Public Domain
China Doll
1958 · United Artists · Dir. Frank Borzage
American pilot Cliff Brandon, fighting the Japanese in China, finds himself the unintentional "owner" of a Chinese housekeeper, Shu-Jen. The unlikely couple falls in love and marries, but not without tragedy brought on by the war.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'China Doll' was released by United Artists in August 1958. Under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the U.S. Copyright Office during the 28th year of their initial term to remain under protection. A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals that while the film was originally registered (LP12258 by Romina Productions, Inc., on August 29, 1958), no renewal was ever filed.
The 28th-year renewal window for this film occurred in 1986. According to the 'Film Superlist' by D. Richard Baer and Hollywood Film Archive records, this title is confirmed as a non-renewed work. Because the renewal was a mandatory requirement for works published before 1964, the failure to renew caused the film to enter the public domain in the United States upon the expiration of its first term at the end of 1986.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1950-1959)
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1950-1959 (LP12258)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.