Public Domain
The Burlesque Suicide
1902 · Edison Manufacturing Co.
A dissipated man sits at a table with a decanter of whiskey and a glass beside him. A revolver is on the opposite side of the table. He pours a glass of whiskey and, with a despairing look, starts to drink it. He changes his mind, grabs the revolver, and places it against his temple, but then changes his mind again and lays the revolver carefully on the table. He drinks the whiskey with a contented smile and thumbs his nose at the audience.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Burlesque Suicide is a 1902 silent short film produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company and directed by Edwin S. Porter. It features a close-up of a man (played by Porter) appearing to aim a gun at his head, only to reveal it is a prank.
Under current United States copyright law, the maximum duration for any work published with a copyright notice or registered prior to 1928 has expired. All works published in the U.S. before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal status. As this film was produced and distributed in 1902, its copyright protection expired no later than the conclusion of the 75-year term previously provided by the 1976 Act (or the 56-year term under the 1909 Act), long before the Sony Bono Copyright Term Extension Act could apply.
The film is currently preserved by the Library of Congress and is widely available through public domain archives such as the Internet Archive and the Library of Congress's National Film Registry/Paper Print Collection.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress (Paper Print Collection)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Early Film Records)
- 17 U.S.C. § 304
- Internet Archive (Public Domain Collection)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.