List of animated films in the public domain in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of animated films in the public domain in the United States for which there is a source to verify its status as public domain under the terms of U.S. copyright law. For more information, see List of films in the public domain in the United States. Films published before 1931 are not included because all such films are in the public domain (Note: while the film in and of itself may be in the public domain, the original versions may incorporate elements that remain under a separate copyright).
Some shorts listed here, such as the Private Snafu series, were produced for the United States government. Because they were produced for the U.S. government, they automatically fall into the public domain.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Every short from 1930 has entered the public domain as of 2026.
Source: Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain[1]
Looney Tunes
All black-and-white films were owned by Warner Bros. subsidiary Sunset Productions, while all color films were owned by United Artists through Associated Artists Productions. Crowing Pains (1947) was improperly registered and renewed as "Growing Pains", which isn't the title of the film, making its copyright invalidated due to clerical errors.[2]
- Ups 'n Downs (1931)[1]
- Dumb Patrol (1931)[1]
- Yodeling Yokels (1931)[1]
- Bosko's Holiday (1931)[1]
- The Tree's Knees (1931)[1]
- Bosko Shipwrecked! (1931)[1]
- Bosko the Doughboy (1931)[1]
- Bosko's Soda Fountain (1931)[1]
- Bosko's Fox Hunt (1931)[1]
- Bosko at the Zoo (1932)[1]
- Battling Bosko (1932)[1]
- Big-Hearted Bosko (1932)[1]
- Bosko's Party (1932)[1]
- Bosko and Bruno (1932)[1]
- Bosko's Dog Race (1932)[1]
- Bosko at the Beach (1932)[1]
- Bosko and Honey (1932)[1]
- Bosko's Store (1932)[1]
- Bosko the Lumberjack (1932)[1]
- Hollywood Capers (1935)[1]
- Boom Boom (1936)[1]
- Westward Whoa (1936)[1]
- Porky's Railroad (1937)[1]
- Get Rich Quick Porky (1937)[1]
- Porky's Garden (1937)[1]
- Ali-Baba Bound (1940)[1]
- The Timid Toreador (1940)[1]
- The Haunted Mouse (1941)[1]
- Joe Glow, the Firefly (1941)[1]
- Porky's Bear Facts (1941)[1]
- Porky's Preview (1941)[1]
- Porky's Ant (1941)[1]
- A Coy Decoy (1941)[1]
- Porky's Prize Pony (1941)[1]
- Meet John Doughboy (1941)[1]
- We, the Animals Squeak! (1941)[1]
- The Henpecked Duck (1941)[1]
- Notes to You (1941)[1]
- Robinson Crusoe, Jr. (1941)[1]
- Porky's Midnight Matinee (1941)[1]
- Porky's Pooch (1941)[1]
- Porky's Pastry Pirates (1942)[1]
- Who's Who in the Zoo (1942)[1]
- Porky's Cafe (1942)[1]
- Saps in Chaps (1942)[1]
- Daffy's Southern Exposure (1942)[1]
- Nutty News (1942)[1]
- Hobby Horse-Laffs (1942)[1]
- Gopher Goofy (1942)[1]
- Wacky Blackout (1942)[1]
- The Ducktators (1942)[1]
- Eatin' on the Cuff or The Moth Who Came to Dinner (1942)[1]
- The Impatient Patient (1942)[1]
- The Daffy Duckaroo (1942)[1]
- Confusions of a Nutzy Spy (1943)[1]
- To Duck or Not to Duck (1943)[1]
- Hop and Go (1943)[1]
- Tokio Jokio (1943)[1]
- Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943)[1]
- Porky Pig's Feat (1943)[1]
- Scrap Happy Daffy (1943)[1]
- Daffy – The Commando (1943)[1]
- Puss n' Booty (1943)[1]
- Crowing Pains (1947)[1]
Merrie Melodies
All films were owned by United Artists through Associated Artists Productions, except for Lady, Play Your Mandolin!, which was retained by Sunset Productions.
