Public Domain
The Eagle
1925 · Art Finance / United Artists · Dir. Clarence Brown
Vladimir Dubrouvsky, a lieutenant in the Russian army, catches the eye of Czarina Catherine II. He spurns her advances and flees, and she puts out a warrant for his arrest, dead or alive. Vladimir learns that his father's lands have been taken by the evil Kyrilla Troekouroff, and his father dies. He dons a black mask, and becomes the outlaw The Black Eagle. He enters the Troekouroff household disguised as a French instructor for Kyrilla's daughter Mascha. He is after vengeance, but instead falls in love with Mascha.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Under the Copyright Acts of 1909 and 1976, along with the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, all works published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. This film was released on November 8, 1925, and registered for copyright by Art Finance Corp. on the same date (Registration No. Lp21980).
Because the film was published in 1925, its maximum statutory protection lasted for 95 years, expiring on December 31, 2020. Regardless of whether the copyright was renewed in its 28th year (which it likely was by United Artists or a successor), the term has now naturally lapsed by operation of law. Therefore, 'The Eagle' is definitively in the public domain in the United States.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1912-1939 (Lp21980)
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (The Eagle, 1925)
- 17 U.S.C. § 304 (Copyright Term Extension Act)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.