30 Family Friendly Public Domain Kids Movies

These films are usually in the public domain due to age, missing copyright notice, or simply lacking a copyright. Whenever possible, we will include details about how or why the titles in our list are legal to enjoy.

The first list covers proven public domain family films, but we will also include a section for movies that need more research. In these cases, we always do a background check to make sure a copyright for the film does not exist. However, more research is required to find out if they are legal to watch.

Whatever the case might be, one thing is for sure: each of these free family movies is available to watch online. If a copyright claim is made, they will be removed from the host site immediately. That said, please keep in mind that free to watch does not necessarily mean free to broadcast.

With all of that out of the way, let’s dig into all of these public domain family films!

This post is current and up to date as of 2024.

• Official Public Domain Family Movies
• Free Family Movies Regarded as Public Domain
• 50 Free Comedy Movies in the Public Domain
• Additional Resources to Find Public Domain Movies
• 450 Free Christmas Movies to Watch in 2021

Official Public Domain Family Movies

The free family movies in this list have been researched enough to determine that they are definitely in the public domain. In most cases, there will be specific details to explain why each film is free and legal to watch.

2. The Painted Hills

This is the seventh and final Lassie movie MGM ever produced, and it is in the public domain because the studio did not renew their copyright. Although it’s not regarded as a beloved Lassie film, fans of the franchise might still want to watch this one.

3. Gulliver’s Travels

As with many other free family movies on our list, this title fell into the public domain when its copyright was not renewed. Although the movie itself is free and legal to watch, some later prints might be copyrighted. The version posted here is safe to enjoy.

4. Sita Sings the Blues

This might be a controversial addition to the list, but I think it’s family-friendly enough to make the cut. Of course, this movie also has the distinction of being the newest film on our list.

Why is a movie released in 2008 in the public domain? Well, there were a lot of copyright issues with Sita Sings the Blues due to its use of material that the filmmaker believed to be public domain.

In other words, this is an excellent example of what happens when you don’t do your research! This is another reason we stress the point that free to watch does not mean free to distribute or use in your own artistic endeavors.

Regardless, due to all the legal issues, the filmmaker decided to change the license for this film to CC-0 (public domain).

5. The Jungle Book (1942)

No, this is not the Disney version of The Jungle Book, but it is surprisingly well-rated, and it was nominated for four Academy Awards.

As with many other titles on our list, this family movie is in the public domain because the copyright holders forgot to renew their license. It should be noted that the original film elements are owned by a studio. Their prints will not be free to watch, but this copy is safe and legal to enjoy.

6. Oliver Twist (1933)

This adaptation of Charles Dicken’s classic story is in the public domain because its copyright was not renewed. Although the film stars Dickie Moore (Out of the Past) and Irving Pichel (The Miracle of the Bells), there’s nothing else especially noteworthy about this family movie.

7. Oliver Twist (1922)

Speaking of Charles Dickens adaptations, this version of Oliver Twist is also free and legal to enjoy. This movie is in the public domain because it is over 95 years old. Films of this age automatically fall into the public domain by default. Did we mention this film  stars the incomparable Lon Chaney (Phantom of the Opera, The Wolf Man)?

8. Pollyanna (1920)

Much like the previous film on our list of free family movies, this title is over 95 years old and has automatically fallen into the public domain. This early adaptation of the story Pollyanna stars silent film era star Mary Pickford and it is fairly well-rated.

9. Scrooge (1935)

Although it can’t compare to the later adaptation of Scrooge starring Alastair Sim (1951), this is a pretty well-rated version of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Like so many other free family movies, this one fell into the public domain when the copyright was not renewed. This is just one of several great Christmas movies in the public domain.

10. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

If you’re in need of more Christmas fun, this one is definitely part of a class known as nanar cinema. Maybe it’s not technically brilliant, but it’s still enjoyable for other reasons.

To give you a sense of what we mean, this film was featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. This movie is in the public domain because it was published without a copyright notice.

11. March of the Wooden Soldiers (1950)

This Laurel and Hardy adaptation of Babes in Toyland was released in 1934, but it was re-released in 1950 under the new title March of the Wooden Soldiers. This version of the film is public domain because it was published without a copyright notice. Needless to say, this is another fun Christmas movie you can watch for free during the holidays.

