Public Domain
Death's Marathon
1913 · Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith
Two business partners pursue the same woman. She accepts the marriage proposal of the irresponsible partner, much to her later regret. He squanders money on gambling, as his interest in her gradually wanes. One day after losing the company money in a card game, he decides to commit suicide. He telephones his wife from the office, as he puts a revolver near his head. The wife tries to keep him talking while the reliable business partner races to the office in an attempt to save his old friend. Will he make it in time?
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Death's Marathon is a one-reel drama directed by D.W. Griffith and produced by the Biograph Company. It was originally released in the United States on June 14, 1913.
Under the current US copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 304), all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal status or original copyright notice. Because the film was released in 1913, it passed into the public domain on January 1, 1989 (under the laws applicable at the time, which have since been superseded by the automatic expiration of pre-1928 works). It is now freely available for use, and high-quality prints exist in the Library of Congress and other archives.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.loc.gov/item/95503080/
- https://archive.org/details/deathsmarathon
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1911-1920)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.