Protected
China Girl
1942 · Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. · Dir. Henry Hathaway
Two-fisted newsreel photographer Johnny Williams is stationed in Burma and China in the early stage of WW II. Captured by the Japanese, he escapes from a concentration camp with the aid of beautiful, enigmatic 'China Girl' Miss Young. The two arduously make their way back to friendly lines so that Johnny can deliver the vital military information he's managed to glean from his captors.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'China Girl' (1942), starring Gene Tierney and George Montgomery, is currently protected by copyright in the United States. It was originally registered for copyright by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. on December 3, 1942, under registration number LP11933. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works from this era required a renewal in their 28th year to extend protection to the full 75-year (now 95-year) term.
Research of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the US Copyright Office records confirms that the copyright was successfully renewed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. on January 29, 1970, under renewal number R478051. Because the copyright was properly maintained, the film remains under protection for 95 years from its original publication date. It is scheduled to enter the public domain on January 1, 2038. The 'colorized' version mentioned by the user is a derivative work; however, the underlying film remains under the control of the successor-in-interest (The Walt Disney Company/20th Century Studios).
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (R478051)
- Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912-1939/1940-1949 (LP11933)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (cited for renewal and registration data)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (China Girl, 1942)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.