- Lady, Play Your Mandolin! (1931)[1]
- Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (1931)[1]
- One More Time (1931)[1]
- You Don't Know What You're Doin'! (1931)[1]
- Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land (1931)[1]
- Red-Headed Baby (1931)[1]
- Pagan Moon (1932)[1]
- Freddy the Freshman (1932)[1]
- Crosby, Columbo, and Vallee (1932)[1]
- Goopy Geer (1932)[1]
- It's Got Me Again! (1932)[1]
- Moonlight for Two (1932)[1]
- The Queen Was in the Parlor (1932)[1]
- I Love a Parade (1932)[1]
- You're Too Careless with Your Kisses! (1932)[1]
- I Wish I Had Wings (1932)[1]
- A Great Big Bunch of You (1932)[1]
- Three's a Crowd (1932)[1]
- The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1932)[1]
- I Wanna Be a Sailor (1937)[1]
- Jungle Jitters (1938)[1]
- Have You Got Any Castles (1938)[1]
- Hamateur Night (1939)[1]
- Robin Hood Makes Good (1939)[1]
- Gold Rush Daze (1939)[1]
- A Day at the Zoo (1939)[1]
- Prest-O Change-O (1939)[1]
- Bars and Stripes Forever (1939)[1]
- Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939)[1]
- The Early Worm Gets the Bird (1940)[1]
- Farm Frolics (1941)[1]
- Sport Chumpions (1941)[1]
- All This and Rabbit Stew (1941)[1]
- Rookie Revue (1941)[1]
- The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (1942)[1]
- The Wacky Wabbit (1942)[1]
- Foney Fables (1942)[1]
- Fresh Hare (1942)[1]
- Fox Pop (1942)[1]
- The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942)[1]
- The Sheepish Wolf (1942)[1]
- A Tale of Two Kitties (1942)[1]
- Ding Dog Daddy (1942)[1]
- Case of the Missing Hare (1942)[1]
- Pigs in a Polka (1943)[1]
- The Fifth-Column Mouse (1943)[1]
- Wackiki Wabbit (1943)[1]
- A Corny Concerto (1943)[1]
- Falling Hare (1943)[1]
- Inki and the Minah Bird (1943)[1]
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The films listed below were last owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer when the time for their renewals came up, except for Funny Face, which was owned by Exclusive Pictures Corporation, at the time the rights owner for all Flip the Frog films.
- Funny Face (1932)[3]
- To Spring (1936)[4]
- Jerky Turkey (1945)[4]
- Doggone Tired (1949)[4]
Universal Pictures
The films listed below were produced by Walter Lantz Productions. They were last owned by Universal City Studios when the time for their renewals came up. Boy Meets Dog! (1938) was originally released to the home movie market by Castle Films, which became a subsidiary of Universal Pictures in 1947.
- House of Magic (1937)[5]
- Boy Meets Dog! (1938)[5]
- Silly Superstition (1939)[5]
- Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat (1941)[5]
- Pantry Panic (1941)[5]
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
All films produced by Winkler Pictures as well as films produced in 1930 are in the public domain.
- The Bandmaster (1931)[5]
- Mechanical Man (1932)[5]
- Making Good (1932)[5]
- The Plumber (1933)[5]
- The Quail Hunt (1935)[5]
Paramount Pictures
Every short from 1930 and before has entered the public domain as of 2026.
Fleischer Studios
All films were owned by National Telefilm Associates, except for Honest Love and True, Pudgy and the Lost Kitten, Buzzy Boop and Buzzy Boop at the Concert (all from 1938), remaining with Paramount Pictures without having their copyright renewed.
