RightsAtlas

Is McLintock! (1963) public domain?

Country of origin: US · Last verified: 2026-07-12 · Researched by Bit Git — RightsAtlas research (AI-assisted, human-reviewed)

Film print: Unclear — this verdict covers the film print only, not the layers below.

Why Unclear, not Clear? This film is widely treated as public domain, but we have not yet attached a primary renewal-search citation — so the verdict stays Unclear until that evidence is on this page. The background and notes below describe the widely-understood status; the label above is the conservative, evidence-gated verdict.

⚠️ Planning to upload or monetize? A public-domain film print does not clear the music score, story, or restorations — and the score is the single most common cause of YouTube Content ID claims. Check every layer, not just the print.
Pre-1972 sound recordings can be protected under US state law and the Music Modernization Act until 2067 or later — the print being public domain does not free the recorded music.
Watching: Watching via the linked archival copies is generally the lowest-risk activity.
Reusing / monetizing: The film print may be free, but at least one layer (music, story, or restoration) is unresolved — expect Content ID claims; keep evidence handy and consider removing or replacing the score.

📄 Download the print-layer research packet (Markdown) — citations you can attach to a dispute. Not legal advice; print layer only.

Rights, layer by layer

A film is not one copyright — it is several. Each layer below can be free or protected independently. This is why one-click “public domain” answers are wrong so often.

Film print (photoplay) Unclear
  • renewal_absence Batjac (the Wayne family company) failed to renew the film's copyright in 1991, a lapse that was litigated around home-video rights in the 1990s and is unusually well documented for a color star vehicle. Primary renewal-search scan not yet attached — held at 'likely'. — Wikipedia summary with sources
Music score Unclear
  • research_note Frank De Vol score plus the song 'Love in the Country'; separate registration status not verified here.
Underlying story / screenplay Unclear
  • research_note Original screenplay by James Edward Grant (loosely riffing on The Taming of the Shrew, which is Shakespeare and free).
Character trademarks Unclear
  • research_note No known active marks.
Restorations / re-releases Active rights
  • research_note Paramount's restored HD releases carry new protectable elements; archival prints are the free source.

Watch it free (archival copies)

Background

A John Wayne–Maureen O'Hara comedy in color from a major star's own company — and it still fell out of copyright, because in 1991 somebody at Batjac missed the renewal deadline. McLintock! became the highest-profile proof that renewal failure wasn't just a B-movie problem, and the family spent years fighting cut-rate VHS releases they couldn't stop.

For creators: the print circulates freely, the screenplay is original, and the risks are the era's usual pair — an unverified music chain and protected modern restorations.

Common questions

How did a John Wayne movie end up public domain?

The same way as everyone else's: the 28-year renewal deadline (1991 for this film) was missed. Star power didn't file paperwork.

Can I use McLintock! footage?

Yes, from archival prints; prefer replacing the audio where the score is prominent, since the music chain is unverified.