Public Domain
One Exciting Night
1922 · D.W. Griffith Productions / United Artists · Dir. D.W. Griffith
A young orphan girl, courted by an unpleasant older suitor who has a hold over her adoptive mother, falls in love with Fairfax, a young stranger at a party. A group of bootleggers try to get away with the loot stashed previously within Fairfax's mansion; Mysterious faces peer into the windows and shadowy figures stalk the hall. One of the bootleggers is killed and the young stranger becomes the prime suspect.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under current US copyright law, One Exciting Night (1922) is in the public domain because all works published in the United States before January 1, 1928, have seen their copyright terms expire. D. W. Griffith's production was originally registered for copyright on October 18, 1922, under registration number LP18641.
Even if the film had been properly renewed in its 28th year (circa 1950), the maximum possible term of protection for works from this era was 95 years from the date of publication. Consequently, the film entered the public domain on January 1, 2018. Because it is a US production from the silent era, it is not eligible for copyright restoration under the URAA, which only applies to foreign works.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912–1939
- U.S. Copyright Office (17 U.S.C. § 304)
- IMDb
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.