Alfred Hitchcock: Dial © for Copyright, Part 4

by Nick Cooper

American Films

  • The first ever complete copyright history of the Master’s American movies
  • All have an unbroken chain of title but that hasn’t stopped the bootleggers
  • NONE are in the public domain, despite uninformed claims to the contrary
  • Supporting pirates and bootlegs harms release of quality restored editions

Note: this is one of 100-odd Hitchcock articles coming over the next few months. Any dead links are to those not yet published. Subscribe to the email list to be notified when new ones appear.

In the final part of this unique series, historian Nick Cooper details the copyright history of Hitchcock’s iconic Hollywood movies, from their premières to the present day.

Alfred Hitchcock collage

For more details on each film see their individual entries in the Alfred Hitchcock Collectors’ Guide.

Abbreviations

  • cd: co-director
  • cm: co-music
  • cw: co-writer
  • d: director
  • m: music
  • w: writer

Contents


Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca (1940, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) US insert poster

US insert poster

Robert E Sherwood (cw. 1896-1955), Franz Waxman (m. 1906-1967), Michael Hogan (ca. 1893–1977), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Philip MacDonald (ca. 1900-1980), Daphne du Maurier (novel 1907-1989), Joan Harrison (cw. 1907-1994)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2005 (Sherwood’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2044 (Harrison’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2044 (Harrison’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2064 (Harrison’s death plus 70 years)

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Foreign Correspondent (1940, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) US 1948 re-release poster

US 1948 re-release poster

Collectors’ Guide

Robert Benchley (cw. 1889-1945), James Hilton (cw. 1900-1954), Alfred Newman (1900-1970), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Joan Harrison (cw. 1907-1994), Charles Bennett (cw. 1899-1995)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 1995 (Benchley’s death plus 50 years + Bennett’s death)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2045 (Bennett’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2045 (Bennett’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2065 (Bennett’s death plus 70 years)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

Edward Ward (m. 1900-1971), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Norman Krasna (cw. 1909-1984)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2034 (Krasna’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2034 (Krasna’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2054 (Krasna’s plus 70 years)

Suspicion (1941)

Franz Waxman (m. 1906-1967), “Francis Iles” [Anthony Berkeley Cox] (novel 1893-1971), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Alma Reville (cw. 1899-1982), Samson Raphaelson (cw. 1894-1983), Joan Harrison (cw. 1907-1994)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2021 (Iles’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2044 (Harrison’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2044 (Harrison’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2064 (Harrison’s death plus 70 years)

Saboteur (1942)

Dorothy Parker (cw. 1893-1967), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Joan Harrison (cw. 1907-1994), Peter Viertel (cw. 1920-2007)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2017 (Parker’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2057 (Viertel’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2057 (Viertel’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2077 (Viertel’s death plus 70 years)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) US insert poster

US insert poster

Sally Benson (cw. 1897-1972), Thornton Wilder (cw. 1897-1975), Dimitri Tiomkin (m. 1894-1979), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Alma Reville (cw. 1899-1982)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2022 (Benson’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2032 (Reville’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2032 (Reville’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2052 (Reville’s death plus 70 years)

Lifeboat (1944)

Jo Swerling (w. 1897-1964), John Steinbeck (story 1902-1968), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2014 (Swerling’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2050 (Hitchcock’s death plus 70 years)

Spellbound (1945)

“Francis Beeding”/John Palmer (novel 1885-1944), Hilary Aidan Saint George Saunders MC (novel 1898-1951), Angus MacPhail (cw. 1903-1962), Ben Hecht (cw. 1894-1964), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Miklós Rózsa (m. 1907-1995)

US

UK

1911 Act – Expires end of 2001 (Saunders’s death plus 50 years)

  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2045 (Rózsa’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2065 (Rózsa’s death plus 70 years)

Notorious (1946)

Ben Hecht (w. 1894-1964), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Roy Webb (m. 1888-1982)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2014 (Hecht’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2032 (Webb’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2052 (Webb’s death plus 70 years)

The Paradine Case (1947)

