The Thirteenth Hour

The Thirteenth Hour, directed by William Clemens and starring Richard Dix, was released in the United States on March 6, 1947. It was part of Columbia Pictures' popular 'The Whistler' film series based on the radio program. As a film released in 1947, it belongs to the era where copyright lasted for an initial term of 28 years and required a manual renewal during the 28th year to extend protection. A search of the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE) confirms that Columbia Pictures successfully renewed the copyright for this production. The renewal was filed on January 16, 1975, under registration number R595780 (original registration LP830, dated March 6, 1947). Because the renewal was filed within the statutory window, the copyright was extended for a second term. Under the 1976 Copyright Act and the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, this 95-year term will not expire until January 1, 2043 (95 years from the end of the year of publication). Sony Pictures, the successor to Columbia, continues to hold and exploit the rights to the Whistler series.