Protected
Wild River
1960 · Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. · Dir. Elia Kazan
A young bureaucrat for the Tennessee Valley Authority goes to rural Tennessee to oversee the building of a dam. He encounters opposition from the local people, in particular a farmer who objects to his employment (with pay) of local black laborers. Much of the plot revolves around the eviction of a stubborn octogenarian from her home on an island in the river, and the young man's love affair with that woman's widowed granddaughter. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Wild River was released in 1960, placing it in the 1928–1963 window where copyright protection was contingent upon a valid renewal during the 28th year of the first term. According to the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database and the Catalog of Copyright Entries (CCE), the film was originally registered by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. on May 26, 1960 (LP16694).
The copyright was successfully renewed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation on December 21, 1988 (RE0000411833). Because the renewal was filed within the statutory window (the 28th year), the copyright was extended for a second term. Under the 1976 Copyright Act and subsequent extensions (such as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act), films of this era that were properly renewed are protected for 95 years from the date of publication. Therefore, the film will not enter the public domain until January 1, 2056.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
- Stanford Copyright Renewal Database (RE0000411833)
- U.S. Copyright Office Online Catalog (cocatalog.loc.gov)
- Hurst / D. Richard Baer, Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- AFI Catalog of Feature Films (ID: 22753)
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.