Public Domain
Christmas Night
1933 · Van Beuren Studios · Dir. Wilfred Jackson
A narrator sings the opening stanzas of the classic poem while we see the house at rest. Santa lands on the roof, comes down the chimney, and opens his bag. The toys march out and decorate the tree, with the toy soldiers shooting balls from their cannon, a toy airplane stringing a garland like skywriting, and the toy firemen applying snow. A blimp delivers the star to the top. Meanwhile, Santa fills the stockings. His laughter awakens the children, who sneak out. The toys rush to their places, and Santa escapes up the chimney just in time.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
This short film, a Van Beuren 'Little King' cartoon produced by Amedee J. Van Beuren and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, was originally released on December 22, 1933. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first term to remain protected.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal registration for this title or the 'Little King' series from late 1960 through 1962. Most Van Beuren cartoons fell into the public domain due to the studio's dissolution and RKO's failure to renew the copyrights for these specific shorts. The film is widely available on public domain collections and archive.org without copyright challenge, which is consistent with the lack of a renewal record.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (Motion Pictures)
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) 1960-1962
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- IMDb: Christmas Night (1933)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.