Protected
Suddenly, Last Summer
1959 · Horizon Pictures / Columbia Pictures · Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. What the girl saw was so horrible that she went insane; now Mrs. Venable wants Catherine lobotomized to cover up the truth.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'Suddenly, Last Summer', directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, was released in the United States in December 1959. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works from this era required a renewal filing in their 28th year of protection to remain under copyright.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the U.S. Copyright Office records confirms that Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. (as the proprietor of copyright in a work made for hire) successfully renewed the copyright. The original registration was LP15194 (dated 1959-12-22), and the renewal registration was RE0346066 (filed 1987-07-31).
Because the film was properly renewed during its 28th year, it is currently protected for a total term of 95 years from the date of publication. It is scheduled to enter the public domain on January 1, 2055.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (RE0346066)
- US Copyright Office Public Catalog (cocatalog.loc.gov)
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.