The Paleface

The film 'The Paleface' is a two-reel silent comedy starring Buster Keaton and Virginia Fox. Although often associated with a 1922 wide release, its original US copyright registration and initial screenings occurred in late 1921 (specifically, copyright registration LP17387 was filed on December 19, 1921). Under the current US copyright law (17 USC § 304), all works published or registered in the United States prior to January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. This occurs because their maximum possible 95-year term of protection has expired. As a 1921 production, 'The Paleface' entered the public domain on January 1, 1997. It is widely available on public domain archives and through various PD distributors like Kino Lorber and the Criterion Collection in restored formats where the underlying work itself is free of restriction.