Oscar-winning films in the public domain
The Academy Awards have honoured some of the greatest films in cinematic history and many Oscar-winners reside in the public domain.
These films remain culturally significant and continue to be rediscovered by modern audiences, showcasing the rich legacy of early Hollywood.
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) earned José Ferrer (pictured) an Oscar for his iconic portrayal of the eloquent yet self-conscious swordsman.
Prelude to War (1942) was designed to educate American soldiers and the public about the Axis threat, winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Blood on the Sun (1945), starring James Cagney, won an Academy Award for its striking art direction in a gripping tale of pre-WWII espionage.
A Star is Born (1937), the first of several adaptations, was a Technicolor drama about the rise and fall of Hollywood dreams. It won an Oscar for Best Original Story.
A Farewell to Arms (1932), based on Ernest Hemingway’s novel, won two Oscars (Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction) for its powerful depiction of love and war.
The House I Live In (1945), starring Frank Sinatra, was an Academy Award-winning short promoting tolerance and unity during WWII.
The Fighting Lady (1944) is an Oscar-winning documentary offering a rare and vivid look at life aboard a wartime U.S. aircraft carrier.
In Old Arizona (1928) made history as the first all-talking Western and earned Warner Baxter the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the Cisco Kid.
Coquette (1929) is a romantic drama starring Mary Pickford as a Southern belle whose love affair leads to tragedy, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
This Is the Army (1943) is a patriotic musical film showcasing a theatrical troupe of US soldiers performing to boost morale during World War II, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
The Broadway Melody (1929) was the first musical to win Best Picture, setting the stage for Hollywood’s love affair with song-and-dance films.
The Jazz Singer (1927) revolutionised cinema as the first feature-length “talkie,” marking the beginning of synchronized sound in film and won an Academy Honorary Award.
Disraeli (1929) is an historical drama starring George Arliss as British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, a performance that earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
The silent film winners
Wings (1927), the first-ever Best Picture winner, stunned audiences with its breath-taking aerial dogfight sequences, winning a second Oscar for Best Effects.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) is a visually stunning silent film telling the story of a troubled marriage. It won three Oscars: Best Unique and Artistic Picture; Best Cinematography and Janet Gaynor won Best Actress in a Leading Role (for her work on this film, 7th Heaven, and Street Angel).
Street Angel (1928) is a silent romantic drama directed by Frank Borzage, following a destitute woman’s journey through love and hardship in Naples, and it won a shared Academy Award for Best Actress (Janet Gaynor).
White Shadows in the South Seas (1929) is an adventure drama renowned, which won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
The Divine Lady (1929) is an historical romance about Emma Hamilton’s love affair with Admiral Nelson, winning Frank Lloyd the Academy Award for Best Director, despite not being nominated for Best Picture.
The Last Command (1928) is a silent historical drama featuring Emil Jannings as a fallen Russian general, a role that won him the first Academy Award for Best Actor at the inaugural Oscars.
The Way of All Flesh (1927) is a silent drama about a devoted father whose life unravels after a tragic encounter leads him down a path of ruin, earning Emil Jannings the first-ever for Best Actor award (shared with The Last Command).
7th Heaven (1927) is a romantic silent film that won three Academy Awards, including Best Director (Dramatic Picture) for Frank Borzage, Best Actress for Janet Gaynor, and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1st Academy Awards.
Underworld (1927) is a groundbreaking gangster film directed by Josef von Sternberg, winning the first Academy Award for Best Original Story.
Tempest (1928) is a silent drama where a peasant becomes a lieutenant in Czarist Russia, and it notably won William Cameron Menzies the first Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
Two Arabian Knights (1927) is a comedic adventure film about two US soldiers who escape a German prison camp during World War I and embark on a series of misadventures in the Middle East, winning the first and only Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy Picture (Lewis Milestone).