Public Domain
Isn't Life Terrible?
1925 · Hal Roach Studios · Dir. Leo McCarey
Charley is plagued with failure and with his brother-in-law, who's allergic to labor. When he decides to take the family on a camping trip, his wife learns about a contest sponsored by a pen company, with the first prize being an ocean trip. To win the prize Charley has to sell those pens - surprisingly he wins, but the ship turns out to be a wreck on it's last trip to the scrapyard. To make things worse they accidentally leave their young daughter on the dock and the ship sails without her. What else can go wrong on this trip?
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Isn't Life Terrible?' is a Charley Chase short directed by Leo McCarey. According to the U.S. Copyright Act, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain in the United States upon the expiration of their maximum 95-year copyright term (or earlier if not renewed).
This film was originally registered by Pathe Exchange, Inc. on June 18, 1925 (LP21568). Because the film was published in 1925, its copyright protection lasted for 95 years from the year of publication, which expired on December 31, 2020. As of January 1, 2021, the work is definitively in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- IMDb: Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- U.S. Copyright Office Public Domain Status of works before 1928
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.