Shotgun Law
PUBLIC DOMAIN FYI
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Public Domain

Undressing Extraordinary

1901 · Edison Manufacturing Company · Dir. Walter R. Booth

Here we present a picture that simply convulses an audience with laughter. The scene opens in the bedroom of a hotel. A traveler appears, evidently a "little worse for wear." After stretching and yawning, he proceeds to disrobe. He throws off his coat and vest, but to his surprise and anguish, he suddenly finds himself clothed in a continental uniform. He throws this off in anger, but immediately a policeman's costume flies on him. This is in turn thrown aside in great rage and he finds himself clothed in a soldier's uniform. At last, thinking himself successful, he makes for the bed and finds a skeleton complacently resting on his pillow. The bed suddenly disappears, leaving him seated on the floor, and great quantities of bed clothes rain down from the ceiling. The picture ends leaving the audience simply convulsed in laughter. (Edison Catalog)

Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

This film, produced by Thomas Edison's Edison Manufacturing Company in 1901, is definitively in the public domain in the United States. Under U.S. copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have seen their copyright terms expire. The film was originally registered for copyright as a 'paper print' (a common practice of the era to secure protection for motion pictures under the photography category) on April 17, 1901, under the title 'Undressing Extraordinary' with registration number H3524. Because this registration occurred over 120 years ago, it far exceeds the maximum possible protection period of 95 years from publication that was applicable to works of this era. Consequently, the work transitioned into the public domain at the end of its statutory term. Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

  • Library of Congress, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Motion Pictures 1894-1912
  • AFI Catalog of Feature Films (Early Cinema)
  • Internet Archive, Motion Picture Copyright Descriptions Collection
  • Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain 1894-1939

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.