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Don59
02-02-2007, 03:27 PM
I'm a little confused on the ownership of the 1950 Noveltoons short, "Quack A Doodle Do" starring Baby Huey. On the new Harveytoons DVD, this short is included. However, I also have a PD DVD with over 60 PD cartoons, and this is also on there. I think, but am not positive, that the cartoon has an NTA opening and a Paramount title card. How can a short be both, that is owned by Harvey on one DVD and PD on another? I guess Boo Moon and Spooking About Africa (both Casper) also fall into this category. Public domain films confuse me. How do just a handful of films fall into PD, like the 2 Casper films, but many other Casper toons don't. Can someone please 'splain??
JERRY BECK
02-02-2007, 06:54 PM
I'm a little confused on the ownership of the 1950 Noveltoons short, "Quack A Doodle Do" starring Baby Huey. On the new Harveytoons DVD, this short is included. However, I also have a PD DVD with over 60 PD cartoons, and this is also on there. I think, but am not positive, that the cartoon has an NTA opening and a Paramount title card. How can a short be both, that is owned by Harvey on one DVD and PD on another? I guess Boo Moon and Spooking About Africa (both Casper) also fall into this category. Public domain films confuse me. How do just a handful of films fall into PD, like the 2 Casper films, but many other Casper toons don't. Can someone please 'splain??

A film falls into public domain when the copyright owner fails to renew the copyright to the film.

QUACK A DOODLE DOO is in public domain. It is/was part of the UM&M/NTA TV package. The master elements (negatives) belong to Republic Entertainment (a sub of Viacom/Paramount).

When I was a producer of THE BABY HUEY SHOW in 1994, we determined to have a classic Huey short in every episode. We wanted to use QUACK-A-DOODLE DOO, and as it was in public domain, we found a 35mm print and transfered it - adding it to Huey show. You'll note the print on the HARVEYTOON dvd is not in the best shape. But Classic Media has every right to use it.
Daffysleftfoot
02-02-2007, 08:23 PM
So, you were a producer on The Baby Huey Show, eh? Do you know who sent the memo to the artists "informing" them that ducks don't have teeth? ;)
JERRY BECK
02-02-2007, 08:46 PM
So, you were a producer on The Baby Huey Show, eh? Do you know who sent the memo to the artists "informing" them that ducks don't have teeth? ;)

Yes.

But I'm not going to name names. Sorry :(