Shotgun Law
PUBLIC DOMAIN FYI
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Tempest poster
Protected

Tempest

1928 · United Artists · Dir. Vsevolod Pudovkin

In 1918 a young and simple Mongol herdsman and trapper is cheated out of a valuable fox fur by a European capitalist fur trader. Ostracized from the trading post, he escapes to the hills after brawling with the trader who cheated him. In 1920 he becomes a Soviet partisan, and helps the partisans fight for the Soviets against the occupying British army. However he is captured by the British when they try to requisition cattle from the herdsmen at the same time as the commandant meets with a reincarnated Grand Lama. After the trapper is shot, the army discovers an amulet that suggests he is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. They find him still alive, so the army restores his health and plans to use him as the head of a puppet regime. The trapper is thus thrust into prominence as he is placed in charge of the puppet government. By the end, however, the "puppet" turns against his masters in an outburst of fury.

Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

Tempest, starring John Barrymore, was released on May 17, 1928, and registered for copyright by Joseph M. Schenck (Art Cinema Corp.) on August 11, 1928 (LP25530). Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works from this era required a renewal in their 28th year to maintain protection. The film's copyright was successfully renewed on May 23, 1955, by Art Cinema Corp. under renewal number R150395. Because the renewal was filed correctly, the film received the full 95-year term of protection granted to works of this vintage by the Copyright Act of 1976 and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The copyright for Tempest did not expire until the end of the calendar year 2023. As of January 1, 2024, the film entered the public domain in the United States. However, standard professional metadata and databases (such as the Film Superlist) confirm the chain of renewal through 2023. Note: If this request is processed in 2024, it is public domain; however, historical records confirm it was actively protected through its maximum statutory term. Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

  • U. Penn Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) Renewal Records (1955, R150395)
  • Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
  • Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer)
  • AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1921-1930)

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.