Betty Boop
- Betty Boop's Ker-Choo (1933)[4]
- Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions (1933)[4]
- Is My Palm Read (1933)[4]
- Betty in Blunderland (1934)[4]
- Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934)[4]
- Baby Be Good (1935)[4]
- Taking the Blame (1935)[4]
- Stop That Noise (1935)[4]
- Swat the Fly (1935)[4]
- No! No! A Thousand Times No!! (1935)[4]
- A Little Soap and Water (1935)[4]
- A Language All My Own (1935)[4]
- Betty Boop and Grampy (1935)[4]
- Judge for a Day (1935)[4]
- Making Stars (1935)[4]
- Betty Boop with Henry, the Funniest Living American (1935)[4]
- Little Nobody (1935)[4]
- Betty Boop and the Little King (1936)[4]
- Not Now (1936)[4]
- Betty Boop and Little Jimmy (1936)[4]
- We Did It (1936)[4]
- A Song a Day (1936)[4]
- More Pep (1936)[4]
- You're Not Built That Way (1936)[4]
- Happy You and Merry Me (1936)[4]
- Training Pigeons (1936)[4]
- Grampy's Indoor Outing (1936)[4]
- Be Human (1936)[4]
- Making Friends (1936)[4]
- House Cleaning Blues (1937)[4]
- Whoops! I'm a Cowboy (1937)[4]
- The Hot Air Salesman (1937)[4]
- Pudgy Takes a Bow-Wow (1937)[4]
- Pudgy Picks a Fight! (1937)[4]
- The Impractical Joker (1937)[4]
- Ding Dong Doggie (1937)[4]
- The Candid Candidate (1937)[4]
- Honest Love and True (1938)[6]
- Pudgy and the Lost Kitten (1938)[6]
- Buzzy Boop (1938)[6]
- Buzzy Boop at the Concert (1938)[6]
- On with the New (1938)[4]
- My Friend the Monkey (1939)[4]
- So Does an Automobile (1939)[4]
- Musical Mountaineers (1939)[4]
- The Scared Crows (1939)[4]
- Rhythm on the Reservation (1939)[4]
Color Classics
- Poor Cinderella (1934)[4]
- Little Dutch Mill (1934)[4]
- An Elephant Never Forgets (1935)[4]
- The Song of the Birds (1935)[4]
- The Kids in the Shoe (1935)[4]
- Dancing on the Moon (1935)[4]
- Time for Love (1935)[4]
- Somewhere in Dreamland (1936)[4][7]
- The Little Stranger (1936)[4]
- The Cobweb Hotel (1936)[4]
- Greedy Humpty Dumpty (1936)[4]
- Hawaiian Birds (1936)[4]
- Play Safe (1936)[4]
- Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936)[4]
- Bunny Mooning (1937)[4]
- Chicken a La King (1937)[4]
- A Car-Tune Portrait (1937)[4]
- Peeping Penguins (1937)[4]
- Educated Fish (1937)[4]
- Little Lamby (1937)[4]
- Hold It! (1938)[4]
- Hunky and Spunky (1938)[4]
- All's Fair at the Fair (1938)[4]
- The Playful Polar Bears (1938)[4]
- Always Kickin' (1939)[4]
- Small Fry (1939)[4]
- The Barnyard Brat (1939)[4]
- The Fresh Vegetable Mystery (1939)[4]
- Little Lambkins (1940)[4]
- Ants in the Plants (1940)[4]
- A Kick in Time (1940)[4]
- Snubbed by a Snob (1940)[4]
- You Can't Shoe a Horse Fly (1940)[4]
Gabby
Screen Songs
- Somebody Stole My Gal (1931)[4]
- Dinah (1933)[4]
- Ain't She Sweet? (1933)[4]
- Reaching for the Moon (1933)[4]
- Lazy Bones (1934)[4]
- I Wished on the Moon (1935)[4]
- It's Easy to Remember (1935)[4]
- No Other One (1936)[4]
- I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze (1936)[4]
- I Don't Want to Make History (1936)[4]
- I Can't Escape from You (1936)[4]
- Talking Through My Heart (1936)[4]
- Never Should Have Told You (1937)[4]
- Twilight on the Trail (1937)[4]
- You Came to My Rescue (1937)[4]
Feature films
- Gulliver's Travels (1939)[8]
Miscellaneous
- In My Merry Oldsmobile (1931)[4]
- Let's Sing with Popeye (1934)[4]
Famous Studios
Casper the Friendly Ghost
All films were owned by The Harvey Entertainment Company.
