White Balance

This may seem like a very stupid question, but while using my DSLR last week I started to think about WB.

How is the issue of WB tackled in Film Photography is it something that can be controlled, or is it subject to the type of film used?

Also, what happens when I'm shooting in RAW and I set the white balance. Does this just affect how the image is seen on the display or does it set a "starting point" from which adjustments can be made?

Mmm not sure that I'm making any sense!

Take the same photo in the same lighting conditions using different white balance settings. You will notice a big difference.

It's dependent on the type of film. Most films are designed for daylight but you can get films designed for tungsten lighting. If the actual lighting is different from what the film expects (e.g. shooting indoors under tungsten light with daylight film) then you use a filter to correct the balance.

Yes and yes. In RAW mode the output file is basically just a dump of what the sensor captures, with no adjustment whatsoever. The white balance setting will be used to display the image on the camera's LCD, but you can change it without losing anything when you process the RAW file.

Au contraire. They are sensible questions and you have already grasped the answers. Also, your attitude of 'This is what I think, am I right?' is very constructive. You'll often find forum members a lot more willing to help if it looks like you've put some effort in yourself, as you have here.

Incidentally this Wikipedia article on White Balance is very informative.