Public Reel

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN. 1939. 2 reels each, sd. Based on the newspaper feature created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis.

Directors, Sam Nelson, Norman Deming; screenplay, Joseph F. Poland, Basil Dickey, Ned Dandy.

Registration LP8816 (part 1: Shadow on the Wall) No renewal found

Term began
1939-05-02
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
no renewal entry found for 1966-1968 in the CCE motion-picture renewal sections
In the public domain since
1 January 1968 (end of the 28th year, no renewal)

A renewal would have appeared in the Copyright Office's renewal registrations 27 to 29 years after the term began. Those volumes are loaded and no matching renewal was found. A work published 1931–1963 that was not renewed entered the public domain at the end of its 28th year.

A renewal had to be filed in the 28th year and would be listed in the 1966 or 1967 volume; volumes searched: 1966, 1967, 1968.

The renewal sections are OCR text of printed volumes; a damaged record can hide a renewal. Before relying on this, search the linked volumes yourself for the title and for number LP8816.

Registration LP8828 (part 2: Trap of the Wasp) Renewed

Term began
1939-05-08
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R403235 filed 1967-02-01 by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16180)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R403235 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.12)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
1967-02-01
Original cited
LP8828 / 8May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16180
Terror rides the rails. © 13Jun39; 
LP8913. 10Feb67; R403995. 
Trap of the wasp. © 8May39; LP8828. 
1Feb67; R403235. 
The unseen monster. © 19Jun39; 
LP8917. 10Feb67; R403994. 

Renewal R403245 (link: date+title, title similarity 0.24)

Renewal claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp (PWH)
Renewal date
1967-02-01
Original cited
MP9378 / 8May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 15304
DIVING RHYTHM, a motion picture in 
one reel by Columbia Pictures Corp. 
of California. © 8May39; MP9378. 
Columbia Pictures Corp. (PWH); 1Feb67; 
R403245. 
DR. CYCLOPS, a photoplay in eight reels 

Registration LP8834 (part 3: City of Terror) Renewed

Term began
1939-05-11
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R403236 filed (date unreadable) by (claimant unreadable) (llm:number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16153)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R403236 (link: llm:number+date, title similarity 0.03)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
Original cited
None / 11May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16153
LP8912. 10Feb67; R403996. 
At the stroke of eight. © 26Jun39; 
LP8927. 10Feb67; R405993. 
City of terror. © 11May39; 1P8834. 
1Feb67; R403236. 
The devil's playmate. © 22May39; 
LP8863. 1Feb67; R4OZ241. 

This link was made after a language model re-read the damaged OCR (deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4-Pro); the reading was accepted only because the number and date or title it reported agree with the catalog. Its note: “Original number '1P8834' is a clear OCR error for 'LP8834', confirmed by surrounding entries and standard prefix.”

Registration LP8840 (part 4: The Secret Passage) Renewed

Term began
1939-05-15
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R405237 filed (date unreadable) by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16168)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R405237 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.06)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
Original cited
LP8840 / 15May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16168
Gamble for life. 
1Feb67; R4035243. 
The secret passage. © 15May39; 
LP8840. 1Feb67; R4+05237. 
Shadow on the wall. © 2QMay39; 

Registration LP8863 (part 5: The Devil's Playmate) Renewed

Term began
1939-05-22
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R402241 filed (date unreadable) by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16156)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R402241 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.11)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
Original cited
LP8863 / 22May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16156
LP8927. 10Feb67; R405993. 
City of terror. © 11May39; 1P8834. 
1Feb67; R403236. 
The devil's playmate. © 22May39; 
LP8863. 1Feb67; R4OZ241. 
The fatal crash. © 26May39; LP8867. 

Registration LP8867 (part 6: The Fatal Crash) Renewed

Term began
1939-05-26
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R405242 filed (date unreadable) by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16160)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R405242 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.12)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
Original cited
LP8867 / 26May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16160
The devil's playmate. © 22May39; 
LP8863. 1Feb67; R4OZ241. 
The fatal crash. © 26May39; LP8867. 
Feb67; R4O5242. 
Gamble for life. 

Registration LP8873 (part 7: Gamble for Life) Renewed

Term began
1939-05-29
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal filed (date unreadable) by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16188)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal (link: number+date, title similarity 0.15)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
Original cited
LP8873 / 29May39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16188
The unseen monster. © 19Jun39; 
LP8917. 10Feb67; R403994. 
© 29May39; LP8873. 
THE MARCH OF TIME, a series of motion 
pictures by Time. 2 reels each. 
© Time, Inc. (PWH) 

Registration LP8912 (part 8: Across the Deadline) Renewed

Term began
1939-06-13
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R403996 filed 1967-02-10 by Columbia Pictures Corp (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16148)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R403996 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.11)

Renewal claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp (PWH)
Renewal date
1967-02-10
Original cited
LP8912 / 13Jun39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16148
MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN, a series of 
photoplays by Columbia Pictures 
Corp. of California. 2 reels each. 
© Columbia Pictures Corp. (PWH) 
Across the deadline. © 13Jun39; 
LP8912. 10Feb67; R403996. 
At the stroke of eight. © 26Jun39; 
LP8927. 10Feb67; R405993. 
City of terror. © 11May39; 1P8834. 