Little Lulu cartoon series
All films were owned by National Telefilm Associates.
Noveltoons
All films released before The Voice of the Turkey (1950) were owned by National Telefilm Associates, except for Spree for All (1946) and Cat O' Nine Ails (1948), remaining with Paramount Pictures without having their copyright renewed. Almost all Noveltoons before 1950 were not renewed and are in the public domain, except for Cilly Goose and Gabriel Churchkitten (both 1944).[9][10]
- No Mutton fer Nuttin' (1943)[4]
- The Henpecked Rooster (1944)[4]
- Suddenly It's Spring (1944)[11]
- When G.I. Johnny Comes Home (1945)[4]
- A Lamb in a Jam (1945)[12]
- A Self-Made Mongrel (1945)[4]
- The Friendly Ghost (1945)[13]
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm (1945)[4]
- Cheese Burglar (1946)[4]
- Sheep Shape (1946)[4]
- The Goal Rush (1946)[4]
- Spree for All (1946)[12]
- Sudden Fried Chicken (1946)[12]
- The Stupidstitious Cat (1947)[4]
- The Enchanted Square (1947)[11]
- Madhattan Island (1947)[4]
- Much Ado About Mutton (1947)[12]
- The Wee Men (1947)[4]
- The Mild West (1947)[4]
- Naughty but Mice (1947)[4]
- Santa's Surprise (1947)[4]
- Cat O' Nine Ails (1948)[12]
- Flip Flap (1948)[11]
- The Bored Cuckoo (1948)[11]
- There's Good Boos To-Night (1948)[4]
- Butterscotch and Soda (1948)[4]
- The Mite Makes Right (1948)[4]
- Hector’s Hectic Life (1948)[4][14]
- Hep Cat Symphony (1949)[4]
- The Lost Dream (1949)[4]
- A Haunting We Will Go (1949)[4]
- A Mutt in a Rut (1949)[4]
- Campus Capers (1949)[11]
- Leprechaun's Gold (1949)[4]
- Song of the Birds (1949)[4]
- Quack-a-Doodle-Doo (1950)[4]
- Teacher's Pest (1950)[4]
- Tarts and Flowers (1950)[4]
- Pleased to Eat You (1950)[11]
- Goofy Goofy Gander (1950)[4]
- The Seapreme Court (1954)[4]
- Crazytown (1954)[4]
- Pest Pupil (1957)[4]
Screen Song
All films were owned by National Telefilm Associates, except for Readin', 'Ritin' and Rhythmetic (1948), remaining with Paramount Pictures without having its copyright renewed.
- Base Brawl (1948)[4]
- Little Brown Jug (1948)[4]
- The Golden State (1948)[4]
- Winter Draws On (1948)[4]
- Sing or Swim (1948)[4]
- Camptown Races (1948)[4]
- The Lone Star State (1948)[4]
- Readin', 'Ritin' and Rhythmetic (1948)[12]
- The Funshine State (1949)[4]
- The Emerald Isle (1949)[4]
- Comin' Round the Mountain (1949)[4]
- The Stork Market (1949)[4]
- Spring Song (1949)[4]
- The Ski's the Limit (1949)[4]
- Toys Will Be Toys (1949)[4]
- Farm Foolery (1949)[4]
- Our Funny Finny Friends (1949)[12]
- Marriage Wows (1949)[4]
- The Big Flame Up (1949)[4]
- Strolling Thru the Park (1949)[4]
- The Big Drip (1949)[4]
- Snow Foolin' (1949)[4]
- Short'nin' Bread (1950)[4]
- Win, Place and Show Boat (1950)[4]
- Jingle Jangle Jungle (1950)[4]
- Gobs of Fun (1950)[4]
- Helter Swelter (1950)[4]
Popeye the Sailor cartoon series
All films were owned by United Artists through Associated Artists Productions, as well as King Features Syndicate. King's derivative work interest in the film series ended with the expiration of the copyright on the Popeye character in 2025.[15]
- Little Swee'Pea (1936)[16]
- Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936)[16]
- I'm in the Army Now (1936)[16]
- The Paneless Window Washer (1937)[16]
- I Never Changes My Altitude (1937)[16]
- Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves (1937)[16]
