Public Domain
The Greatest Question
1919 · First National Pictures · Dir. D.W. Griffith
Young Nellie Jarvis, daughter of a wandering couple, witnesses the murder of a woman by a man and his wife. Years later, "Little Miss Yes'm", as Nellie is known, returns to the area as an orphan. Locals Mr. and Mrs. Hilton, though poverty stricken, take her into their family. Fully integrated with the loving Hiltons, she wishes to relieve them of their financial strain. Nellie travels to a nearby farmhouse to gain employment from depraved Martin Cain and his paranoid wife.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Greatest Question,' directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish, was released in the United States on December 28, 1919. According to the United States copyright law framework, all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of their original copyright registration or renewal status.
Because this film was published in 1919, its statutory copyright term has expired. Under the terms of the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, the maximum protection for works of this era was 95 years from publication, all of which lapsed by the end of 2014. It is now freely available for use and distribution in the U.S.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/resources/public-domain-films/
- https://archive.org/details/TheGreatestQuestion
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010190/
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.