English: This is a press photo from 1937 of Oscar-winning actor Donald Crisp, published and distributed by Warner Bros. & Vitaphone Pictures with the intent to promote publicity for actor/film; copyrights waived, permission granted for use in cinemas, magazine, newspapers, and other advertisements. It is believed to be public domain, because it falls between the gap year of 1928-1977 and/or because over 70 years have elapsed since it was produced.
The photo has no visible copyright markings, because it's concealed by a signed slip from the actor's autograph w/ a date verifying 70+ years, as can be seen in the link above; however, in the other copy of the file showing the production companies and description below the photo, it states that the copyright is waived so that cinemas may promote publicity, and its use in newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals, for the same intended purpose that the public domain motto eschews; uploaded separately (as was done in the eBay source link above).
See also w:film still article, which explains that publicity photos were traditionally not copyrighted.
Unsure if copyright is a registered/expired one of 70+ years, or if simply null and void due to the waiver.
It was created for publicity purposes-distribution to the media and the image was meant to bring attention and publicity for actors and actresses. See also w:film still article.
Film production expert Eve Light Honathaner in The Complete Film Production Handbook, (Focal Press, 2001 p. 211.):
"Publicity photos (star headshots) have traditionally not been copyrighted. Since they are disseminated to the public, they are generally considered public domain, and therefore clearance by the studio that produced them is not necessary."
"There is a vast body of photographs, including but not limited to publicity stills, that have no notice as to who may have created them." (The Professional Photographer's Legal Handbook By Nancy E. Wolff, Allworth Communications, 2007, p. 55.)
"Publicity Photos (star headshots) older publicity stills have usually not been copyrighted and since they have been disseminated to the public, they are generally considered public domain and therefore there is no necessity to clear them with the studio that produced them (if you can even determine who did)."
United States Copyright Office page 2 "Visually Perceptible Copies The notice for visually perceptible copies should contain all three elements described below. They should appear together or in close proximity on the copies.
2 The year of first publication. If the work is a derivative work or a compilation incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the derivative work or compilation is sufficient. Examples of derivative works are translations or dramatizations; an example of a compilation is an anthology. The year may be omitted when a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, with accompanying textual matter, if any, is reproduced in or on greeting cards, postcards, stationery, jewelry, dolls, toys, or useful articles.
Note that it may still be copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works (depending on the date of the author's death), such as Canada (50 p.m.a.), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties.
This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer.
You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States.
Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Jamaica has 95 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Honduras has a general copyright term of 75 years, but it does implement the rule of the shorter term. Copyright may extend on works created by French who died for France in World War II (more information), Russians who served in the Eastern Front of World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) and posthumously rehabilitated victims of Soviet repressions (more information).