December 20, 1946 –
The Frank Capra film It’s A Wonderful Life had a preview showing for charity at New York City’s Globe Theatre, a day before its official premiere.
Due to a clerical error at NTA‘s copyright office, the copyright wasn’t renewed when it expired in 1974. The film became public domain, meaning anyone who could obtain a print could broadcast it without paying royalties. Local stations aired it dozens of times between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. In the 1990’s, after a series of court battles, NTA’s successor, Republic Pictures, re-acquired the rights to the film because they owned the source material (The Greatest Gift) and the film’s score, which were still copyrighted.
It not that I dislike the film (I like it a great deal,) but the next time you get a chance to watch the film, notice what a truly strange little film it really is.
The Haus of Dcaligari 