G.E. Hudson Falls powers ’60s motion picture lighting technology

And the Academy Award for Science and Techology in 1961 went to — Sylvania Electric Co.’s Sun Gun, powered by batteries manufactured at General Electric Co.’s Hudson Falls plant.

The Sun Gun was a hand-held, high-powered professional photographic lighting system.

For an encore in 1962, the Hudson Falls plant manufactured the rechargible, nickel-cadmium batteries used to power a new portable motion picture lighting system that G.E. developed and was manufacturing at its Cleveland plant.

“One feature of the new product is that the movie-taker can have light whenever he wants it, because the power source is batteries in a light-weight pack,” The Post-Star reported on Sept. 10, 1962.

The pack, battery case and strap weighed about 8.5 pounds, and was expected to sell for $125 — the equivalent of $1,218 in 2022 dollars.

The system had an added feature.

“A special lamp developed by G.E. engineers eliminates wasted ‘spill’ light and concentrates it all on the subject areas for clearer, brighter movies.”

The Hudson Falls G.E. plant closed in 2016.