Public Domain
The Master Mystery
1918 · Octagon Films / Rolfe Photoplays · Dir. Harry Grossman
In this action-packed serial, government agent Quentin Locke infiltrates a corrupt patents company, only to run into the gleaming terror of its robot protector, the Automaton. In order to save the beautiful Eva Brent and find a cure for the dreaded Madagascar Madness, Locke suffers an inhuman array of tortures and physical restraints. He is chained, tied with barbed wire, padlocked in a crate and thrown in the water, tied beneath a descending elevator, strapped to an electric chair, and bound in an elaborate Oriental torture chamber.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Master Mystery is a 15-episode silent serial starring Harry Houdini. While it was released between November 1918 and early 1919, its US copyright status is determined by its date of publication. Under current US copyright law, all works published before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain regardless of registration or renewal status.
As a production from 1918-1919, the maximum possible term of protection (95 years) has expired. The film is widely available in the public domain, with numerous prints hosted by the Internet Archive and commercial releases by specialty labels like Kino Lorber, who treat the underlying work as public domain material.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.