Public Domain
False Pretenses
1935 · Chesterfield Motion Pictures Corp. · Dir. Charles Lamont
A girl who's just lost her job meets a drunk millionaire on a bridge who's just lost his money. They go back to his house, and eventually come up with a plan to benefit them both: he'll scrounge enough money together to teach her how to be a lady, and then introduce her to his rich friends so she can snag a husband, after which she'll pay him a finder's fee. Complications ensue.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'False Pretenses' (1935), directed by Charles Lamont and produced by Chesterfield Motion Pictures, entered the public domain due to a failure to renew its copyright. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing during the 28th year of their first copyright term to remain protected for a second term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals that while the film was originally registered (LP5894, October 24, 1935), no renewal record exists. As a Poverty Row production from Chesterfield, it followed the common pattern of independent films from this era where the production company dissolved or the rights were not maintained.
The film is widely recognized as public domain by film historians and is extensively distributed by public domain specialty labels such as Alpha Video. It is also available for unrestricted viewing and download on the Internet Archive, further corroborating its status. Other films with this title include a 1922 silent film (public domain by age) and a 1914 short (public domain by age).
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, 1935 (Motion Pictures)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- Internet Archive (Public Domain Feature Films collection)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.