The American newsreel industry was in its infancy when World War I began in Europe, but each belligerent government forbade cameras on its battlefields. Enemy troops often mistook large camera tripods and long lenses for newfangled weapons, and made them particular targets. Some British officers in Belgium even gave orders to shoot anyone with a camera. Given the doubled risks of trying to get combat footage, plus the common practice by theater owners of excising graphic war images to protect the fragile sensibilities of their customers, few newsreel photographers attempted to film real battles. Instead, they staged elaborate mock fights, complete with bayonets that sprung backwards and exploding water bottles. Still, many cameramen lost their lives. One Frenchman was shot on his inaugural outing with a new hand-held Aeroscope camera. The camera, with its efficient stabilization mechanism, went on...