Public Domain
Falling Leaves
1912 · Solax Studios · Dir. Alice Guy-Blaché
It's early autumn and Dr. Headley eagerly demonstrates what seems to be a miraculous cure for tuberculosis. Not far from where he is working, the disease seems preparing to soon claim yet another life, a teenage girl named Winifred. Winifred's mother and little sister Trixie are devastated. When Trixie hears the family doctor say of Winifred that "when the last leaf falls, she will have passed away," she interprets the doctor's words literally. Thinking over what she has heard, she determines to do everything possible to save her sister.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Falling Leaves is a silent short film directed by Alice Guy-Blaché for Solax Studios. It is a domestic U.S. production with an original release date of May 10, 1912.
Under current U.S. copyright law (the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998), works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of their original registration or renewal status. As this film was published in 1912, it became part of the public domain in 1987 (previously 75-year term) or at the latest by the general expiration of the 1920s era window. It is widely accessible today via the Library of Congress and Internet Archive due to its public domain status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1911-1920)
- Internet Archive - Solax Collection
- Library of Congress - Film Collections
- U.S. Copyright Office - Circular 15a: Duration of Copyright
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.