Cinematograph Act
The Cinematograph Act, enacted in the United Kingdom in 1909, established regulations for film theaters, placing them under the same safety statutes as other entertainment venues like drama and music halls. This act granted local county councils the power to set conditions for licensing film theaters, allowing for community-specific regulations. The act was notably used as a censorship tool shortly after its implementation; for instance, the London County Council banned the screening of a film featuring African American boxer Jack Johnson. It also prohibited cinemas from showing films on certain days, demonstrating the act's influence on cultural expression during that era. By 1912, the British Board of Film Censors collaborated with local councils to enforce censorship recommendations, reflecting an organized approach to film regulation. Subsequent amendments in 1952 broadened the act's scope, enhancing regulations concerning licensing, safety, and the welfare of children in the film industry. The Cinematograph Act thus represents a significant development in the governance of film exhibition, intertwining issues of regulation, censorship, and community standards in the early 20th century.
Cinematograph Act
Enacted: 1909; amended in 1952
Place: United Kingdom (national)
Significance: Ostensibly designed to regulate safety issues associated with the showing of films, this law authorized the British government to censors films
The Cinematograph Act placed film theaters under the same safety statutes as other mass entertainment facilities, such as drama and music halls. It enabled local county councils to dictate the requirements for the licensing of film theaters on whatever terms and conditions the councils chose.
A year after it was enacted the law saw its first use as a censorship tool when the London County Council invoked it to ban showings of a film in which African American boxer Jack Johnson defeated boxer Jim Jeffries for a world championship. Also in 1910, the London council barred cinemas from showing films on Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. When one theater defied the ban, a court upheld the ban, ruling that the Cinematograph Act did indeed confer such powers upon local authorities.
By 1912 the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC), a private regulatory agency, and Britain’s county councils worked together, with the BBFC issuing censorship recommendations that local authorities enforced. Film distributors agreed to submit all of their work to the board, and the board agreed to act as an impartial screening agency.
Amendments to the Cinematograph Act that were enacted in 1952 expanded the law’s authority over licensing power and regulation of safety, health, and welfare issues, and added new protections of children involved in the film industry.