David Bridges
As we welcome a new year, many beloved works are set to enter the public domain in 2025, creating exciting opportunities for creators and fans alike. Among the most anticipated releases are classic Disney titles such as the Silly Symphony short, The Skeleton Dance, and iconic Mickey Mouse shorts like “Karnival Kid,” which holds the distinction of being the first animated short to feature his voice. These titles may conjure thoughts of horror films, but let’s hope for more artistic interpretations rather than cheap horror adaptations. An arthouse indie rendition of The Skeleton Dance would certainly be a refreshing take, showcasing the creativity that can emerge from these timeless stories.
In addition to Disney classics, other notable works entering the public domain include early cartoons featuring Popeye and Tintin. This newfound accessibility opens doors for adaptations and creative reinterpretations, and there is hope that visionary creators like Genndy Tartakovsky might seize the opportunity to breathe new life into Popeye. While there are already several horror-themed adaptations of this beloved character in the works, the potential for innovative storytelling remains vast. Notably, the haunting song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” will also join the public domain, presenting a unique opportunity for a chilling spin-off related to the Insidious franchise.
Below, you can explore the full list of works that are now free to be performed, screened, and creatively utilized without the need for permission, as compiled by Duke Law. This is an exciting time for artists, filmmakers, and performers who wish to explore these classic narratives.
Explore the Literary Works Entering Public Domain
- William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
- Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
- Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
- Dashiell Hammett, Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon (as serialized in Black Mask magazine)
- John Steinbeck, Cup of Gold (Steinbeck’s first novel)
- Richard Hughes, A High Wind in Jamaica
- Oliver La Farge, Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story
- Patrick Hamilton, Rope
- Arthur Wesley Wheen, the first English translation of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
- Agatha Christie, Seven Dials Mystery
- Robert Graves, Good-bye to All That
- E. B. White and James Thurber, Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do
- Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet (only the original German version, Briefe an einen jungen Dichter)
- Walter Lippmann, A Preface to Morals
- Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee), The Roman Hat Mystery
Iconic Characters Making Their Debut in Public Domain
- E. C. Segar, Popeye (in “Gobs of Work” from the Thimble Theatre comic strip)
- Hergé (Georges Remi), Tintin (in “Les Aventures de Tintin” from the magazine Le Petit Vingtième)
Classic Films Entering the Public Domain: A Treasure Trove for Film Buffs
- A dozen more Mickey Mouse animations (including Mickey’s first talking appearance in The Karnival Kid)
- The Cocoanuts, directed by Robert Florey and Joseph Santley (the first Marx Brothers feature film)
- The Broadway Melody, directed by Harry Beaumont (winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture)
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929, directed by Charles Reisner (featuring the iconic song “Singin’ in the Rain”)
- The Skeleton Dance, directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks (the pioneering Silly Symphony short from Disney)
- Blackmail, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock’s groundbreaking first sound film)
- Hallelujah, directed by King Vidor (one of the first films from a major studio featuring an all African-American cast)
- The Wild Party, directed by Dorothy Arzner (Clara Bow’s first “talkie”)
- Welcome Danger, directed by Clyde Bruckman and Malcolm St. Clair (the first full-sound comedy starring Harold Lloyd)
- On With the Show, directed by Alan Crosland (the very first all-talking, all-color, feature-length film)
- Pandora’s Box (Die Büchse der Pandora), directed by G.W. Pabst
- Show Boat, directed by Harry A. Pollard (an adaptation of the celebrated novel and musical)
- The Black Watch, directed by John Ford (Ford’s first sound film)
- Spite Marriage, directed by Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton (Keaton’s final silent feature)
- Say It with Songs, directed by Lloyd Bacon (a follow-up to The Jazz Singer and The Singing Fool)
- Dynamite, directed by Cecil B. DeMille (DeMille’s first sound film)
- Gold Diggers of Broadway, directed by Roy Del Ruth
Timeless Musical Compositions Entering the Public Domain
- Singin’ in the Rain, lyrics by Arthur Freed, music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Ain’t Misbehavin’, lyrics by Andy Paul Razaf, music by Thomas W. (“Fats”) Waller & Harry Brooks (from the musical Hot Chocolates)
- An American in Paris, composed by George Gershwin
- Boléro, composed by Maurice Ravel
- (What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue, lyrics by Andy Paul Razaf, music by Thomas W. “Fats” Waller & Harry Brooks (a poignant song addressing racial injustice from the musical Hot Chocolates)
- Tiptoe Through the Tulips, lyrics by Alfred Dubin, music by Joseph Burke
- Happy Days Are Here Again, lyrics by Jack Yellen, music by Milton Ager (the uplifting theme song for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential campaign)
- What Is This Thing Called Love?, written by Cole Porter (from Porter’s musical Wake Up and Dream)
- Am I Blue?, lyrics by Grant Clarke, music by Harry Akst
- You Were Meant for Me, lyrics by Arthur Freed, music by Nacio Herb Brown
- Honey, lyrics and music by Seymour Simons, Haven Gillespie, and Richard A. Whiting
- Waiting for a Train, lyrics and music by Jimmie Rodgers
For those interested in staying updated on the latest news from io9, be sure to check out upcoming releases from Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek, as well as the latest developments in the DC Universe for film and television. Additionally, discover everything you need to know about the anticipated future of Doctor Who.
Ethan Carter
Brandon Fletcher