James Bridie (cw. 1888-1951), Ben Hecht (cw. 1894-1964), David O. Selznick (1902-1965), Franz Waxman (m. 1906-1967), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Alma Reville (cw. 1899-1982)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2001 (Bridie’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2032 (Reville’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2032 (Reville’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2052 (Reville’s death plus 70 years)

Rope (1948)

Rope aka Nodo alla gola (1948, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) Italian poster by Luigi Martinati

Rope aka Nodo alla gola (1948) Italian poster by Luigi Martinati

Patrick Hamilton (play 1904-1962), Francis Poulenc (music 1899-1963), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), David Buttolph (music 1902-1983), Hume Cronyn (cw. 1911-2003), Arthur Laurents (cw. 1917-2011)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2012 (Hamilton’s death)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2061 (Laurents’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2061 (Laurents’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2081 (Laurents’s death plus 70 years)

Under Capricorn (1949)

Helen Simpson (play 1897–1940), John Colton (play 1887-1946), Margaret Linden (play ????-?????), James Bridie (cw. 1888-1951), Richard Addinsell (m. 1904-1977), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Hume Cronyn (cw. 1911-2003)

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2003 (Cronyn’s death)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2053 (Cronyn’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2053 (Cronyn’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2073 (Cronyn’s death plus 70 years)

US


Stage Fright (1950)

Ranald MacDougall (w. 1915-1973), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Leighton Lucas (m. 1903-1982), Selwyn Jepson (novel 1899–1989), Whitfield Cook (w. 1909-2003)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2023 (MacDougall’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2053 (Cook’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2053 (Cook’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2073 (Cook’s death plus 70 years)

Note: James Bridie (1888-1951) and Alma Reville (1899-1982) also worked on the script, but this would not change the above terms.


Strangers on a Train (1951)

Raymond Chandler (w. 1888-1959), Patricia Highsmith (novel 1921-1995), Dimitri Tiomkin (m. 1894-1979), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Whitfield Cook (w. 1909-2003), Czenzi Ormonde (w. 1906-2004)

US

1909 Act – Registered 02/06/1951 [LP988]; expires end 1979

1976 Act – Expires end of 2026

CTE Act – Expires end of 2046

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2009 (Chandler’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2054 (Ormonde’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2054 (Ormonde’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2074 (Ormonde’s death plus 70 years)

I Confess (1953)

Paul Anthelme (play 1851-1914), William Archibald (w. 1917-1970), Dimitri Tiomkin (m. 1894-1979), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), George Tabori (w. 1914-2007)

US

  • 1909 Act – Registered 16/02/1953 [LP2287]; expires end 1981
  • 1976 Act – Expires end of 2028
  • CTE Act – Expires end of 2048
  • UK
  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2020 (Archibald’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2040 (Tabori’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2040 (Tabori’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2060 (Tabori’s death plus 70 years)

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Dimitri Tiomkin (m. 1894-1979), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Frederick Knott (play/w. 1916-2002)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2052 (Knott’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2052 (Knott’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2072 (Knott’s death plus 70 years)

Rear Window (1954)

Rear Window (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) poster by Adam Simpson, 2014

Poster by Adam Simpson, 2014

Franz Waxman (m. 1906-1967), Cornell Woolrich (story 1903-1968), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), John Michael Hayes (w. 1919-2008)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2018 (Woolrich’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2078 (Hayes’s death plus 70 years)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

To Catch a Thief (1955, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) poster by Laurent Durieux, 2016

Poster by Laurent Durieux, 2016

David Dodge (novel 1910-1974), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Lyn Lewis (m. 1909-1989), John Michael Hayes (w. 1919-2008)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2024 (Dodge’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2078 (Hayes’s death plus 70 years)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Jack Trevor Story (novel 1917-1991), John Michael Hayes (w. 1919-2008)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2078 (Hayes’s death plus 70 years)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

D B Wyndham-Lewis (story 1891-1969), Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Charles Bennet (story 1899-1995), John Michael Hayes (w. 1919-2008)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2019 (Wyndham-Lewis’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2058 (Hayes’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2078 (Hayes’s death plus 70 years)

