Overview
- The original Betty Boop and Disney’s early Pluto, first known as Rover, are among the characters becoming free to use.
- Notable entrants include Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, the first four Nancy Drew books, films like All Quiet on the Western Front and Animal Crackers, and songs such as Georgia on My Mind and Dream a Little Dream of Me.
- Variety reports a Betty Boop slasher film is in development, signaling early commercial projects tied to the new public-domain status.
- Public-domain entry enables third parties to digitize deteriorating films and recordings, expand availability, and lower costs for educators.
- Duke scholar Jennifer Jenkins and her team compiled the 1930 roster, noting many films predate the Hays Code and illuminate early Hollywood norms.