Public Domain
Li'l Abner
1940 · Vogue Productions · Dir. Albert S. Rogell
Li'l Abner becomes convinced that he is going to die within twenty-four hours, so agrees to marry two different girls: Daisy Mae (who has chased him for years) and Wendy Wilecat (who rescued him from an angry mob). It is all settled at the Sadie Hawkins Day race.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The 1940 film adaptation of Al Capp's comic strip, directed by Albert S. Rogell and produced by Vogue Productions (distributed by RKO), is in the public domain in the United States. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office in the 28th year of their first term to maintain protection for an additional 47 years.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal record for this motion picture. While the original 1940 registration (LP10041) is recorded, the copyright was not extended in 1967 or 1968. Consequently, the film's copyright expired at the end of its initial 28-year term.
Because the film is well-documented as being in the public domain, it has been widely distributed by public domain specialists such as Alpha Video and is available for free streaming and download on the Internet Archive without copyright challenge. This status is distinct from the 1959 musical version of 'Li'l Abner' produced by Paramount, which was properly renewed and remains under copyright protection.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (checked for 'Li'l Abner' entries 1967-1969)
- U Penn Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) Renewals, 1960-1969
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939/1940-1949 volumes)
- IMDb: Li'l Abner (1940) Company Credits
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.