ABSTRACT
In 1913 “Victor Appleton”—one of the fictitious authors’ names created by the Stratemeyer Syndicate for an anonymous group of writers-introduced two new series of juvenile novels about the movies: the “Motion Picture Chums” and the “Moving Picture Boys.” Both series detail the adventures of male friends who have entered the business of making and exhibiting movies-the Moving Picture Boys are filmmakers, and the Motion Picture Chums are exhibitors. One year later, under the equally fictitious name of Laura Lee Hope, a comparable series was introduced about young women, the “Moving Picture Girls.“ It will come as no surprise to those familiar with the history of motion pictures that the girls’ adventures evolve from their position in front of the camera, as actresses, and not behind it.
