Public Domain
The Sporting Venus
1925 · Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) · Dir. Marshall Neilan
Familiar story of spoiled heiress, Blanche Sweet, who dabbles in romance with commoner Ronald Colman. They roam the highlands together hunting since this is Sweet's "sport." They seem to have an idyllic affair going when into the mix comes an impoverished prince (Lew Cody). He determines to steal away the heiress and pay off his creditors. Indeed, this is the plan he shares with them.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The Sporting Venus is a US motion picture directed by Marshall Neilan and starring Constance Talmadge, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 4, 1925. Under the current US copyright law (17 USC § 304), all works published or registered before January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain regardless of whether their copyright was ever renewed.
Because the film was published in 1925, its maximum possible term of 95 years of protection expired at the end of 2020. As of January 1, 2021, the film became free to use in the United States. No search for renewal records is necessary for works from this era as the statutory limit for copyright protection has been reached for all works published prior to 1929.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.