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Pajama Game, Damn Yankees public domain? (1 Viewer)

Thomas T

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These two musicals are very popular and there have been numerous requests for Warners to do a blu ray of both films. However, I've been told by an ex-Warners employee that both films slipped into the public domain in 1985. I've seen "bootlegs" of both films advertised recently. Apparently the copyrights were "hijacked" by a company called Tartan Enterprises before Warners could renew the copyright.


This doesn't bode well for a blu ray of either title. Does anyone know if this information is correct or not?
 

Dick

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Thomas T said:
These two musicals are very popular and there have been numerous requests for Warners to do a blu ray of both films. However, I've been told by an ex-Warners employee that both films slipped into the public domain in 1985. I've seen "bootlegs" of both films advertised recently. Apparently the copyrights were "hijacked" by a company called Tartan Enterprises before Warners could renew the copyright.


This doesn't bode well for a blu ray of either title. Does anyone know if this information is correct or not?
How could another company "hijack" a copyright "before Warners could renew," since a company can only renew while they still own the copyright?
 

classicmovieguy

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If I recall, the bootlegs for "Pajama Game" started appearing around the same time that Warners released their official DVD.
 

david hare

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First I've ever heard of such a thing . Copyright remains firmly with the existing copyright holders.


Who is the anonymous "employee" who is the fount of this wisdom?
 

Thomas T

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Dick said:
How could another company "hijack" a copyright "before Warners could renew," since a company can only renew while they still own the copyright?

Tartan Enterprises apparently keeps an eye out for films whose copyright is expiring and jumps on it if the copyright is not renewed. If you mean that since Warners let their copyright lapse (not intentionally I'm sure) and therefore no longer own the copyright perhaps I should have used "took advantage" rather than "hijacked". It's good to know the word police are patrolling to protect the English language from being abused.
 

Thomas T

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david hare said:
First I've ever heard of such a thing . Copyright remains firmly with the existing copyright holders.


Who is the anonymous "employee" who is the fount of this wisdom?

Yes, but if the copyright wasn't renewed? Charade for example was (still is?) in the public domain when Universal didn't renew the copyright. Sorry but I'm not going to "out" anybody. This gentlemen is now retired but worked for Warners for many years.


Google "Pajama Game Tartan Enterprises" and you more or less get the same information.
 

classicmovieguy

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Correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't a large chunk of copyright for both "Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees" controlled by the estates of songwriters Adler & Ross (and director George Abbott)?
 

Thomas T

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classicmovieguy said:
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't a large chunk of copyright for both "Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees" controlled by the estates of songwriters Adler & Ross (and director George Abbott)?

I would think so but surely the Jerome Kern estate has an invested interest in Till The Clouds Roll By and the heirs of Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane still have the music rights to Royal Wedding under control so ...... and they're both in the public domain.
 

Peter Apruzzese

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Curious, then, that Warner issued them on DVD after they supposedly went PD. And, even stranger, that Tartan has never issued them on video. And if they had not been renewed, another company can't simply claim their copyright. If the copyright lapsed, they are in the Public Domain. And since these titles never show up on any PD lists or collections, you can be certain they are not PD.
 

classicmovieguy

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If anybody has the DVD of "Damn Yankees" at hand (I sold mine a while back) there is a pretty lengthy copyright credits at the bottom of the case...


626053bh.jpg
 

Thomas T

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If you scroll down to "Damn Yankees: By Warner Brothers Pictures Inc.", you'll see the copyright claimant listed as Tartan Enterprises.


http://www.copyrightencyclopedia.com/say-darling-play-by-richard-bissell-abe-burrows-and-marian/


I understand claiming a copyright doesn't necessarily mean that the copyright has been granted and I'm sure Warners would challenge any such infringement. Maybe once this dispute (if there is one) is settled, Warners hopefully can proceed with blu rays of both films. I was just hoping with so many insiders here that someone would know the facts surrounding the possible public domain issue (though of course, opinions are more than welcome).
 

Thomas T

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Out of curiosity, I thought I'd check the back jacket of another film released in 1957 that Warners put out on DVD along with The Pajama Game.

The back jacket of Bombers B-52 (1957) reads "Bombers B-52 copyright 1957/renewed 1985" while The Pajama Game reads "The Pajama Game copyright 1957" without the 1985 renewal. Similarly, the back jacket of Damn Yankees shows renewal copyrights for the book (renewed 1983), the play (renewed 1984) but no copyright renewal for the film. The plot thickens .....
 

JohnMor

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Obviously the issue is moot, as whoever owns the rights, WB put out the dvd after 1985 and also retains the original elements, which underwent a restoration under their auspices prior to the original dvd release. WB also just put it in their new Essential Doris Day collection boxset last month. If they feel a blu-ray would sell, I'm sure they'll put one out.
 

Thomas T

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JohnMor said:
Obviously the issue is moot, as whoever owns the rights, WB put out the dvd after 1985 and also retains the original elements

Quite right. I don't know if a PD title has ever been put on blu by the original studio but Fox did excellent transfers of PD titles Snows Of Kiliminjaro on DVD and Beneath The 12 Mile Reef on MOD and Warners rescued Till The Clouds Roll By and Royal Wedding from PD hell with handsome transfers on DVD so as you say, they have the original elements. Here's hoping.
 

Thomas T

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classicmovieguy said:
Fox also rescued "Doll Face" and "The Little Princess".

Yes, and Warners also did a very nice transfer of The Last Time I Saw Paris on an Archives MOD, the best I've ever seen it look. Now if they would only do the same thing with Father's Little Dividend.
 

JohnMor

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Thomas T said:
I don't know if a PD title has ever been put on blu by the original studio but Fox did excellent transfers of PD titles Snows Of Kiliminjaro on DVD and Beneath The 12 Mile Reef on MOD and Warners rescued Till The Clouds Roll By and Royal Wedding from PD hell with handsome transfers on DVD so as you say, they have the original elements. Here's hoping.

Universal put Charade out on blu-ray (separate from the Criterion release) looking beautiful, as opposed to the hideous PD releases the film had seen.
 

Thomas T

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JohnMor said:
Universal put Charade out on blu-ray (separate from the Criterion release) looking beautiful, as opposed to the hideous PD releases the film had seen.

Ah yes. A reminder that I really need to upgrade that title (one of my favorites) to blu.
 

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