Public Domain
Flaming Waters
1925 · FBO (Film Booking Offices of America) · Dir. F. Harmon Weight
After several years' absence, the young sailor Dan O'Neill returns to his hometown. He quickly discovers that his mother has been cheated out of her life savings by slick oil speculator Jasper Thorne and is now working as a charwoman. Dan tries to avenge his mother's loss by swindling the swindler.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the current laws of the United States (17 USC § 304), any work published or registered for copyright before January 1, 1929, has entered the public domain. This film was released in late 1925 and registered for copyright on December 15, 1925 (LP22119) by FBO Productions, Inc.
Even if this film had been successfully renewed after its first 28-year term, its maximum 95-year term of protection expired on December 31, 2020. Therefore, the film is definitively in the public domain regardless of whether a renewal was filed in 1952 or 1953.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939 (LP22119)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (ID 1251)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- 17 U.S.C. § 304
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.