Public Domain
Never Love a Stranger
1958 · Allied Artists · Dir. Robert Stevens
Orphan turns bad, finds redemption with some help from boyhood pal. This movie is of interest because of the presence of a young Steve McQueen, the leading man being John Drew Barrymore, father of the more famous Drew, and for being based on a novel by Harold Robbins, famous for steamy writing in his day.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first copyright term to remain protected. 'Never Love a Stranger' was registered for copyright by Hope Enterprises, Inc. on May 6, 1958, under registration number LP11046.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) confirms that no renewal was filed for this motion picture in its 28th year (1985–1986) or at any other time. As a result of this failure to renew, the film's copyright expired at the end of its first 28-year term, and the work entered the public domain on January 1, 1987. The film is frequently cited in public domain filmographies (such as the Film Superlist) and is widely available on various public domain labels and archive sites without copyright challenge.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1950-1959
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.