Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death, directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Victor Mature and Richard Widmark, was released in 1947. Under the laws governing the 1928–1963 era, the film was subject to an initial 28-year term of copyright protection, requiring a formal renewal with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year to extend protection to the full 95-year term. Primary records confirm that Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. successfully renewed the copyright. The original registration was filed on August 27, 1947, under number LP1232. The renewal was filed on September 26, 1974, under renewal number R586419. Because the renewal was filed correctly within the statutory window, the film remains under copyright protection in the United States. It is currently owned by Disney (via its acquisition of 21st Century Fox) and will not enter the public domain until January 1, 2043.