Fetch!
The Burning Question poster
Public Domain

The Burning Question

1919 · Gilliams Service / American Motion Picture Corp. · Dir. O.E. Goebel

Mary Herder is the private secretary of the junior member of the New York contracting firm of Thompson and Collins. When she learns of a plot by the firm's foreman, a Bolshevist, to blow up a ship that Collins, who once rescued a worker from the foreman's violence and who is active against Bolshevism, is visiting, she and her older brother Charles thwart the conspirators' plans. During the war, Charles is rescued by Collins, while the Knights of Columbus, under the Rev. Francis Kelly, help American boys. After the war, Charles, a victim of shell-shock, recovers when he holds his baby. Mary's younger brother Frank, a Secret Service man posing as a Bolshevist, learns of their plan to overthrow the government. After they suspect Frank and kidnap Mary and others, Frank and Collins, with members of his regiment, rescue them in the nick of time.

Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

The film 'The Burning Question' was released in 1919 (with some sources citing 1918 production or early 1920 distribution depending on the market). Under current United States copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal status or notice. As a 1919 production, the maximum possible term of 95 years from publication has already expired (it would have expired in 1914 even if the law had been different). There are No active copyright protections available for US films of this vintage. The film is widely listed in silent film databases as a lost or survival-uncertain work, and its copyright expired decades ago.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

  • U.S. Copyright Office, 17 U.S.C. § 304
  • AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Burning Question (1919)
  • Hurst, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
  • Internet Archive, Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) Cumulative Series

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.