Public Domain
The New Janitor
1914 · Keystone Studios · Dir. Charlie Chaplin
The hero, a janitor played by Chaplin, is fired from work for accidentally knocking his bucket of water out the window and onto his boss the chief banker (Tandy). Meanwhile, one of the junior managers (Dillon) is being threatened with exposure by his bookie for gambling debts unpaid. Thus the manager decides to steal from the company.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The New Janitor', starring Charlie Chaplin, was released on September 24, 1914. Under the United States Copyright Act of 1998 (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act), all works published or registered before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain in the United States.
Since this film was released in 1914, its maximum copyright protection of 95 years has expired. It entered the public domain on January 1, 1990. No renewal search is required for films of this vintage as they are definitively public domain due to the expiration of the statutory term.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- https://archive.org/details/TheNewJanitor
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004388/
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
- U.S. Copyright Office Circular 15a
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.