announces that he will perform a series of "impressions." For each we see him applying makeup and changing the combing of his hair or putting on a wig. When he tilts his head down during each supposed makeover, up pops the actual celebrity (Keaton, Lloyd, Arbuckle, Valentino, Fairbanks, Coogan) he appears to have been making himself up as.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under US copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of the maximum 95-year copyright term. While the user provided a year of 1928, 'Character Studies'—a short film featuring Carter DeHaven—was produced and distributed in late 1927.
Because the film was published prior to the 1928 cutoff, it is definitively in the public domain in the United States. No renewal search is necessary for works from 1927 or earlier, as their protection lapsed on or before December 31, 2022. Even if the film had been published in 1928, it would still be public domain today as the maximum term for a 1928 work expired on December 31, 2023.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.