Public Domain
Charming Sinners
1929 · Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. · Dir. Robert Milton
Charming Sinners was a stilted adaptation of Somerset Maugham's play The Constant Wife. Robert Miles (Clive Brook) starts the ball rolling when he falls in love with Anne-Marie Whitley (Mary Nolan), the best friend of his own wife Kathryn (Ruth Chatterton). In retaliation, Kathryn begins a flirtation with her former boyfriend Karl Kraley (William Powell). After reels and reels of verbal fencing, the status quo is re-established, and Robert and Kathryn are reunited.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Charming Sinners was released in 1929 by Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. and originally registered for copyright on July 6, 1929, under registration number LP508. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a manual renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first term to maintain protection for a second term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal record for this title. Had the copyright been renewed, the filing would have occurred in late 1956 or 1957. Because the copyright was not renewed, the film entered the public domain in the United States upon the expiration of its initial 28-year term in 1957. This status is corroborated by David Pierce's 'Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals 1950–1959', which confirms the absence of a renewal for this Paramount production.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- United States Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- David Pierce, Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals 1950–1959 (Milestone, 1989)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1921-1930)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.