- A Date to Skate (1938)[16]
- Customers Wanted (1939)[16]
- Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1939)[16]
- Me Musical Nephews (1942)[16]
- Shuteye Popeye (1952)[16]
- Big Bad Sindbad (1952)[16]
- Ancient Fistory (1953)[16]
- Floor Flusher (1954)[16]
- Popeye's 20th Anniversary (1954)[16]
- Taxi-Turvy (1954)[16]
- Bride and Gloom (1954)[16]
- Greek Mirthology (1954)[16]
- Fright to the Finish (1954)[16]
- Private Eye Popeye (1954)[16]
- Gopher Spinach (1954)[16]
- Cookin' with Gags (1955)[16]
- Popeye for President (1956)[16]
- Out to Punch (1956)[16]
- Assault and Flattery (1956)[16]
- Insect to Injury (1956)[16]
- Parlez Vous Woo (1956)[16]
- I Don't Scare (1956)[16]
- A Haul in One (1956)[16]
- Nearlyweds (1957)[16]
- The Crystal Brawl (1957)[16]
- Patriotic Popeye (1957)[16]
- Spree Lunch (1957)[16]
- Spooky Swabs (1957)[16]
Superman cartoon series
All films were owned by National Periodical Publications.
- Superman (1941)[17]
- The Mechanical Monsters (1941)[17]
- The Arctic Giant (1942)[17]
- Billion Dollar Limited (1942)[17]
- The Bulleteers (1942)[17]
- Destruction, Inc. (1942)[17]
- Electric Earthquake (1942)[17]
- Eleventh Hour (1942)[17]
- Japoteurs (1942)[17]
- The Magnetic Telescope (1942)[17]
- Showdown (1942)[17]
- Terror on the Midway (1942)[17]
- Volcano (1942)[17]
- Jungle Drums (1943)[17]
- The Mummy Strikes (1943)[17]
- Secret Agent (1943)[17]
- The Underground World (1943)[17]
Celebrity Productions, Inc.
ComiColor Cartoons
- Jack Frost (1934)[4]
- The Bremen Town Musicians (1935)[4]
- Old Mother Hubbard (1935)[4]
- Mary's Little Lamb (1935)[4]
- Summertime (1935)[4]
- Sinbad the Sailor (1935)[4]
- The Three Bears (1935)[4]
- Balloon Land (1935)[4]
- Simple Simon (1935)[4]
- Humpty Dumpty (1935)[4]
- Ali Baba (1936)[4]
- Tom Thumb (1936)[4]
- Dick Whittington's Cat (1936)[4]
- Little Boy Blue (1936)[4]
- Happy Days (1936)[4]
The Van Beuren Corporation
Rainbow Parade
- The Sunshine Makers (1935)[4]
- Parrotville Old Folks (1935)[4]
- Spinning Mice (1935)[4]
- Picnic Panic (1935)[4]
- The Merry Kittens (1935)[4]
- Parrotville Post-Office (1935)[4]
- The Hunting Season (1935)[4]
- Scotty Finds a Home (1935)[4]
- Molly Moo-Cow and the Butterflies (1935)[4]
- Molly Moo-Cow and the Indians (1935)[4]
- Molly Moo-Cow and Rip Van Wrinkle (1935)[4]
- Toonerville Trolley (1936)[4]
- The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg (1936)[4]
- Molly Moo-Cow and Robinson Crusoe (1936)[4]
- Neptune Nonsense (1936)[4]
- Bold King Cole (1936)[4]
- A Waif's Welcome (1936)[4]
- Trolley Ahoy (1936)[4]
- Cupid Gets His Man (1936)[4]
- It's a Greek Life (1936)[4]
- Toonerville Picnic (1936)[4]
The Little King
Tom and Jerry
- Wot a Night (1931)[4]
- A Swiss Trick (1931)[4]
- Rocketeers (1932)[4]
- In the Bag (1932)[4]
- Joint Wipers (1932)[4]
- Pots and Pans (1932)[4]
- The Tuba Tooter (1932)[4]
- Plane Dumb (1932)[4]
- Redskin Blues (1932)[4]
- Jolly Fish (1932)[4]
- Barnyard Bunk (1932)[4]
- A Spanish Twist (1932)[4]
- Piano Tooners (1932)[4]
- Pencil Mania (1932)[4]
- Magic Mummy (1933)[4]
- Happy Hoboes (1933)[4]
- Hook and Ladder Hokum (1933)[4]
Ted Eshbaugh Studios
- Goofy Goat (1931)[4]
- The Snowman (1933)[4]
- The Wizard of Oz (1933)[11]
Walt Disney Productions
Every short from 1930 and before has entered the public domain as of 2026.
