Kinematograph year book (1928)

Digest of Acts. 137 This Section does not apply to a film which has been exhibited to Exhibitors or to the public before the commencement of the Act, and if it is a serial or a series of films coming within the meaning of the Act, it is sufficient if any three parts thereof have been registered or a valid application for the registration of three parts thereof has been made. It limits advance booking to 12 months in the case of an agreement made before the 1st October, 1928, and 9 months in the case of an agreement between the 1st October, 1928, and the 1st October, 1930, and after the 1st October, 1930, to 6 months each. The penalty of committing an offence under Part 1 is a fine not exceeding £50, and any agreement in contravention of this part of the Act wherever made shall be invalid. Any agreement entered into before the commencement of the Act which if entered into after the commencement of the Act would be an illegal agreement under the provisions of this part of the Act or so far as it affects any films to which the Act applies to be delivered for exhibition after the 31st December, 1928, ceases to have effect from that day. Part 2 of the Act deals with the registration of films. On and after the 1st April, 1928, no film to which this Act applies, or in the case of a serial film or a series of films no part thereof, shall be exhibited to the public in Great Britain unless the film or part thereof exhibited has been registered in accordance with this part of the Act. It contains two provisoes to the effect that a film in respect of which a provisional application has been made may before registration be exhibited at a series of public exhibitions held on consecutive days, and that the provisions contained in this section shall not apply to a film which has been exhibited before the commencement of this Act. The penalty for a person exhibiting a film/or in the case of a serial film or a series of films any part thereof, in contravention of this section is a fine not exceeding £20 for each day on which the film or part has been so exhibited. The Board of Trade will keep register of films to which the Act applies. The form of procedure to be adopted to register films is set out, and Section 4 states any application to register a film shall not be a valid application unless the film has been trade shown nor if more than 14 days have elapsed since it was trade shown. To this section there are two provisoes to the effect that a provisional application may be made before the film has been trade shown, provided that the film is trade shown within six weeks after the lodging of the provisional application, and the second proviso to the effect that where the application is made more than 14 days after the film was trade shown it may be accepted by the Board as a valid application if satisfied that the delay was due to special circumstances and was unintentional. Instead of the Compulsory Trade Show a film may be booked for a prerelease at one theatre situated anywhere in Great Britain, after which, of course, it will have to be registered and can then be pre-released in the ordinary way. On the registration of a film the Board will issue to the applicant a certificate of registration, such certificate stating the length of the film, whether it is registered as a British or Foreign film and so on. The Register of these films will be open to inspection by any person on payment of a fee. Any person may also be furnished with a copy of any entry in the register certified to be a true copy by an officer of the Board of Trade appointed to keep the Register. Part 3 deals with provisions for securing the quota of British films.