Public Domain
The Return of Chandu
1934 · Principal Pictures · Dir. Ray Taylor
Chandu consults his crystal ball and sees that Nadji, Princess of Egypt, is in danger. She is about to be sacrificed by the black magic cult of Ubasti. Headed for the magic island of Lemuria, he is shipwrecked , washed ashore and captured. He becomes invisible, escapes and after numerous detours is able to rescue the princess.
Confidence
95
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Return of Chandu (1934) is a feature-length production edited from a 12-chapter serial of the same name starring Bela Lugosi. Under the Copyright Act of 1909, works from 1934 required a renewal filing with the US Copyright Office during their 28th year to extend protection beyond the initial term. This film was originally registered by Principal Distributing Corp. (LP4941 for the serial, LP5020 for the feature version).
A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) reveals no renewal records for this title or the underlying serial segments. If the copyright had been maintained, a renewal would have needed to be filed in 1961 or 1962. Because no such filing exists, the work entered the public domain in the United States at the end of its first 28-year term. The film is widely cited in catalogs such as the 'Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain' as being PD due to non-renewal and is frequently distributed by public domain specialists like Alpha Video and Sinister Cinema.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database
- Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939) by D. Richard Baer
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) - Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.