Public Domain
The Average Woman
1924 · C.C. Burr Productions / American Releasing Corporation · Dir. Christy Cabanne
Reporter Jimmy Munroe is writing an article on "the average woman". He meets Sally Whipple in the library and chooses her as a likely subject, following her around to gather material for his article, and eventually falls in love with her. Her father, Judge Whipple, doesn't like it; he has Jimmy arrested and allows him to see Sally only once a week. Meanwhile, disreputable businessman Van Alten is after Sally, and tries to pressure her into marrying him by threatening to release letters he says will embarrass her father.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Average Woman (1924) was a silent film produced in the United States by C.C. Burr and directed by Christy Cabanne. Under the copyright laws in effect at the time, works published between 1924 and 1963 required a renewal of copyright with the US Copyright Office in the 28th year after publication to maintain protection. For a 1924 release, the copyright would have needed to be renewed in 1951 or 1952.
Searching the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no record of a renewal for this title. Furthermore, the film is listed as an 'expired' work in the David Pierce / Library of Congress database of silent film survival and registration. Given that no renewal was filed, the work entered the public domain in the United States upon the expiration of its first term in 1952. The film is currently identified as a lost film according to the American Film Institute (AFI) and the Library of Congress, though its copyright status remains definitively public domain due to the lack of renewal regardless of its survival status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (1950–1959 search)
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (entry for The Average Woman 1924)
- David Pierce, Motion Picture Copyrights and Renewals, 1950–1959
- Library of Congress / International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Lost Film Database
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.