List of films in the public domain in the United States

Films[edit]

Any film that was first published before 1923 has been released already in the public domain in the United States for either expired copyright or failure to comply with copyright laws, such as omission of notice, failure to deposit a copy to the Copyright Office within demanded time, or no renewal registration. Therefore, it is not listed here. See Category:Films by year for pre-1923 films.

Note: This list is not comprehensive, rather only those films where a reliable secondary source is available to verify public domain status. Films without a reliable source in the "Reasons" column should be removed.

Film title	Release year	Director	Studio / Distributor	Entered PD in (year)	Reason for entering PD	Note(s)
Action at Anguar	1945	N/A	United States Army Pictorial Services	1945	Work of the United States Government[G]
Africa Screams	1949	Charles Barton	United Artists	1970s	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][9]
The Amazing Mr. X	1948	Bernard Vorhaus	Eagle-Lion	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][10]	Also known asThe Spiritualist.
Angel and the Badman	1947	James Edward Grant	Republic Pictures	1975	Failure to renew copyright.[11]
The Animal Kingdom	1932	Edward H. Griffith	RKO Radio Pictures	1960	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Algiers	1938	John Cromwell	United Artists	1966	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Attack of the Giant Leeches	1959	Bernard L. Kowalski	American International Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][13]
Bear Shooters	1930	Robert F. McGowan	MGM	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][14]
Beau Brummel	1924	Harry Beaumont	Warner Brothers	1952	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Beau Ideal	1931 (copyright notice: 1930)	Herbert Brenon	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Behind Office Doors	1931	Melville W. Brown	RKO Radio Pictures	1959	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
The Big Cat	1949	Phil Karlson	Eagle-Lion	1976	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][16]
The Big Trees	1952	Felix E. Feist	Warner Bros.	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][17]
The Big Wheel	1949	Edward Ludwig	United Artists	1976	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][18]
Bird of Paradise	1932	King Vidor	RKO Radio Pictures	1960	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Birth of the B-29	1942–1944	N/A	United States Army Pictorial Services	1945	Work of the United States Government[G]
Blood on the Sun	1945	Frank Lloyd	United Artists	1973	Failure to renew copyright.[11]
Bowery at Midnight	1942	Wallace Fox	Monogram Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][19]
The Brain that Wouldn't Die	1962 (completed: 1959)	Joseph Green	American International Pictures	1962	Missing copyright notice[20]	Originally completed in 1959 under the title The Black Door or The Head that Wouldn't Die, it wasn't released until May 3, 1962 where failure to add the copyright notice resulted in the film entering the Public Domain.[20]
Brideless Groom	1947	Edward Bernds	Columbia Pictures	1960s[21]	Failure to renew copyright.[21]
Captain January	1936	David Butler	20th Century Fox	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	"a legal loophole"[22]	The 1924 versiondistributed by Principal Pictures is still under copyright.
Carnival of Souls	1962	Herk Harvey	Herts-Lion International Corp.	1962	Missing copyright notice[23]
Carnival Story	1954	Kurt Neumann	RKO Radio Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][24]
Charade	1963	Stanley Donen	Universal Pictures	1963	Missing full copyright notice.[25]	Original music still in copyright.[26]Original story by Peter Stone still in copyright.[25][27]Film remade in 2006 as The Truth About Charlie.
Check and Double Check	1930	Melville W. Brown	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[28]
Colonel Effingham's Raid	1946	Irving Pichel	20th Century Fox	1973	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][29]
Combat America	1943	Clark Gable	Office of War Information	1943	Work of the United States Government[G]
Conspiracy	1930	Christy Cabanne	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
The Dance of Life	1929	John Cromwell	Paramount Pictures	1957	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Danger Lights	1930	George B. Seitz	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Darling, How Could You!	1951	Mitchell Leisen	Paramount Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][30]	Based on theJames Barrieplay Alice Sit-By-The-Fire.
The Deadly Companions	1961	Sam Peckinpah	Pathé-America	1961	Missing copyright notice[31]
Debbie Does Dallas	1978	Jim Clark	VCX	1981	Missing copyright notice[32]	Dallas Cowboys hold veto power on commercial publication due to unauthorized use of theircheerleaders' trademarks.[33]
Delightfully Dangerous	1945	Arthur Lubin	United Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][34]
Dementia 13	1963	Francis Ford Coppola	American International Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][13]	Also Known asThe Haunted and the Hunted.
