In a film cassette, a spool is supported for rotation in an unwinding direction inside a cassette shell, a convoluted film roll whose outermost convolution is a film leader is coiled in the unwinding direction about the spool, and a film stripper is located substantially adjacent a passageway to the exterior of the shell to be received between a leading edge portion of the film leader and a next-inward convolution of the film roll responsive to rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction to divert the leading edge portion to between a pair of light-trapping pads spaced opposite each other in the passageway. According to the invention, one of the light-trapping pads is located substantially in abutment with the stripper and the other of the pads is spaced from the stripper to generally ensure the leading edge portion of the film leader will be advanced over the one pad before the leading edge portion can be advanced over the other pad when the spool is rotated in the unwinding direction.