Public Domain
The Animal Kingdom
1932 · RKO Radio Pictures · Dir. Edward H. Griffith
Tom Collier has had a great relationship with Daisy, but when he decides to marry, it is not Daisy whom he asks, it is Cecelia. After the marriage, Tom is bored with the social scene and the obligations of his life. He publishes books that will sell, not books that he wants to write. Even worse, he has his old friend working as a butler and Cecelia wants him fired. When Tom tries to get back together with Daisy to renew the feelings that he once felt, Daisy turns the tables on him and leaves to protect both of them.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Animal Kingdom (1932) was originally registered for US copyright by RKO Pathe Pictures on December 23, 1932 (LP3567). Under the law in effect at the time (the 1909 Copyright Act), works registered between 1928 and 1963 required a manual renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during the 28th year of their first term to maintain protection for a second term.
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal registration for this motion picture. While many 1932 RKO films were renewed, this specific title was allowed to lapse into the public domain in 1960. The film's status as public domain is well-documented in secondary film references, including Hurst's Film Superlist, which identifies it as a lapsed title. Consequently, the work entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 1961.
Note that while the film was remade by Warner Bros. in 1946 as 'One More Tomorrow', that remake is a distinct derivative work and does not affect the public domain status of the original 1932 production directed by Edward H. Griffith.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912–1939 and 1950–1959
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939) by Hurst/Baer
- IMDb - The Animal Kingdom (1932)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.