11 Classic Films in the Public Domain

(via mental_floss)  Thousands of films have been released in the U.S. since the dawn of cinema, meaning it’s only natural for some to fall through the cracks. Today, studios guard their products with copyright lawyers intent on preserving every aspect of potential commercialization, but it wasn’t always so regimented, and as a result thousands of films are in the public domain. From horror icons to silent classics, here are 11 films and their public domain stories.