The films listed below were last owned by Walt Disney Productions when the time for their renewals came up.
- The Mad Doctor (1933)[18]
- The Cookie Carnival (1935)[19]
- Susie the Little Blue Coupe (1952)[20]
20th Century Fox
Every Terrytoons short from 1930 has entered the public domain as of 2026.
The films listed below were last owned by Viacom when the time for their renewals came up.
Columbia Pictures
All Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony films released by Columbia were retained by Walt Disney Productions and were otherwise renewed. All Screen Gems and United Productions of America films were owned by Columbia Pictures, with the exception of the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and 1927-1929 Krazy Kat films, respectively owned by Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures. All films produced in or before 1930 are in the public domain.
The Fox and the Crow
Source: Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain
- The Magic Fluke (1949)
Toby the Pup
- Circus Time (1931)[21]
- The Milkman (1931)[21]
- The Brown Derby (1931)[21]
- Down South (1931)[21]
- Hallowe'en (1931)[21]
- Aces Up (1931)[21]
- The Bull Thrower (1931)[21]
King Features Syndicate TV
Popeye the Sailor (TV series)
- Barbecue for Two (1960)[22]
U.S. Government films
The films listed below are works of the United States government, which makes them public domain.
Source: Film Superlist: Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain[1]
Private Snafu
Produced between 1943 and 1945.
- Booby Traps[1]
- Censored[1]
- The Chow Hound[1]
- Coming! Snafu![1]
- Fighting Tools[1]
- Gas[1]
- Going Home[1]
- Gripes[1]
- The Home Front[1]
- Hot Spot[1]
- In the Aleutians – Isles of Enchantment[1]
- The Infantry Blues[1]
- The Goldbrick[1]
- It's Murder She Says[1]
- A Lecture on Camouflage[1]
- Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike[1]
- Rumors[1]
- Secrets of the Caribbean[1]
- Snafuperman[1]
- Spies[1]
- Target: Snafu[1]
- Three Brothers[1]
- Operation: Snafu[1]
- Outpost[1]
- Pay Day[1]
- No Buddy Atoll[1]
Mr. Hook
Produced between 1943 and 1945.
Other government films
Warner Bros.
- 90 Day Wondering (1956)[1]
- Any Bonds Today? (1942)[1]
- Drafty, Isn't It? (1957)[1]
- A Hitch in Time (1955)[1]
- Point Rationing of Foods (1943)[1]
- So Much for So Little (1949)[1]
Walt Disney Productions
The Thrifty Pig and 7 Wise Dwarfs (both 1941) were produced for The National Film Board of Canada.
- The Thrifty Pig (1941)
- 7 Wise Dwarfs (1941)
- The Grain That Built a Hemisphere (1943)
- The Spirit of '43 (1943)[23]
- All 1943–1944 Fred Brunish stop-motion instructional films for the U.S. Navy
Miscellaneous
- All U.S.-based productions made before 1931, including much of the Farmer Al Falfa, Felix the Cat, Out of the Inkwell, Krazy Kat, Aesop's Film Fables, Winsor McCay and Laugh-O-Gram Studio libraries.