Public Domain
Felix in the Swim
1922 · Pat Sullivan Studios · Dir. Otto Messmer
A grateful mouse promises Felix "if there's anything I can do for you, just call on me" after Felix lets him go from a mousetrap. Felix then goes over to Willie Brown's house, whistles for the kid to come down from his bedroom and go "to the 'ole swimming hole" but Willie's mom spots him and tells the boy to go back inside and "practise his piano lessons."
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the terms of the Copyright Act of 1976 and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, all works published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. Felix in the Swim was a silent animated short film featuring Felix the Cat, produced by Pat Sullivan and animated by Otto Messmer, and released on July 2, 1922.
Because the film was published more than 95 years ago and falls before the 1928 cutoff, its copyright protection has expired by operation of law. No renewal search is necessary for works from this era as the maximum possible term of protection (95 years) has already elapsed as of January 1, 2018.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.