Detour	1945	Edgar G. Ulmer	Producers Releasing Corporation	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	Failure to renew copyright.[35]
The Devil Bat	1940	Jean Yarbrough	Producers Releasing Corporation	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][19]
Disorder in the Court	1936	Preston Black	Columbia Pictures	1960s[21]	Failure to renew copyright.[21]
Dixiana	1930	Luther Reed	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[28]
D.O.A.	1950 (copyright notice: 1949)	Rudolph Maté	United Artists	1977	Failure to renew copyright.[36]	Remade in 1969 and 1988
Father's Little Dividend	1951 (copyright notice: 1950)	Vincente Minnelli	MGM	1978	Failure to renew copyright.[37]
A Farewell to Arms	1932	Frank Borzage	Paramount Pictures	1960	Failure to renew copyright.[38]	Based on copyrighted (R177406) novel by Ernest Hemingway.
The Fight for the Sky	1946	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	Office of War Information	1946	Work of the United States Government[G]
The First Legion	1951	Douglas Sirk	Sédif Productions	1978	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][39]
The General	1927	Clyde Bruckman Buster Keaton	United Artists	1955	Failure to renew copyright.[40]
Glen or Glenda	1953	Ed Wood	Columbia Classics	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][41]
God's Little Acre	1958	Anthony Mann	United Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][42]	Based on theNovel of the same name byErskine Caldwell. The black and white version is Public Domain, the colorized version is Copyright.[43]
The Gold Rush	1925	Charlie Chaplin	United Artists	1953	Failure to renew copyright.[40]	1942 revised version in copyright. Original 1925 version possibly copyrighted.[44]
The Gorilla	1939	Allan Dwan	20th Century Fox Film Corporation	1976	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][45]
Go for Broke!	1951 (copyright notice: 1950)	Robert Pirosh	MGM	1978	Failure to renew copyright.[37]
Gulliver's Travels	1939	Dave Fleischer	Paramount Pictures	1967	Failure to renew copyright.[46][47]
Half Shot at Sunrise	1930	Paul Sloane	RKO Radio Productions	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Hemp for Victory	1942	Raymond Evans	U.S. Department of Agriculture	1942	Work of the United States Government[G]
His Girl Friday	1940 (copyright date: 1939)	Howard Hawks	Columbia Pictures	1967	Failure to renew copyright.[40]	Source material (stage play The Front Page) rights copyright until 2024.[40]
Hook, Line and Sinker	1930	Edward F. Cline	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame	1923	Wallace Worsley	Universal Pictures	1951	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Indestructible Man	1956	Jack Pollexfen	Allied Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][48]
Inside the Lines	1930	Roy Pomeroy	RKO Radio Productions	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
It's a Wonderful Life	1946 (copyright notice: 1947)	Frank Capra	Liberty Films RKO Pictures	1975	Failure to renew copyright.[49]	While the film images are public domain, under rulings ofStewart v. Abend, the film text (script) is based on the copyrighted short story "The Greatest Gift".[49][50][51]Republic also purchased exclusive rights to the movie’s copyrighted music to further shore up its rights.[52]
Japanese Relocation	1942	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	Office of War Information	1942	Work of the United States Government[G]
Kept Husbands	1931	Lloyd Bacon	RKO Radio Productions	1959	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Kit Carson	1940	George B. Seitz	United Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	"Reissued by PRC Pictures"[53]
The Lady Refuses	1931	George Archainbaud	RKO Radio Productions	1959	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
A Lady to Love	1930	Victor Sjöström	MGM	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[12]	Based on the play They Knew What They Wanted. See also the film The Secret Hour (1928) based on the same play.[12]
Last Clear Chance	1959	Robert Carlisle	Union Pacific Railroad	1959	Not registered for copyright.[54]
The Last Man on Earth	1964	Ubaldo Ragona,Sidney Salkow	American International Pictures, 20th Century Fox	1992[55]	Failure to renew copyright.[55]
The Last Time I Saw Paris	1954 (copyright notice: 1944)	Richard Brooks	MGM	1972	Failure to renew copyright.[56]	Music score still protected by copyright.[57]
Lawful Larceny	1930	Lowell Sherman	RKO Radio Productions	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Leathernecking	1930	Edward F. Cline	RKO Radio Productions	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]	It is a lost film.
