Name: The Old Actor
Director: D.W. Griffith
Released: 1912

The Old Actor

1912 · Biograph Company · Dir. D.W. Griffith

An elderly actor who lives with his wife and daughter is dismissed from his acting job because he is considered too old. On his way home from the theatre he panics at the thought of telling his family the bad news and decides to disguise himself as a beggar. His daughter's beau accidentally gives him a five dollar gold piece, thinking that it was a smaller coin. A chase ensues with a policeman, the daughter, and her beau in hot pursuit. When caught he is recognized by his shocked daughter, but is quickly forgiven by all. Meanwhile the actor hired to replace him has already been fired and a messenger is dispatched to rehire the Old Actor to the delight of his wife, daughter, and fellow actors.

Confidence

100

Why this status applies

The Old Actor is a short silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Mary Pickford. It was produced by the Biograph Company and released in the United States on May 6, 1912. Under the current US copyright framework, all works published or registered in the United States prior to January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of their maximum copyright term (originally 28 years plus a 28-year renewal, later extended by the Copyright Act of 1976 and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act). As a 1912 production, the film's copyright expired no later than the end of 1987, assuming it was even renewed properly. Today, all films from 1912 are definitively in the public domain in the US regardless of renewal status.

Why this status applies

Supporting facts