Film cartridge with visual indicator for verifying film loading in camera

A film cartridge comprises a housing having a film exit slit, and a film roll support rotatable inside the housing to unwind a filmstrip beginning with a film leader having several frame lengths from the film roll support to allow the film leader to be moved outwardly through the slit to accomplish film loading in a camera. A visible film-loaded indicator is located to be seen through a window in a camera. A cover strip covers the indicator to prevent the indicator from being seen. A tether has a forward portion located at the slit for releasably engaging the film leader and a rearward portion releaseably engaging the cover strip. An engageable portion is located on the film leader for engagement with the forward portion of the tether as the film leader is moved outwardly through the slit, to make the tether move with the film leader to draw the cover strip off the indicator when the film leader is moved out of the housing sufficiently to accomplish film loading in a camera. A return spring urges the tether to disengage its forward portion from the engageable portion of the film leader and its rearward portion from the cover strip after the cover strip is drawn off the indicator.