Public Domain
The Arab
1924 · Metro-Goldwyn · Dir. Rex Ingram
Jamil, a soldier in the Bedouin defense forces during a war between Syria and Turkey, deserts his regiment but later returns to save children of a missionary’s orphanage who are at risk of being enslaved or killed by the Turks.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Arab (1924), directed by Rex Ingram and starring Ramon Novarro, is definitively in the public domain in the United States. Under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the subsequent Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, all works published in the United States prior to January 1, 1929, have seen their copyright terms expire. Specifically, works from 1924 entered the public domain on January 1, 2020.
Even before the 95-year blanket expiration, the film's status was historically analyzed through renewal records. While the film was originally registered by Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corp. on July 21, 1924 (LP20412), any potential protection would have required a renewal in the 28th year. Because the 95-year clock for 1924 works has now fully elapsed as of 2020, searching for a 1952 renewal is no longer necessary to confirm its status; the film has aged out of protection by law.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- U.S. Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database
- Library of Congress: Public Domain works from 1924 (January 2020 release)
- Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.