The Wrong Man (1956)

Maxwell Anderson (book/cw. 1888-1959), Angus MacPhail (cw. 1903-1962), Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2009 (Anderson’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2050 (Hitchcock’s death plus 70 years)

Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo (1958, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) poster by Adam Simpson, 2016

Poster by Adam Simpson, 2016

Collectors’ Guide

Alec Coppel (cw. 1907-1972), Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Samuel Taylor (cw. 1912-2000)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end of 2022 (Coppel’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2050 (Taylor’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2050 (Taylor’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2070 (Taylor’s death plus 70 years)

North by Northwest (1959)

Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Ernest Lehman (w. 1915-2005)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2055 (Lehman’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2055 (Lehman’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2075 (Lehman’s death plus 70 years)

Psycho (1960)

Psycho (1960, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) poster by Adam Simpson, 2018

Poster by Adam Simpson, 2018. A great image but the artist boo-booed: Universal are the current distributors but it was originally made by Hitchcock’s TV company Shamley Productions and distributed by Paramount.

Collectors’ Guide

Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Robert Bloch (novel 1917-1994), Joseph Stefano (w. 1922-2006)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2056 (Stefano’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2056 (Stefano’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2076 (Stefano’s death plus 70 years)

The Birds (1963)

The Birds (1963, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) poster by Benedict Woodhead, 2015

Poster by Benedict Woodhead, 2015

Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Daphne du Maurier (novel 1907-1989), Evan Hunter a.k.a. Ed McBain (w. 1926-2005)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2055 (Hunter’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2055 (Hunter’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2075 (Hunter’s death plus 70 years)

Note: Lacking a conventional music soundtrack, so composer Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) is credited as “sound consultant.” As he pre-deceased Hitchcock et al., this would not change the above terms.


Marnie (1964)

Bernard Herrmann (m. 1911-1975), Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Winston Graham (novel 1908-2003), Jay Presson Allen (w. 1922-2006)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2056 (Allen’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2056 (Allen’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2076 (Allen’s death plus 70 years)

Torn Curtain (1966)

Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), John Addison (m. 1920-1998), Brian Moore (w. 1921-1999)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2049 (Moore’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2049 (Moore’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2069 (Moore’s death plus 70 years)

Note: Willis Hall (1929-2005) and Keith Waterhouse (1929-2009) worked on the script dialogue, but Writers Guild arbitration ruled that Moore should receive sole credit. If recognised as a factor in copyright duration, it would add ten years to the above terms.


Topaz (1969)

Topaz (1969, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) US banner poster

US banner poster

Collectors’ Guide

Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Samuel A Taylor (w. 1912-2000), Leon Uris (novel 1924-2003), Maurice Jarre (m. 1924-2009)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2053 (Uris’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2059 (Jarre’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2079 (Jarre’s death plus 50 years)

Frenzy (1972)

Frenzy (1972, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) poster by Bill O'Neil, 2008

Poster by Bill O’Neil, 2008

Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Arthur La Bern (novel 1909–1990), Anthony Shaffer (w. 1926-2001), Ron Goodwin (m. 1925-2003)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2051 (Shaffer’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 2053 (Goodwin’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 2073 (Goodwin’s death plus 70 years)

Family Plot (1976)

Alfred Hitchcock (d. 1899-1980), Victor Canning (novel 1911- 1986), Ernest Lehman (w. 1915-2005), John Williams (m. b. 1932)

US

UK

  • 1911 Act – Expires end 2030 (Hitchcock’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1956 Act – Expires end of 2055 (Lehman’s death plus 50 years)
  • 1988 Act – Expires end of 50 years after Williams’s death (currently later than 2067)
  • 1995 SI – Expires end of 70 years after Williams’ death (currently later than 2087)

Nick Cooper © 2018. Other works:

Alfred Hitchcock and The Birds caricature by Luka Lagator

Caricature by Luka Lagator


For more detailed specifications of official releases mentioned, check out the ever-useful DVDCompare. This article is regularly updated, so please leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions.

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