Public Domain
The Amazing Mr. X
1948 · Eagle-Lion Films, Inc. · Dir. Bernard Vorhaus
On the beach one night, Christine Faber, two years a widow, thinks she hears her late husband Paul calling out of the surf...then meets a tall dark man, Alexis, who seems to know all about such things. After more ghostly manifestations, Christine and younger sister Janet become enmeshed in the eerie artifices of Alexis; but he in turn finds himself manipulated into deeper deviltry than he had in mind...
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Amazing Mr. X' (also known as 'The Spiritualist') was released in the United States in 1948. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their initial term to maintain protection. For a 1948 release, the renewal window occurred in 1975 or 1976.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database, the Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), and David Pierce's 'Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals 1950-1959' reveals no renewal registration for this title or its alternative title ('The Spiritualist'). Consequently, the copyright expired at the end of its first 28-year term, and the film entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 1977.
The film's public domain status is widely recognized in the industry; it is a staple of public domain distributors such as Alpha Video, Sinister Cinema, and Mill Creek Entertainment, and it is legally hosted on the Internet Archive and various 'free movie' streaming platforms without challenge from a rights holder.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (Hurst/Baer)
- David Pierce, Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals 1950-1959
- Internet Archive (Public Domain Feature Films collection)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.