Public Domain
The Curtain Pole
1909 · American Mutoscope and Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith
An upper class drawing room. A gentleman breaks the curtain pole and goes in search of a replacement, but he stops into a pub first. He buys a very long pole, and causes havoc everywhere he passes, accumulating an ever-growing entourage chasing him, until he escapes them through a bit of movie magic, only to discover that the pole has already been replaced.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Curtain Pole' was released in February 1909, directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Mack Sennett. Under US copyright law, any work published before January 1, 1928, has definitively entered the public domain due to the expiration of the maximum possible copyright term (95 years from publication).
This specific film was originally registered for copyright by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company on February 15, 1909 (LP101). Even if the copyright had been properly renewed after its initial 28-year term, the renewal term would have expired decades ago. As a pre-1928 American production, no further renewal search is required to confirm its status.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1894-1912
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Short Film Records)
- Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- 17 U.S.C. § 304
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.