Letter of Introduction	1938	John M. Stahl	Universal Pictures	1966	Failure to renew copyright.[58]
Life with Father	1947	Michael Curtiz	Warner Bros.	1975	Failure to renew copyright.[59]
Little Men	1940	Norman Z. McLeod	RKO Radio Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][60]
The Little Princess	1939	Walter Lang	Twentieth Century Fox	1967	Failure to renew copyright.[49]
The Little Shop of Horrors	1960	Roger Corman	Filmgroup	1988	Failure to renew copyright.[40][61]
Lonely Wives	1931	Russell Mack	RKO Radio Pictures	1959	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Love Affair	1939	Leo McCarey	RKO Radio Pictures	1967	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy	1946	Willis Goldbeck	MGM	1974	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][62]	Also known asUncle Andy Hardy.
Malice in the Palace	1949	Jules White	Columbia Pictures	1960s[21]	Failure to renew copyright.[21]
Maniac	1934	Dwain Esper	Roadshow Attractions	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][63]	Also known asSex Maniac.
Manos: The Hands of Fate	1966	Harold P. Warren	Emerson Film Enterprises	1968	Failure to display copyright notice.[64]	Original script may have been copyrighted.[64]
March of the Wooden Soldiers	1948	Gus Meins	MGM	1948	Failure to display copyright notice.[25]	This is a later abridgement ofBabes in Toyland(1934), which is still in copyright. Public domain status unclear.[25]
McLintock!	1963	Andrew V. McLaglen	United Artists	1991	Failure to renew copyright.[65][66]	Music score still under copyright.[65]
Meet John Doe	1941	Frank Capra	Warner Bros.	1969	Failure to renew copyright.[49]
Millie	1931	John Francis Dillon	RKO Radio Pictures	1959	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Mr. Imperium	1951 (copyright notice: 1950)	Don Hartman	MGM	1978	Failure to renew copyright.[37]
My Dear Secretary	1949	Charles Martin	United Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][67]
My Favorite Brunette	1947	Elliott Nugent	Paramount Pictures	1975	Failure to renew copyright.[11]
My Japan	1945	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	Office of War Information	1945	Work of the United States Government[G]
The Negro Soldier	1944	Frank Capra	United States Army Pictorial Services	1944	Work of the United States Government[G]
Night of the Living Dead	1968	George A. Romero	Walter Reade	1968	Missing copyright notice and errors from the distributor[68]	Remade in1990 and 2006
Nothing Sacred	1937	William A. Wellman	Selznick United Artists	1965	Failure to renew copyright.[40]
Of Human Bondage	1934	John Cromwell	RKO Radio Pictures	1962	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
The Outlaw	1943	Howard Hughes	Howard Hughes Prod.	1971	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
The Painted Hills	1951	Harold F. Kress	MGM	1979	Failure to renew copyright.[37]
The Pay-Off	1930	Lowell Sherman	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Penny Serenade	1941	George Stevens	Columbia Pictures	1968	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][69]	Though the film was released by Columbia Pictures, it was OWNED by Stevens production firm, putting its Public Domain status into question.[69]
The Phantom of the Opera	1925	Rupert Julian	Universal Studios	1953	Failure to renew copyright.[61]
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor	1936	Dave Fleischer	Paramount Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][70]	First of 3PopeyeTechnicolor Two-Reel Specials.
Private Snafu Series	1943-1946	Various	Warner Bros.,MGM, UPA,Harman-Ising Studio	1943-1946	Work of the United States Government[G]
Rage at Dawn	1955	Tim Whelan	RKO Radio Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][71]
Rain	1932	Lewis Milestone	United Artists	1960	Failure to renew copyright.[11]
Reefer Madness	1936	Louis J. Gasnier	Motion Picture Ventures	1936	Improper copyright notice.[72][73]	Also called The Burning Question, Dope Addict, and Tell Your Children.
Roberta	1935	William A. Seiter	RKO Radio Pictures	Early 1980s[74]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][74]
Rock, Rock, Rock!	1956	Will Price	Distributors Corporation of America	1984	Failure to renew copyright.[61]	The Chuck Berry soundtrackmay not be in the public domain.
