Public Domain
The County Fair
1920 · Maurice Tourneur Productions · Dir. Maurice Tourneur
"The County Fair" begins with a nasty rich guy threatening to turn an old lady onto the street--unless her niece (who lives with her) marries this man's son. While she's dead set against it, the niece is a sweet thing and would do anything to help her aunt--even marry the rich jerk. However, a possible way out is presented. When a poor young man is taken in and fed, he turns out (naturally) to be a jockey and thinks he can win the $3000 prize at the fair and save the farm.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The County Fair is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Edmund Mortimer and Maurice Tourneur, based on the 1889 play by Neil Burgess. It was released in the United States on September 6, 1920 by Producers Security Corp.
Under current US copyright law, any work published or registered before January 1, 1929, has entered the public domain upon the expiration of its maximum 95-year term. Because this film was released in 1920, its US copyright expired no later than the end of 1995. This applies regardless of whether the copyright was originally renewed, as the absolute cutoff for protection is now 1928 for works published prior to 1929.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The County Fair (1920)
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb): The County Fair (1920)
- 17 U.S.C. § 304 (Duration of Copyright)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.