John Wayne’s breakout masterpiece is now part of the public domain. Every year, there are movies, books, music, and more that slip into the public domain. This year is no different, and on January 1, 2026, at the stroke of midnight, several properties released in 1930 hit the public domain. This includes Wayne’s first-ever leading man role.
The rules indicate that once a piece of work is 95 years old, it goes into the public domain. This means that anyone can now remake the movie, use the characters in different projects, or even re-release it themselves without having to pay the original rights holders. For John Wayne, that movie is The Big Trail.
John Wayne’s The Big Trail Is Now In The Public Domain
John Wayne started his acting career in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until legendary director Raoul Walsh cast him in 1930’s The Big Trail that The Duke received his first-ever lead role. This pre-Hays Code Western had Wayne star as Breck Coleman, a young trapper who returns home looking for revenge against the man who killed his friend.
The interesting thing about movies from 1930 is that they did not have to operate under the Hays Code, which gave specific orders on what these stories were allowed to do concerning violence, morality, and more. That doesn’t mean that this was a risqué Western, but Walsh was able to tell the story he wanted without restrictions.
The movie is also known for its sweeping look at the Oregon Trail, with the use of groundbreaking 70mm Grandeur wide-screen cameras. The movie was a huge success, and it made John Wayne a major Western star. In 2006, the Library of Congress added The Big Trail to the National Film Registry.
What this means is that anyone can use, share, and adapt The Big Trail in any form they want without needing to get permission. This also means you might get a chance to see The Big Trail on TV and streaming services a lot more than ever before.
What Other Movies Have Hit The Public Domain?
The Big Trail was just the start for the 2026 batch of public domain releases. Fans who love classic comedy get a treat, as the Marx Brothers masterpiece Animal Crackers is also now in the fantasy domain. The movie stars the four Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo) in a classic comedy musical masterpiece.
The 1931 Oscar winner for Best Picture is now in the public domain, with Cimarron, and the novel on which it was based (written in 1930) is also now in the public domain. There are also two Marlene Dietrich films, Morocco and The Blue Angel, that are in the public domain.