The Royal Bed	1931 (copyright notice: 1930)	Lowell Sherman	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Royal Wedding	1951 (copyright notice: 1950)	Stanley Donen	MGM	1978	Failure to renew copyright.[37]
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians	1964	Nicholas Webster	Embassy Pictures Corporation	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][75]
Santa Fe Trail	1940	Michael Curtiz	Warner Bros.	1968	Failure to renew copyright.[76][77]
The Screaming Skull	1958	Alex Nicol	American International Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][13]
Second Chorus	1940	H.C. Potter	Paramount Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][78]
The Secret Hour	1928	Rowland V. Lee	Paramount Pictures	1956	Failure to renew copyright.[12]	Based on the play They Knew What They Wanted. See also the film A Lady to Love (1930) based on the same play.[12]
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon	1942	Roy William Neill	Universal Studios	1969	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][79]
The Silver Horde	1930	George Archainbaud	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Sin Takes a Holiday	1930	Paul L. Stein	RKO Radio Pictures	1958	Failure to renew copyright.[15]
Sing a Song of Six Pants	1947	Jules White	Columbia Pictures	1960s[21]	Failure to renew copyright.[21]
Sinners in Paradise	1938	James Whale	Universal Pictures	1966	Failure to renew copyright.[58]
Smouldering Fires	1925	Clarence Brown	Universal Pictures	1953	Failure to renew copyright.[61]
The Snows of Kilimanjaro	1952	Henry King	20th Century Fox	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][80]
A Star Is Born	1937	William A. Wellman	SIP United Artists	1965	Failure to renew copyright.[38][40]	Re-made in1954 and 1976
The Stork Club	1945	Hal Walker	B.G. Desylva Productions Inc.	1982	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][81]
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers	1946	Lewis Milestone	Paramount Pictures	1974	Failure to renew copyright.[11]
The Stranger	1946	Orson Welles	International Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	Failure to renew copyright.[82]
Street Scene	1931	King Vidor	United Artists	Early 1980s[83]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][83]
Suddenly	1954	Lewis Allen	United Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][84]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][84]
Superman (1940s cartoons)	1941-1943	Dave Fleischer, Various	Paramount Pictures	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][85]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][85]	Although all entries are in the public domain,ancillary rightssuch as merchandising contract rights, as well as the original 35mm master elements, are owned today byWarner Bros. Animation. Warner has owned Superman publisher DC Comics since 1969.
Swing High, Swing Low	1937	Mitchell Leisen	Paramount Pictures	1965	Failure to renew copyright.[12]
Target for Today	1941	William Keighley	First Motion Picture Unit	1941	Work of the United States Government[G]
Teenagers from Outer Space	1959	Tom Graeff	Warner Bros.	1987	Failed to renew copyright.[40]
Terror by Night	1946	Roy William Neill	Universal Studios	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][86]
The Terror	1963	Roger Corman	American International Pictures,Filmgroup	1963	Missing copyright registration [87]	In the early 90's, Corman asked Mark Griffiths to shoot 12 minutes of additional footage starring Dick Miller, thus making a new film titled The Return of the Terror (1991)so Corman could claim his copyright.[88]
That Justice Be Done	1945	George Stevens	Office of War Information	1942–44	Work of the United States Government[G]
This is the Army	1943	Michael Curtiz	Warner Bros.	Mid-1970s[89]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][89]
Three Came Home	1950	Jean Negulesco	20th Century Fox	1977	Failure to renew copyright.[90]
Three Guys Named Mike	1951 (copyright notice: 1950)	Charles Walters	MGM	1978	Failed to renew copyright.[37]
Till the Clouds Roll By	1946	Richard Whorf	MGM	1974	Failed to renew copyright.[37]
Topper Returns	1941	Roy Del Ruth	United Artists	1969	Failure to renew copyright.[61]
Vengeance Valley	1951 (copyright notice: 1950)	Richard Thorpe	MGM	1978	Failure to renew copyright.[37]
Waldo's Last Stand	1940	Edward L. Cahn	MGM	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][91]
Wings for This Man	1945	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	Office of War Information	1945	Work of the United States Government[G]
White Zombie	1932	Victor Halperin	United Artists	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!]	[Data unknown/missing.You can help!][92]	Source material in the film may not be in the public domain.[93]
Why We Fight	1942–1944	Frank Capra	United States Army Pictorial Services	1942–44	Work of the United States Government[G]
Wives Under Suspicion	1938	James Whale	Universal Pictures	1966	Failure to renew copyright.[58]