12. Santa and the Three Bears

Here is yet another Christmas movie that is free and legal to watch. This is another example of a well-rated film that fell into the public domain because its copyright was not renewed. Written and directed by Tony Benedict (The Flintstones), this is one of the often overlooked free family films on our list.

13. The Great Rupert

Although the title doesn’t immediately give it away, this is also a Christmas movie. Like many other films of this era, it fell into the public domain when the copyright was not renewed. That said, the film was later re-released by a major studio with a colorized print, and that version is not free to watch.

14. Little Lord Fauntleroy

This adaptation of the classic story is very highly rated, and it was produced by David O. Selznick. Believe it or not, this was actually the most successful film his company produced before Gone With the Wind, which of course went on to become the most profitable movie of all time.

While they saw the value in maintaining the copyright for that cinematic classic, the copyright for Little Lord Fauntleroy was not renewed and it fell into the public domain. Of course, this movie did eventually get a remaster, and the version released by Kino Lorber is not free to watch.

15. Adventure Island (1947)

Based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story, this is another case where the copyright was not renewed and the film fell into the public domain. Although this movie stars Rhonda Fleming (Out of the Past,Spellbound) and Rory Calhoun (Motel Hell,How to Mary a Millionaire), it’s not really regarded by many as a must-see title.

16. The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)

This made-for-tv adaptation of a classic story stars Claude Rains (Casablanca, The Invisible Man) and Van Johnson (The Caine Mutiny, Brigadoon), and although it’s not poorly rated, it’s not very popular either.

From what we can tell, the copyright for this film was never renewed and it fell into the public domain.

Free Family Movies Regarded as Public Domain

This section will be a continuation of our list, but it will cover free family movies that are only probably in the public domain. We’ve done a bit of research for each of these films, even going so far as to check for a current copyright.

In the case of every movie below, no copyright was found for the film itself. If a copyright exists for either the screenplay or the soundtrack, the movie might not be in the public domain. Although it’s a good sign that these free family movies are readily available from reliable sources, more research is required.

Another issue is that these films often lack information about how they fell into the public domain. Even if we could prove no copyright currently exists, we wouldn’t know why or how that happened.

All of that being said, you can at least take comfort in the knowledge that some research on these movies has been done and all indications are that they are in the public domain.

17. Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

Well before the 90’s movie was released, there were actually several Dick Tracy movies produced back when the character was most popular.

This movie features acting from Boris Karloff (Frankenstein, The Mummy) as the title villain. We have found evidence that the copyright for this film was not renewed. We have found no evidence that a copyright currently exists for the movie.

18. Dick Tracy vs Cueball

This is another Dick Tracy film that likely fell into the public domain because its copyright was not renewed, but we have not been able to confirm that yet.

There does not appear to be an active copyright for this movie. Although this is not regarded as a great film, it is notable for being one of the earlier films directed by Gordon Douglas (Them, In Like Flint).

19. Dick Tracy’s Dilemma

Much like the other Dick Tracy films on our list, there is no active copyright for this movie. It is very likely that many of the movies in this franchise are on the public domain. This title in particular has been regarded as public domain in the past, and there is at least a little evidence to support that claim.

 20. Dick Tracy (1945)

This is another example where it does not appear that anyone currently holds the copyright for this film. In addition to the lack of a copyright, this movie has widely been considered public domain for a long time.

Although we need to do more research to confirm the copyright status of this title, it’s a good sign that it has been freely available to watch online for many years.

21. The Borrowers (1973)

This adaptation of the classic story was made for television, and the Wikipedia article lists it as a public domain film. Unfortunately, there is no citation for this claim, and extended research has not produced evidence to confirm it.

What we have discovered is that there does not appear to be an active copyright for this movie. Whatever the case might be, the title is freely available to watch online.

22. The Return of Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin was a fairly popular franchise back in the day, but this title may have fallen into the public domain regardless. Upon doing a bit of research, we were unable to find an active copyright for this movie. As you can see, the film has been considered public domain for years, and it is readily available to watch for free.

23. Heidi (1952)

This probably isn’t the version of the story you’re familiar with, but it is widely regarded as one of the best film adaptations of the novel ever made. The film has been considered public domain for many years, and we were unable to find an active copyright. This is probably one of the better free family movies on our list.

24. The New Adventures of Heidi

No, this is not a sequel to the previous movie on our list. There does not appear to be an active copyright, and it is very likely that this movie is in the public domain. Although this is not widely considered to be a good movie, it is notable for starring Burl Ives (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof).

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