Public Domain
The Bangville Police
1913 · Keystone Studios · Dir. Henry Lehrman
A young farm maid overhears two cow-hands talking in the barn, and she becomes convinced they’re about to rob her. She barricades herself in a room and calls the police. Her call wakes the chief, who rallies the country justice constabulary and they set off toward the farm, in steam-car and on foot. Meanwhile, the maiden’s parents rush to save her. Everything points toward a showdown in the barn, where no one, including the police force, will be cowed.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Bangville Police, featuring Mabel Normand and the debut of the Keystone Cops, was released in April 1913. Under US copyright law, the duration of protection for works published with notice prior to 1923 was a maximum of 56 years (an initial 28-year term plus a 28-year renewal).
Even under the most generous subsequent extensions provided by the Copyright Act of 1976 and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. This film passed into the public domain upon the expiration of its copyright term no later than the end of 1969. As of January 1, 2024, all films from 1928 and earlier are legally in the public domain in the United States due to the expiration of their statutory terms.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2013/spring/pd-films.html
- https://archive.org/details/TheBangvillePolice
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0002661/
- 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.