Hollywood movie classics to stream free. Columbia Pictures. At first glance, the public domain appears to be a deep, intimidating vortex of innumerable media. To some extent, this is true — by way of making it slightly less so, let’s talk about what, exactly, it is. A free, accessible resource for films, books, and music available to the public, the public domain’s been in existence ever since copyright laws were implemented back in the 1. In their early years, copyrights (indicated by that © you’ve seen in books, music, movies, and other works) varied from country to country. It wasn’t until the Berne Convention of 1.

To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharoah, Rameses I, condemning all newborn Hebrew males, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the.

History Category name changes. At the 1st Academy Awards ceremony (for 19), there were two categories of awards that were each considered the top award of. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin song meaning, lyric interpretation, video and chart position. AOL Radio is powered by humans! Great radio is all about unexpected connections--the kind that an algorithm can't predict. Pick any station in any of the 30 genres. Real news, curated by real humans. Packed with the trends, news & links you need to be smart, informed, and ahead of the curve.

But not for the United States, which refused to take part in the convention for over 1. Prior to 1. 98. 8, when the U. S. finally signed the Berne Convention Implementation Act, all films distributed after 1.

If properly printed, the copyright lasted for 2. But studios during the Golden Age were focused on profit, not preservation, making it easy to lose track of renewal deadlines — meaning many of those forgotten films fell into the public domain.

Bottom line: The public domain remains one of the most easily accessible — and most underused — resources available for watching silent films, Golden Age hits, and even 1. Francis Ford Coppola’s Dementia 1. George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead(1.

It’s as simple as hitting You. Tube and searching a movie’s title.

To help get you started, here are 3. Musicals"Till the Clouds Roll By" (1.

Based on the life of composer Jerome Kern, Till the Clouds Roll By is a rip- roaring musical starring Judy Garland, Robert Walker, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra, just to name a few. The story follows a fictionalized Kern (Walker) as he looks back on the early stages of his prominent Broadway career. Why Watch It? Dame Angela Lansbury — or Jessica Fletcher, for Murder, She Wrote fans — began her career at the age of 1. Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Joseph Cotton. Her performance as a scheming cockney maid both earned her an Academy Award nomination and caused her to be typecast in subsequent films because of the financial success she brought MGM.

That is, until she was cast in Till the Clouds Roll By."Mr. Imperium" (1. 95. Frederica Brown, played by blonde bombshell Lana Turner, is vacationing at an Italian resort when she not- so- accidentally stumbles into a man who calls himself Mr. Imperium. The two strike up a romance that’s put on pause when Mr. Imperium confesses that he’s a — wait for it — European crown prince.

Oh, and his father is gravely ill, and he must leave at once. Years pass, and while the prince tends to his father, Frederica becomes a movie star. He travels to California to rekindle their romance — only for his duties to get in the way once more.

Why Watch It? Though Mr. Imperium isn’t the most notable Technicolor film — it lost more than $1 million the box office — it has an all- star cast, including a young Debbie Reynolds. Her next film would be Singin’ in the Rain (1. Royal Wedding" (1. Fred Astaire and Jane Powell star as siblings Tom and Ellen Brown, who have a hit Broadway show that ends up getting booked in London amid the festivities of Princess Elizabeth’s upcoming wedding.

But their plans take a detour when Ellen meets Lord John Brindale (Peter Lawford) and Tom meets Anne (Sarah Churchill). Why Watch It? While Astaire was most often partnered with all- time babe Ginger Rogers, he made several musicals with other leading ladies like Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, and Powell.

The “You’re All the World to Me” solo, where he literally dances off the walls, is one of Astaire’s most famous routines. Romance"Swing High, Swing Low" (1. This romance, directed by Mitchell Leisen — Hold Back the Dawn (1. To Each His Own (1.

Carol Lombard as singer Maggie King and Fred Mac. Murray as musician Skid Johnson. Shortly after their nuptials, the couple’s marriage is tested when Skid runs into an old fling, Anita Alvarez, played by Dorothy Lamour. Why Watch It? Lamour is one of those classic movie stars who made a big impact on the industry, but who, for some reason, has been since overshadowed by the Joan Crawfords and Bette Davises. Lamour starred in dozens of pictures and has not one, but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to both radio and cinema. Lamour’s onscreen popularity skyrocketed during the 1.

Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the Road to … comedy series. But her career began in the 1. The Jungle Princess, followed by Swing High, Swing Low."Three Guys Named Mike" (1. Jane Wyman stars as Marcy Lewis, a fresh and eager airline stewardess who just happens to have three separate beaus named Mike. Hilarity ensues when the three Mikes find out about each other. Why Watch It? We’re sure plane enthusiasts will get a kick out of this film, as it features authentic American Airlines DC- 6 and Convair 2.

Filming commercial aircraft during their early years was costly, but MGM and American Airlines struck a deal: MGM would feature genuine aircraft, and American Airlines would promote the film’s upcoming release."Algiers" (1. Pepe le Moko, played by Charles Boyer, is a notorious burglar in the city of Algiers that officers and fellow thieves are out to capture. Watch Cool Hand Luke Streaming.

Pepe’s plan to avoid getting caught unravels when he meets Gaby, played by Austrian icon Hedy Lamarr. Why Watch It? Lamarr gained a significant amount of attention after the release of The Imitation Game (2. Her WWII frequency- hopping and spread- spectrum device, created alongside pianist George Antheil, guided radio- controlled torpedoes. Today, this technology has been integrated into both Wi- Fi and Bluetooth. Algiers marked Lamarr’s American motion- picture debut."Penny Serenade" (1. George Stevens, known for A Place in the Sun (1.

Giant (1. 95. 6), directs Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in this heart- wrenching tale of a couple who want nothing more than to start a family. When they find out they’re unable to become pregnant, they turn to adoption. Why Watch It? There aren’t too many films about adoption in general, let alone during the Golden Age of Hollywood, when adoption was perceived as shameful. But Penny Serenade managed to make it to screens and shine a positive light on the less- than- traditional approach."Love Affair" (1. On a ship sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Michel Marnet (Charles Boyer) and Terry Mc. Kay (Irene Dunne) meet, and sparks fly immediately. The problem is, both are engaged.

Before calling it quits, they agree to meet at the Empire State Building in six months’ time. But their romance is halted when Terry gets struck by a car. Why Watch It? Love Affair has an interesting history. It was remade several times, most notably as 1.

An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. From there, it acted as the foundation for Nora Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle (1. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

It was remade again in 1. Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, and Katharine Hepburn in her last onscreen performance. Noir. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1. Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas lead this Lewis Milestone–directed noir. Walter O’Neil (Douglas) and Martha Ivers (Stanwyck) share a secret: They’re the only two people who witnessed Martha hit her aunt over the head with a cane, killing her instantly — how violence in film has changed!

Between Walter’s alcoholism and Martha’s love for another man, the two have a loveless marriage. That is, until Sam Masterson (Van Heflin) returns to town. Why Watch It? Kirk Douglas, who’ll turn 1.

December, is often identified as the tough guy for his roles in movies like Spartacus (1. The Bad and the Beautiful (1. But for his motion- picture debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, he’s anything but intimidating."Scarlet Street" (1. Director Fritz Lang is responsible for this entertaining noir.

Joan Bennett stars as Kitty, a young femme fatale who, along with her boyfriend Johnny (Dan Duryea), con Chris (Edward G. Robinson), an aspiring painter who they believe is wealthy.