Public Domain
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
1957 · California National Productions · Dir. Bretaigne Windust
The singing, rhyming citizens of Hamelin hope to win a competition with rival towns for royal recognition. To this end, the mayor outlaws play (which is a bit hard on the children) and refuses to help a rival town when it's flooded. But rats (seen only as shadows), fleeing the flood, invade Hamelin in droves; a magical piper, whose music only children (and rats) can hear, strikes a bargain...which, once the rats are gone, the Mayor and council renege on, to their subsequent regret.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957) was originally produced as a television special for NBC, starring Van Johnson and Claude Rains. Under the 1909 Copyright Act, works published between 1928 and 1963 required a copyright renewal during the 28th year of their initial term to maintain protection. While the film was registered for initial copyright in 1958 (LP12431) by California National Productions, Inc., a subsidiary of NBC, no renewal registration was found in the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database or the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries for the 1985–1986 window.
Because the renewal was not filed during the statutory timeframe, the work entered the public domain in the United States. This is confirmed by numerous film historians and the film's widespread availability via public domain distributors such as Alpha Video, Digiview Entertainment, and the Internet Archive. The film is frequently cited as a 'classic' case of a high-profile television movie falling into the public domain due to administrative oversight during the transition of studio assets.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE)
- Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: 20,000+ Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.