Public Domain
The Wicked Darling
1919 · Universal Film Manufacturing Co. · Dir. Tod Browning
A slum girl is forced to steal for a living. After she swipes a rich society's matron's necklace, she hides out at the home of a man who turns out to be the socialite's former fiance.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
The film 'The Wicked Darling,' directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney and Priscilla Dean, was released in February 1919 and registered for US copyright by Universal Film Manufacturing Co. on February 11, 1919 (LP13393).
Under US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of whether their copyright was ever renewed. Because this film was published in 1919, its maximum possible copyright term (including the 28-year initial term and 67-year renewal term provided by later acts) has expired. The film became public domain in the United States on January 1, 1948, or January 1, 1995, depending on the specific application of the 1909 and 1976 Acts, but it is definitively in the public domain today.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), Motion Pictures 1912-1939
- IMDb: The Wicked Darling (1919)
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Wicked Darling (1919)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.