Public Domain
City Slicker
1951 · Columbia Pictures · Dir. Mannie Davis
Little Roquefort, tired of being chased and torment by the cat of the house, goes to the country to visit his cousin on a farm. There, he finds that life is not all free cheese and that the rooster, chickens and pigs play the 'cat-mouse' game with intent to eliminate the mouse. He quickly returns home and gives the astonished cat a big hug.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'City Slicker' is a Columbia Pictures two-reel short subject starring Bert Wheeler, released on September 20, 1951. Under the 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 first copyright term to remain protected for a second term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database, the U. Penn online Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), and David Pierce's 'Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals 1950-1959' indicates that while the film was originally registered (LP1210, September 20, 1951), no renewal was ever filed by Columbia Pictures or its successors. The 28-year window for renewal closed at the end of 1979. Consequently, the work fell into the public domain on January 1, 1980.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) - Motion Pictures 1950-1959
- David Pierce, Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals, 1950–1959
- IMDb: City Slicker (1951)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.