Journey's End (1930) - rights

[Rory]

Does anyone know how I might find out who owns the rights to the James Whale film from 1930 "Journey's End", set in the trenches of World War One and starring Colin Clive. I know the daughter of the scriptwriter, V Gareth Gundrey, and (at the age of 87!) she would like to make it available as a DVD. However, the relevant production companies have all long ceased to exist. These were Gainsborough (production) and Woolf & Freedman (distribution) in the UK and Tiffany (or Tiffany-Star, production and distribution) in the US. A multi-reel 35mm print is held by the BFi but they have very restricted rights over this. Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Rory O'Callaghan

[will.15]

There is probably no copyright holder in the United States for Tiffany, a company that went out of existence in the early thirties. I don't know how you would go about finding information in the UK, but maybe the BFI would have the information. It is very easy to find out if the copyright was renewed in the United States because my local library has that information, but that only affects the U.S.

An Ioffer seller says it is in the public domain, doesn't mean it is, but it is real easy to determine it's public domain status in the United States because it falls under the old rules which required a copyright renewal after 28 years. If it wasn't renwed in 1958, it has no copyright protection in America. The hang-up in Britain I think would be the play is still under copyright protection (doesn't affect the U.S.). All you would have to do is find out who owns the copyright for Journey's End the play. Any script editions would have this information, whoever are the executors of the R.C. Sherriff estate.

[will.15]

By the way, when you say scriptwriter, if she is the daughter of R.C. Sheriff rather than the adapter of the play for the screen, then she is the only relevent copyright holder. The distributor of the movie in the UK would have no legitimate copyright and Tiffany studio films have no copyrigt protection f it wasn't renewed after 28 years.

[will.15]

Oh , I see, Gundry was a scrptwriter on the film and it was actually a co-production, not entirely financed by Tiffany ( I think I read somewhere the American soundstages were used because they were thought to be superior and more advanced). That complicates European rights.

[orpheum2]

yes that is correct.the film was made in the states by Walsh Pearson productions,Pearson being the famed British director George pearson.The film was shown a couple of times on C4.Given that the film was a Gaumont British release the rights could belong to studio canal plus

[Rory]

Thank you. As you suggest, I will check the American rights. The following post has a suggestion for UK rights which I will also chase.