Registration LP8913 (part 9: Terror Rides the Rails) Renewed

Term began
1939-06-13
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R403995 filed 1967-02-10 by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16176)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R403995 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.11)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
1967-02-10
Original cited
LP8913 / 13Jun39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16176
Shadow on the wall. © 2QMay39; 
LP8816. 1Feb67; R403233. 
Terror rides the rails. © 13Jun39; 
LP8913. 10Feb67; R403995. 
Trap of the wasp. © 8May39; LP8828. 
1Feb67; R403235. 

Registration LP8917 (part 10: The Unseen Monster) Renewed

Term began
1939-06-19
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R403994 filed 1967-02-10 by (claimant unreadable) (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16184)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R403994 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.15)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
1967-02-10
Original cited
LP8917 / 19Jun39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16184
Trap of the wasp. © 8May39; LP8828. 
1Feb67; R403235. 
The unseen monster. © 19Jun39; 
LP8917. 10Feb67; R403994. 
© 29May39; LP8873. 

Registration LP8927 (part 11: At the Stroke of Eight) Renewed

Term began
1939-06-26
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal R405993 filed 1967-02-10 by Columbia Pictures Corp (number+date; CCE 1967, OCR line 16151)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal R405993 (link: number+date, title similarity 0.13)

Renewal claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp (PWH)
Renewal date
1967-02-10
Original cited
LP8927 / 26Jun39
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16151
© Columbia Pictures Corp. (PWH) 
Across the deadline. © 13Jun39; 
LP8912. 10Feb67; R403996. 
At the stroke of eight. © 26Jun39; 
LP8927. 10Feb67; R405993. 
City of terror. © 11May39; 1P8834. 
1Feb67; R403236. 
The devil's playmate. © 22May39; 

Registration LP8963 (part 12: The Reward of Treachery) Renewed

Term began
1939-07-05
Claimant
Columbia Pictures Corp
Class
LP — published photoplay (numbering series begun Sept. 1928)
Finding
renewal filed (date unreadable) by (claimant unreadable) (number+year; CCE 1967, OCR line 16136)
Enters the public domain
1 January 2035 (95 years from the 1939 publication)

A renewal registration for this work was found. The renewed term lasts 95 years from the original date, so the work remains under copyright.

Renewal (link: number+year, title similarity 0.08)

Renewal claimant
Renewal date
Original cited
LP8963 / 53u139
Source
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Motion Pictures, 1967: Internet Archive catalogofc19673211213libr, OCR text line 16136
Corp. (PWH) 
Chapter 
12. The reward of treachery. 
© 53u139; LP8963. 17Feb67; 
R4O44 11. 
47 

Low confidence: the original date in this record is unreadable, so the link rests on the number and the renewal year.

Catalog entry

Catalog of Copyright Entries, Motion Pictures 1912–1939 (Library of Congress, 1951), Project Gutenberg #51836, lines 144735–144768.

  MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN. 1939. 2 reels each, sd. Based on the newspaper
    feature created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis.

    Credits: Directors, Sam Nelson, Norman Deming; screenplay, Joseph F.
    Poland, Basil Dickey, Ned Dandy.

    © Columbia Pictures Corp. of California, Ltd.

    1. Shadow on the Wall. © 2May39; LP8816.

    2. Trap of the Wasp. © 8May39; LP8828.

    3. City of Terror. © 11May39; LP8834.

    4. The Secret Passage. © 15May39; LP8840.

    5. The Devil's Playmate. © 22May39; LP8863.

    6. The Fatal Crash. © 26May39; LP8867.

    7. Gamble for Life. © 29May39; LP8873.

    8. Across the Deadline. © 13Jun39; LP8912.

    9. Terror Rides the Rails. © 13Jun39; LP8913.

    10. The Unseen Monster. © 19Jun39; LP8917.

    11. At the Stroke of Eight. © 26Jun39; LP8927.

    © Columbia Pictures Corp.

    12. The Reward of Treachery. © 5Jul39; LP8963.

Copies on the Internet Archive

ItemYearDownloadsCollection
Mandrake, the Magician (1939)19391,953cliffhangers, moviesandfilms

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