Fetch!
Lightning Bryce poster
Public Domain

Lightning Bryce

1919 · National Film Corporation of America · Dir. Paul Hurst

Two prospectors, one the father of Sky "Lightning" Bryce and the other the father of Kate Arnold, find a large gold deposit belonging to an Indian tribe. They head for home but each sends a note to their respective off-springs advising them of their good fortune. One of the fathers conceives a plan of taking a dagger and wrapping a piece of string around the blade, after which he prints on the string with a lead pencil, the exact location of their find. If something happens to them, the string goes to the son and the knife to the daughter. That night an Indian approaches their camp and blows some mysterious wolf powder which causes a man to see wolves in place of human beings. Lightning's father see his partner as a wolf and stabs him to death; later he is brought into town in a dying condition but before dying, hands the knife and the string over to the sheriff with instructions to deliver to Lightning and Kate.

Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

The film 'Lightning Bryce' is a 15-chapter Western film serial starring Jack Hoxie, first released in 1919. Under U.S. copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. This includes all 15 episodes of the serial, including Episode 12 ('The Double Crossroads'), which was released in late 1919. Because the film was released prior to the 1928 cutoff, its copyright has expired regardless of whether it was ever registered or renewed. The work is now free for use and distribution in the United States and is widely available through public domain film archives and collectors.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

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