The Library of Congress Copyright Office publication compiles registration records for motion pictures produced and copyrighted during the decade spanning from nineteen forty through nineteen forty-nine. The volume addresses the administrative needs of the Copyright Office, furnishes compact index volumes for the legal profession and film industry, and preserves historical data not readily available elsewhere.
The main section lists motion pictures alphabetically by title, separating photoplays from other types of films such as animated cartoons and newsreels. Each entry contains standardized data including the title, production statement, copyright date, physical description, and registration number. Supplementary notes identify series titles, production companies, original source materials, and cast credits when available in the original deposit records.
The text details the methodology used to compile records from original record books, applications, and descriptive materials deposited during the era. For the years nineteen forty through nineteen forty-six, information was transcribed from original record books and applications, while records from nineteen forty-nine utilize card copies adapted from the Catalog of Copyright Entries.
The volume concludes with comprehensive index sections, including a name index listing producers, directors, authors of source materials, and individuals associated with the works, alongside a complete series list. These reference tools establish prima facie evidence of copyright facts as provided under United States law, offering an unbroken historical record of American cinema through the nineteen forties.
