Kinematograph year book (1935)

172 The Kinematograph Year Book. Cinematograph Films Act, 1927. An Act to restrict blind booking and advance booking of cinematograph films, and to secure the renting and exhibition of a certain proportion of British films, and for purposes connected therewith. Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majest\7, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows PART I RESTRICTIONS ON BLIND BOOKING AND ADVANCE BOOKING OF FILMS. 1. — (Restriction on Blind Booking of Films). — (i) As from the commencement of this Act no agreement shall be entered into to rent or imposing an obligation when called on to rent for public exhibition in Great Britain any film to which this Act applies unless every such film to which the agreement relates has been registered under this Act or a valid application for the registration thereof has been made : Provided that— (a) this provision shall not apply to a film which has been exhibited to exhibitors or to the public in Great Britain before the "commencement of this Act ; and (b) in the case of a serial film or a series of films within the meaning of this Act, it shall be sufficient if any three parts thereof have been registered or a valid application for the registration of three parts thereof has been made. (2) In the case of a film which has not been previously exhibited to exhibitors or to the public in Great Britain, this section shall not operate so as to prohibit the making prior to the registration or application for registration thereof of an agreement for the exhibition of the film in one theatre only on a number of consecutive days, 2. — (Restriction on Advance Booking.) — (i ) As from the commencement of this Act, no agreement shall be entered into for the exhibition to the public in Great Britain at a date later than the expiration of the authorised period from the date of the agreement of any film to which this Act applies: Provided that in the case of a serial film or a series of films within the meaning of this Act, the authorised period shall apply only in respect of the date of exhibition of the first three parts. Provided that in the case of a serial film or a series of films within the meaning of this Act the authorised period shall apply only in respect of the date of exhibition of the first three parts. (2) For the purposes of this section the authorised period shall — ■ (a) in the case of an agreement made before the first day of October, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, be twelve months ; (b) in the case of an agreement made on or after the first day of October, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, and before the first day of October, nineteen hundred and thirty, be nine months ; (c) in the case of an agreement made on or after the first day of October, nineteen hundred and thirty, be six months. 3. — (Penalty on Contraventions.) — If any person enters into an agreement in contravention of this Part of this Act, or if any person exhibits to the public in Great Britain a film the right to exhibit which has been acquired by him under any such agreement, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds, and any agreement in contravention of this part of the Act, wherever made, shall be invalid. 4. — (Provision as to Existing Agreements.) — Any agreement entered into after the twentyfifth day of September, nineteen hundred and twenty-six, and before the commencement of this Act which if entered into after the commencement of this Act would be an invalid Agreement under the foregoing provisions 01 this Part of this Act shall, if and so far as it aftects any films to which this Act applies to be delivered for public exhibition in Great Britain after the thirty-first day of December, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, cease to have effect on that day. PART II. REGISTRATION OF FILMS. 5. — (Prohibition Against Exhibition of Unregistered Films.) — (i) On and after the first day of April, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, no film to which this Act app.ies, 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 the part thereof exhibited has been registered in accordance with this Part of this Act : Provided that — (a) a film in respect of which a provisional application for registration has been made may, before registration, be exhibited in Great Britain at a series of public exhibitions held at on* theatre only on consecutive days. (fc) the prohibition contained in this section shall not apply to a film which has been exhibite d before the commencement of this Act. Francis Lederer in "Romance in Manhattan' -Radio, of course