Public Domain
The Storm
1922 · Universal Pictures (Universal-Jewel) · Dir. John S. Robertson
Wealthy Elias Graves builds his home on the top of a hill, where a group of squatters have taken up residence at the bottom. Many of the men in the squatters' village have their eyes on young Tess, and one of them, Ben Letts, frames Tess's father for murder. While maintaining her father's innocence, Tess must keep her love for Graves' son a secret, while caring for Elias' daughter's illegitamate child.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Storm', directed by Reginald Barker and starring House Peters and Virginia Valli, was originally released by Universal Pictures on September 4, 1922. While the user provided 1924 as a hint, this 1922 production is the canonical film matching that title from that specific era. Under the current United States copyright laws, all works published or registered in the U.S. prior to January 1, 1929, have entered the public domain regardless of whether they were renewed.
Because this film was published in 1922, its maximum 95-year copyright term (under the 1976 Act and the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act) expired no later than the end of 1997. It is now free for public use, reproduction, and distribution within the United States. No renewal search is necessary because the era-based expiration applies to all pre-1929 works.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Storm (1922)
- U.S. Copyright Office - Circular 15a (Duration of Copyright)
- IMDb: The Storm (1922)
- Library of Congress CCE: Motion Pictures 1912-1939
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.