[FRMAG]

Old movie film was high in content. As a result the film stock was highly flammable bordering on explosive. We still have the hangover in movie film handling procedures and the elaborate precautions taken in projection rooms to prevent the spread of fire.

[supercat]

We still have the hangover in movie film handling procedures and the elaborate precautions taken in projection rooms to prevent the spread of fire.

I don't think projection booths would have exposed platter reals if films were still made from nitrocellulose.

Those I'll admit I found myself wondering in Cinema Paradiso whether anyone would be so reckless as to leave a large box of loosely-tossed movie film in the projection booth. One stray spark and the whole room would have been in flames in under five seconds.

BTW, I recall reading that the "Heigh Ho" scene from Snow White almost went up in flames when a bigwig disregarded the strict "NO SMOKING" policies of the animation studio. The cells were stacked ready for photographing and only a very quick reaction by a staffer stopped the flames before they hit the characters.