The moving picture boys at Panama

In Short

The Moving Picture Boys at Panama (1914) by Victor Appleton is a classic juvenile action novel following teenage camera operators Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan on an assignment to record the construction of the Panama Canal. En route, they take on a polished South American named Mr. Alcando as an apprentice, unaware that his interest in the waterway extends far beyond cinema. Blending period technology, natural disasters, and international intrigue, this entry in a long-running syndicate series survives as an entertaining specimen of early mass-market fiction that captured the American public’s fascination with global engineering.

The Story

The story opens in the countryside near Central Falls, where young moving-picture cameramen Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan are enjoying the tail end of their summer vacation. While testing out a newly purchased motorcycle, they spot a runaway carriage veering toward a perilous ravine. The boys race after the vehicle and manage to rescue its passengers, including a suave South American gentleman who introduces himself as Mr. Alcando. Shortly thereafter, the chums receive a letter from their employer, Mr. Hadley of the Film Company, commissioning them to travel to Central America to capture documentary footage of the Panama Canal for the upcoming Panama Exposition.

When Mr. Alcando learns of their destination, he asks to accompany the duo as a student so he can learn the art of cinematography to promote a South American railroad venture. Despite vague oddities in Alcando’s behavior—such as a piece of correspondence referring to "big guns" and a mysterious brass-bound, ticking object kept in his luggage—the boys accept him as a companion and pupil.

Together with their equipment, they board a ship for Panama. Upon arrival, they set out to document the monumental feats of human labor along the Canal Zone. Their journey is fraught with physical danger: they survive a close squeeze in the Gatun Lock gates that crushes their escort tug, navigate the treacherous jungle to film local wildlife and native villages, face down a hungry alligator, and witness the terrifying power of a massive dirt slide in Culebra Cut that temporarily buries Joe.

Throughout these trials, Alcando proves an apt pupil and a pleasant traveling companion, gradually disarming the boys' initial suspicions. However, as the filming nears completion, his behavior grows increasingly erratic. After leaving his camera equipment near Gatun Dam under the pretext of taking evening shots, he disappears. While conducting a night assignment using experimental flashlight powder, Blake and Joe hear a familiar, rhythmic ticking coming from near the dam structures. Investigating the sound, they discover Alcando’s brass-bound box: an intricate, timed electrical detonator intended to destroy the dam and sabotage the Canal. A minor flaw in the mechanism delays the explosion long enough for the authorities to disarm the device. With the conspiracy thwarted, the Canal reopens to full traffic, and the boys return safely to New York, ready for their next cinematic assignment.

How It Unfolds

A heroic rescue on the road Blake and Joe use their twin-cylinder motorcycle to chase down a runaway horse and carriage, pulling the passengers back from the edge of a dangerous gulch. Among the survivors is Mr. Alcando, who expresses deep gratitude to the young cameramen.

The call to Central America A delayed special delivery letter from their New York employer arrives, directing the boys to head south to film the construction, locks, and surrounding wilderness of the Panama Canal Zone. Alcando asks to join them as an apprentice cinematographer.

Tension on the high seas During the voyage, Blake and Joe discover a small, brass-bound box emitting a loud ticking noise hidden inside Alcando's berth. Alcando angrily interrupts them, claiming the device is merely an experimental alarm clock he designed.

Peril in the lock gates Arriving in the Canal Zone, the group boards a government tugboat to film the locks. A sudden mechanical mishap causes the tug to drift backward into the closing steel leaves, nearly crushing the vessel before the crew escapes.

Jungle expeditions and natural hazards The team ventures into the dense Panamanian jungle to capture atmospheric backdrop footage. While exploring the waterways, Blake suffers a sudden leg cramp while swimming and is narrowly saved from an attacking alligator by the prompt action of their local guide.

The disaster at Culebra Cut While filming the massive earth-moving operations, a giant landslide occurs at Gold Hill. Blake continues cranking his camera to capture the dramatic event, while Joe is temporarily engulfed and buried by the falling debris before being safely dug out.

Midnight discovery at Gatun Dam After Alcando mysteriously vanishes, leaving his gear behind near the main dam structures, Blake and Joe hear a precise ticking sound in the dark. They locate the hidden brass box—a timed explosive device—and sound the alarm, foiling an international plot to destroy the Canal.

The People

• Blake Stewart: A practical, sharp-eyed young cameraman who drives the pair's motorcycle and leads their technical operations. He seeks to capture high-quality documentary footage while keeping his team safe, though his natural vigilance is initially lulled by Alcando's charm.
• Joe Duncan: Blake’s loyal friend and camera partner. More impulsive and easily unnerved than Blake, Joe suffers the brunt of the expedition's physical mishaps—including a near-miss with an alligator and getting buried in a rockslide—yet remains steadfast to the end.
• Mr. Alcando: A polished, South American traveler who presents himself as an eager novice learning cinematography for commercial rail promotion. In reality, he is an international saboteur seeking to use the boys' official credentials as cover to plant a bomb at the Gatun Dam.
• Captain Watson: The commander of the government tugboat Nama, who assists the boys in navigating the Canal waterways until his vessel is wrecked in a lock gate collision.
• Mr. Hadley: The head of the film company in New York, who hires the boys and reassures them against early suspicions regarding Alcando's background checks.

In Its Own Voice

"Every little bump and stone in the road seemed magnified because of the speed at which they were moving. But Blake held the long handles firmly..."

Blake and Joe push their new motorcycle to its limits to overtake a runaway horse before it plunges over a cliff.

"Slowly and irresistibly the great lock gates were closing and now the tug had almost been pulled back between them. She seemed likely to be crushed to splinters."

The boys face sudden catastrophe inside the concrete lock walls as mechanical failure threatens to destroy their vessel.

"Inside was a most complicated electrical timing apparatus, for setting off charges of explosive. It could be adjusted to cause the detonation at any set minute..."

The true nature of Alcando's secret "alarm clock" is finally revealed after the plot against the dam is uncovered.

What It's Really About

Underneath its fast-paced adventure narrative, The Moving Picture Boys at Panama reflects early twentieth-century American technological optimism and geopolitical anxieties. The novel contrasts the wholesome, industrious ingenuity of the young American cameramen against the deceit of foreign conspirators who seek to undermine modern engineering achievements. It explores the power of the emerging medium of motion pictures not just as entertainment, but as an educational tool capable of bringing distant global feats into neighborhood theaters. Ultimately, the plot turns on vigilance, showing how technical curiosity and careful observation can uncover hidden dangers lurking behind sophisticated surface appearances.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers modern readers an engaging time-capsule view of pop culture from the 1910s. It provides insight into how contemporaries viewed the construction of the Panama Canal—one of the largest industrial undertakings of its era—while shedding light on the early days of motion picture production before automated lightweight cameras existed.

Readers who enjoy vintage series fiction (such as The Hardy Boys or Tom Swift) will appreciate the book's energetic pace and historical charm. Contemporary audiences should note that the text reflects period attitudes of its time, particularly in its straightforward portrayal of Western technological superiority and generic depictions of foreign landscapes and local workers. Nevertheless, its blend of early cinema mechanics, genuine physical hazards, and classic sabotage intrigue makes it a light, fast-moving historical read.