Public Domain
The Sawdust Ring
1917 · Triangle Film Corporation · Dir. Charles Miller
Janet sets out to find her circus ringleader father, who her mother abandoned believing him to be unfaithful. Along the way, Janet and her friend Peter join Colonel Simmonds's circus, she as a trick horse rider and he as a clown, but Janet cannot help but wonder why she finds Simmonds so familiar. The original, feature-length release of "The Sawdust Ring" is not known to survive.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Sawdust Ring is a silent drama produced by the Triangle Film Corporation and released on July 15, 1917. The film stars Bessie Love and was directed by Charles Miller and Raymond B. West.
According to the framework for US copyright, all works published or registered in the United States before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of renewal status or authorship. This is due to the expiration of the maximum 95-year copyright term (28 years for the first term plus 67 years for the renewal term) afforded to works under the 1909 and 1976 Acts as amended.
Since this film was published and copyrighted in 1917, its copyright protection expired no later than the end of 1992. No further research into renewal records or notice is required because the age of the work places it definitively in the public domain.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Sawdust Ring (1917)
- IMDb: The Sawdust Ring (1917)
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- 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.