Public Domain

The Primrose Path

Name: The Primrose Path
Director: Harry O. Hoyt
Released: 1925

1925 · Arrow Pictures / Arrow Film Corp. · Dir. Harry O. Hoyt

Alcoholic playboy Wallace MacDonald (as Bruce Armstrong) would like to sober up and become more responsible, after a drinking accident causes him to cripple little brother Pat Moore (as Jimmy Armstrong). Still, the lure of liquor makes him to sneak drinks at home, and go out partying with carefree showgirl Clara Bow (as Marilyn Merrill). He's promised Ms. Bow he'll quit drinking and gambling. Further complicating Mr. MacDonald's life are the bad checks he's been accumulating. Nasty Stuart Holmes (as Tom Canfield) and Tom Santschi (as "Big Joe" Snead) force MacDonald to join their diamond smuggling racket, in lieu of payment.

Confidence

100

— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

The Primrose Path, a silent drama starring Clara Bow and directed by Harry O. Hoyt, was released in the United States in 1925. According to current US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain due to the expiration of their maximum 95-year copyright term. Even if this film had been properly registered with the US Copyright Office upon its release and its copyright had been renewed in its 28th year (which would have occurred around 1952 or 1953), the copyright would have expired on December 31, 2020. Consequently, there are no remaining copyright protections for this work in the United States, and it is free for use and distribution.

— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

Library of Congress, Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1912-1939
AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Primrose Path (1925)
Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)
U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 15a: Duration of Copyright

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.