What is the function of the green-colored structure indicated by the arrow?

Why were most movies from the late 1890s until the early 1930s only filmed in black and white? there were only a few people who could afford the technology to produce color motion pictures back then. audiences did not want color motion pictures until later. the film used to make color motion pictures often overheated, which was a safety hazard, so it was generally not allowed. color films had to be hand-colored, frame by frame.