Public Domain
Flesh and Blood
1922 · Irving Cummings Productions · Dir. Irving Cummings
A convict hiding in Chinatown assumes the identity of a cripple to track down a businessman who framed him 15 years previously. He discovers that his daughter has fallen in love with the businessman's son.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the current United States copyright law (specifically the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act), all works published or registered in the US before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. Flesh and Blood, starring Lon Chaney and released in August 1922, falls well within this date range.
The film's 75-year term under the previous 1976 Act would have expired in 1997. Even if the copyright had been perfectly maintained and renewed, it would have expired no later than the end of 1997. Consequently, the film is free for use, distribution, and adaptation without permission from the original creators or studio. It is currently available via various public domain film archives and distributors like Grapevine Video and Alpha Video.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf
- https://archive.org/details/flesh-and-blood-1922
- https://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/F/FleshandBlood1922.html
- Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939).
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.