Shotgun Law
PUBLIC DOMAIN FYI
Fetch!
Public Domain

Kansas Saloon Smashers

1901 · Edison Manufacturing Company · Dir. Edwin S. Porter

A gilded saloon, with a fancy bar, forms the background. A nobby bartender with white coat and apron is dispensing drinks to customers. Behind him are polished plate glass mirrors. A comical Irishman enters, sets a huge pail on the bar to be filled, and while he is drinking a glass of foam beer, Mrs. Nation and her followers enter with their hatchets. One of the women jams the Irishman's stiff hat down over his eyes and another one douses him with his own pail of beer. They then wreck the saloon and smash the mirrors, bottles, cash register and bar fixtures. The bartender plays a stream of seltzer water on Mrs. Nation, and as she backs away from behind the counter, a policeman enters and hustles everybody out. Full of comedy from start to finish. (Edison Catalog)

Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

Kansas Saloon Smashers is a satirical silent film produced by Thomas Edison's Edison Manufacturing Company and directed by Edwin S. Porter. It was released in early 1901 and depicts a parody of the temperance activist Carrie Nation. Under United States copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal or notice status. As this film was produced and released in 1901, it is over 120 years old and qualifies for public domain status based on the expiration of the maximum statutory copyright term. The film is currently held in several public archives, including the Library of Congress (Paper Print Collection) and the Internet Archive, confirming its status as a historical work no longer subject to copyright protection.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

  • Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division
  • Internet Archive, Moving Image Archive (Edison 1901 collection)
  • IMDb (Kansas Saloon Smashers 1901)
  • AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1893-1910 records)

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.