Public Domain
Lotus Blossom
1921 · Wah Ming Motion Picture Company · Dir. James B. Leong
The film is perhaps the only remaining example of silent era cinema from a Chinese-American production company, and was co-written, co-directed (with Francis J. Grandon) and produced by James B. Leong, who changed his name from Leong But-jung after emigrating from Shanghai in 1913. Of the seven reels that originally comprised 'Lotus Blossom,' only one (the fifth, running for 12 minutes at 20fps) is known to survive. This remaining reel of film is now available on Disc 2 of the DVD Collection "More Treasures from the American Film Archives," and was preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Lotus Blossom' (also known as 'The Lotus Flower') was released in 1921. It was produced by James B. Leong and the Wah Ming Motion Picture Company. Under current US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal status.
At the time of its release, the maximum term of copyright protection was 56 years (an initial 28-year term plus a 28-year renewal). Even if a valid copyright had been registered and renewed, the protection would have expired by the late 1970s. As it predates the 1929 cutoff, it is definitively in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress: Catalog of Copyright Entries
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Lotus Blossom (1921)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- Wikipedia: Lotus Blossom (1921 film)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.