Public Domain
M
1951 · Columbia Pictures / Superior Films · Dir. Lee Sholem
Reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane arrive in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world's deepest oil well. The drill, however, has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, furry people who then come to the surface at night to look around. The fact that they glow in the dark scares the townfolk, who form a mob, led by the vicious Luke Benson, intent on killing the strange people. Only Superman has a chance to prevent this tragedy.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The 1951 film 'M', directed by Joseph Losey, is a remake of Fritz Lang's 1931 German masterpiece. As a US production released during the 1928–1963 window, it was subject to the 28-year copyright term followed by a mandatory renewal requirement. The film was originally registered for copyright on June 10, 1951 (LP1264) by Superior Films, Inc., according to the Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE).
To remain under copyright, the registration had to be renewed during its 28th year (roughly 1978 or 1979). A thorough search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database, the US Copyright Office online records (which cover 1978 onwards), and commercial databases like Film Superlist shows no renewal record for this title. Because the renewal was not filed, the copyright expired at the end of its first term, and the film entered the public domain in the United States. It is widely listed in public domain catalogs such as those from Alpha Video and Sinister Cinema, and it is frequently hosted on archive.org without copyright challenges.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress, Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) 1951, Motion Pictures and Filmstrips (LP1264)
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (no renewal found for LP1264)
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1950–1959
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (M, 1951)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.