COMMON INFORMER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1931, Page 8

COMMON INFORMER

SUNDAY CINEMAS SUIT. LONDON; July 20. Miss Millie Open, formerly Miss Millie Oppenheini, was awarded £SOOO damages in her claim as a ‘‘common informer” against 1 the Hay market Capitol Theatre. Her action against the directors was dismissed. Mr Justice Rowlatt said that the Court’s duty was simply to enforce the Act of Parliament, not to he perverse by evading the Act, if no such way out really existed. The defendant company was granted a stay of execution. The Cinematograph. Exhibitors’ Association points out that a Sunday Performance Bill, which is now being discussed in Parliament, contains a clause eliminating any damages secured for such an action Accordingly the case is an additional reason for the hill to become law, as soon as possible It ai-Ms "* f an appli'-ition is also hang made to the Home Secretary, who .has power to remit the penalty. Penalties amounting t-o £25.000 were claimed by M,iss Orpen. under the Lord’s Day Observance Act. 1781, in connection with Sunday openings of the cinema Her ease was that the Act provided that a house of amusement opened on Sunday for paid admission was a disorderly house, the conductor of which was liable to pay £IOO to anybody suing for the sum. The London County Counc I had allowed cinemas to open on Sundays, if parts of the proceeds were given to ohaiit\, but this was he'd by the Appeal Couit to he illegal.