Public Domain
Saved from the Titanic
1912 · Éclair Film Company · Dir. Étienne Arnaud
A young woman tells her parents and fiance (in flashback) about the recent sinking of the Titanic and her experiences as a passenger during the disaster. Her intended marriage now faces a new hazard because her fiance is a sailor and her parents have just been reminded of the dangers of the sea. Premiering in the United States just 29 days after the event, it is the earliest dramatization about the tragedy.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Saved from the Titanic' was released in the United States on May 14, 1912, exactly one month after the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It was produced by the American Éclair studio and starred actual survivor Dorothy Gibson.
Under US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of whether their copyright was ever renewed. Since this film was released in 1912, its maximum possible copyright term has expired. No specific renewal or registration check is required for this era as the transition to the public domain for pre-1928 works is absolute and automatic.
Additionally, it is worth noting that this film is considered a 'lost film.' The only known prints were destroyed in a fire at the Éclair studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, in 1914. While the film's physical status is lost, its legal status is definitively public domain.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress, Moving Image Copyright Descriptions Reconstruction
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
- Wikipedia: Saved from the Titanic
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.