In The Aviator (Leo DiCaprio biopic of Howard Hughes), they actually got the flashbulbs right. At the premiere of Hell's Angels, the press photogs are shown dumping spent bulbs on the ground, along with several closeups of feet crunching through the piles of shattered glass. There's even a shot of a bulb exploding in Hughes' face. They also used closeups of flashbulbs for scene transitions.

Bad thing: there was at least one Pacemaker (it was a side-RF, at least) and I think a couple of Anniversary models in that scene, set in 1930.

Edit: Ooh, in the "making of" featurette, you can see one of the photographers (the guy with the Pacemaker, incidentally) flipping the film holder after Hughes and Harlow walk past in the premiere scene. They were actually taking pictures!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Baker on 2005-06-03 22:05 ]</font>

A lot of artisic licence in the AVIATOR,the cameras are wrong,flash powder would have been used around this period circa late 1920's)...and as an old press photographer myself using flashbulbs,certainly wouldn't have thrown them down on the RED CARPET,no sir!

...but it was enjoyable all the same.

As Martin Scorsese said if you play back the movie with his commentary throughout,a lot of give or take was needed.The first hour is shot in Two-Strip Technicolor(green & red) to recreate the period,1920's to early 1930's.

Anyhow,still a wonderful Ad for the Graphics all the same, even if the dates of the cameras are wrong.

Another Postscript:I believe we saw a lot of the 2773 flashgun all with the 5" reflector,hold on,that means small flashbulbs,circa 1950's,in a circa 1930's movie premiere...

But perhaps like me,did'nt it look good,so Sid shut up!