The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms: Or Lost in the Wilds of Florida

In Short

This 1914 installment of Laura Lee Hope’s classic juvenile series follows teenage sisters Ruth and Alice DeVere—members of the Comet Film Company—as they travel south from New York. Their journey to shoot on location is plagued by a shipboard fire, but the real adventure begins in Florida's interior. While filming scenes in the wilderness near Lake Kissimmee, a party including the sisters becomes hopelessly lost in the dense, alligator-infested swamps. Combining period theatrical melodrama with early cinema lore, the story endures as a vivid snapshot of early movie-making and classic American girl-adventure fiction.

The Story

The story opens in New York City, where the Comet Film Company, led by director Frank Pertell, completes a winter studio shoot. The company—including stage actor Mr. DeVere, his daughters Ruth and Alice, camera operator Russ Dalwood, and young leading man Paul Ardite—boards the steamer Tarsus bound for Florida to film tropical dramas on location.

Disaster strikes early in the voyage when a cargo fire breaks out in the hold. Explosions rock the vessel, prompting panics among passengers and crew, though Russ manages to capture dramatic footage of the fire-fighters. The passengers are rescued by a passing vessel, the Bell, and brought safely to port in St. Augustine.

While resting and filming in St. Augustine, the girls learn of a local tragedy: two sisters, Mabel and Helen Madison, went missing weeks earlier while gathering rare orchid specimens in the remote swamps near Lake Kissimmee. The troupe films historical dramas around Fort Marion and stages motorboat races, during which Alice narrowly escapes an encounter with a confused elderly man in the fort's old dungeon.

The company then journeys south into the Florida backwaters aboard the river steamer Magnolia to film outdoor wilderness plays. Amid scenes involving wild manatees, alligator nests, and improvised stunts—such as rescuing an actor stuck in a quicksand bog using a rope fashioned from skirts—the troupe sets up camp deep in the forest.

During a break in filming, Ruth, Alice, Mrs. Maguire, Russ, and Paul take a rowboat upriver for an afternoon outing. Caught in a sudden tropical rainstorm, they take a wrong turn along the winding creeks and realize they are lost. They spend a anxious night stranded in the boat, comforting themselves with hot coffee made on an alcohol stove. The next morning, they navigate the marshy waterways until they discover a crude palm-leaf hut built on the shoreline, where they find two weak, exhausted young women hiding inside. They prove to be the long-lost Madison sisters.

Shortly thereafter, a native Seminole guide named Uncle Joshua arrives at the hut and leads the entire group safely back to the Magnolia. The company returns the Madison girls to their grateful family in Sycamore, where a festive garden party is held in their honor. With their Florida film reels complete, the company packs up for New York, already looking forward to their next cinematic adventure out West.

How It Unfolds

Disaster at sea En route to Florida aboard the steamer Tarsus, the troupe faces a harrowing night when fire breaks out in the forward hold, forcing the passengers to flee before being rescued by a passing ship.

Sightseeing in St. Augustine Arriving safely in Florida's oldest city, the actors film scenes around historical landmarks while learning about two local girls who recently vanished into the interior swamps.

Into the backwaters The company travels inland aboard a river steamer to film wild nature dramas, contending with alligators, deep bogs, and unexpected wilderness hazards along the waterways.

Lost in the wilderness A routine boating excursion turns dangerous when a sudden rainstorm masks the river channels, stranding Ruth, Alice, and their companions in the dark, alligator-filled swamp overnight.

The palm-leaf hut Searching for a way back to their steamer, the lost party stumbles upon a hidden shelter in the forest, discovering the missing Madison sisters alive inside.

Safe return and new horizons Guided back to safety by a local guide, the troupe reunites the lost girls with their family before wrapping up their film shoot and preparing for a trip to the American West.

The People

• Ruth DeVere: The elder, fairer sister, who wants to maintain decorum and protect her family. What stands in her way is her own cautious, fearful nature when confronted by physical peril. Through her wilderness trials, she develops greater personal courage and resilience.
• Alice DeVere: Ruth’s lively, brown-eyed younger sister, who seeks adventure and active involvement in film stunts. Her main obstacle is the skepticism of older company members who view her as impulsive. Her resourcefulness, such as inventing a cloth rope to rescue a trapped actor, earns her the respect of the troupe.
• Russ Dalwood: The ambitious young camera operator, whose primary goal is capturing authentic, thrilling footage on film regardless of the danger. He struggles against technical mishaps and sudden emergencies, emerging as a capable leader when the group gets lost.
• Paul Ardite: The company's young leading man, who wants to protect Alice and prove his manhood. Hindered by his relative inexperience in wild environments, he proves his mettle during the ocean rescue and swamp survival ordeal.

In Its Own Voice

"I mean just what I say!" went on the commander, and there was no mistaking his sincerity. "There is no danger--at present," he continued.

The captain attempts to reassure terrified passengers on the deck of the Tarsus as smoke rises from the forward hold.

"I have just thought of something!" ... "There are no alligators in this bay; are there?"

Actor Pepper Sneed hesitates in his motorboat before performing a planned fall into the water for a dramatic scene.

"Do--do you mean, we are--lost?" faltered Ruth.

Ruth confronts the harsh reality as night falls over the unfamiliar swamp channels.

What It's Really About

Beneath its episodic plot of travel and survival, the book examines the intersection of modern technology and raw nature at the dawn of the twentieth century. The motion picture camera acts as an intrusive lens, transforming genuine wilderness dangers into commercial entertainment. Concurrently, the story explores female independence; Ruth and Alice operate within a professional workspace, navigate real physical peril, and rely on their own ingenuity rather than passive rescue. The plot contrasts urban artifice with rural hardship, ultimately suggesting that courage and practical adaptability matter more than social position or polished theatrical airs when real crisis strikes.

Why Read It Today

This novel offers modern readers a delightful time-capsule look at the birth of American cinema and early outdoor genre fiction. Fans of vintage series literature, early silent film history, and classic adventure tales will enjoy the breezy pace, theatrical melodrama, and historical details of 1910s travel. Reading it today provides a charming, lighthearted feel, though readers should be prepared for period-typical constraints. The narrative includes minor contemporary racial stereotypes—such as the brief appearance of an aged, deferential former slave in St. Augustine—and heavily stylized character archetypes common to early twentieth-century juvenile series. Despite these period artifacts, the novel remains an engaging, nostalgic ride through Florida's wild past.