movie boys, motion picture chums & moving picture boys
by Victor Appleton

Facebook Fan Forum   Home
Movie Boys Cover ArtMovie Boys Cover ArtMovie Boys Cover ArtMovie Boys Cover ArtMovie Boys Cover Art Movie Boys Cover ArtMovie Boys Cover Art
These three series by Victor Appleton (a Stratemeyer Syndicate pseudonym) have a very unusual and complex publishing history.
The Motion Picture Chums - 7 Volumes - 1913-1916 - Grosset & Dunlap
The Movie Boys - 17 Volumes - 1926-1927 - Garden City
The Moving Picture Boys - 15 Volumes - 1913-1922 - Grosset & Dunlap
The first five volumes of the Motion Picture Chums were re-titled and reprinted by G&D as the last five volumes of the Moving Picture Boys series. In 1926, Garden City combined the ten-volume Moving Picture Boys and the seven-volume Motion Picture Chums to form the re-titled Movie Boys paperback series. The Movie Boys paperbacks were issued monthly commencing 2 January 1926 and then on the 28th of each succeeding month. Except for the covers, the Movie Boys were not illustrated. The original plates were used throughout all printings.

Since the Movie Boys series contains all titles, I will list them and provide a cross-reference to the other two series.

Movie Boys Cover Art 1: The Movie Boys On Call (Garden City, 1926)
or, Filming The Perils Of A Great City
1913 - Volume 1: The Moving Picture Boys;
or, The Perils Of A Great City Depicted

2: The Movie Boys In The Wild West (Garden City, 1926)
or, Stirring Days Among The Cowboys And Indians
1913 - Volume 2: The Moving Picture Boys In The West;
or, Taking Scenes Among The Cowboys And Indians

3: The Movie Boys And The Wreckers (Garden City, 1926)
or, Facing The Perils Of The Deep
1913 - Volume 3: The Moving Picture Boys On the Coast;
or, Showing The Perils Of The Deep

4: The Movie Boys In The Jungle (Garden City, 1926)
or, Lively Times Among The Wild Beasts
1913 - Volume 4: The Moving Picture Boys In The Jungle;
or, Stirring Times Among Wild Animals

5: The Movie Boys In Earthquake Land (Garden City, 1926)
or, Filming Pictures Amid Strange Perils
1913 - Volume 5: The Moving Picture Boys In Earthquake Land;
or, Working Amid Many Perils

6: The Movie Boys And The Flood (Garden City, 1926)
or, Perilous Days On The Mighty Mississippi
1914 - Volume 6: The Moving Picture Boys And The Flood;
or, Perilous Days On The Mississippi

7: The Movie Boys In Peril (Garden City, 1926)
or, Strenuous Days Along The Panama Canal
1915 - Volume 7: The Moving Picture Boys At Panama;
or, Stirring Adventures Along The Great Canal

8: The Movie Boys Under The Sea (Garden City, 1926)
or, The Treasure Of The Lost Ship
1916 - Volume 8: The Moving Picture Boys Under The Sea;
or, The Treasure Of The Lost Ship

9: The Movie Boys Under Fire (Garden City, 1926)
or, The Search For The Stolen Film
1918 - Volume 9: The Moving Picture Boys On The War Front;
or, The Hunt For The Stolen Army Film

10: The Movie Boys Under Uncle Sam (Garden City, 1926)
or, Taking Pictures For The Army
1919 - Volume 10: The Moving Picture Boys On French Battlefields;
or, Taking Pictures For The U.S. Army

11: The Movie Boys' First Showhouse (Garden City, 1926)
or, Fighting For A Foothold In Fairlands
1921 - Volume 11: The Moving Picture Boys' First Showhouse;
or, Opening A Photo Playhouse In Fairlands
1913 - Volume 1: The Motion Picture Chums' First Venture;
or, Opening A Photo Playhouse In Fairlands
Movie Boys Cover Art
12: The Movie Boys At Seaside Park (Garden City, 1927)
or, The Rival Photo Theatres Of The Boardwalk
1921 - Volume 12: The Moving Picture Boys At Seaside Park;
or, The Rival Photo Theatres Of The Board-walk
1913 - Volume 2: The Motion Picture Chums At Seaside Park;
or, The Rival Photo Theatres Of The Boardwalk

13: The Movie Boys On Broadway (Garden City, 1926)
or, The Mystery Of The Missing Cash Box
1921 - Volume 13: The Moving Picture Boys On Broadway;
or, The Mystery Of The Missing Cash Box
1913 - Volume 3: The Motion Picture Chums On Broadway;
or, The Mystery Of The Missing Cash Box

14: The Movie Boys' Outdoor Exhibition (Garden City, 1927)
or, The Film That Solved A Mystery
1922 - Volume 14: The Moving Picture Boys' Outdoor Exhibition;
or, The Film That Solved A Mystery
1914 - Volume 4: The Motion Picture Chums' Outdoor Exhibition;
or, The Film That Solved A Mystery

15: The Movie Boys' New Idea (Garden City, 1927)
or, Getting The Best Of Their Enemies
1922 - Volume 15: The Moving Picture Boys' New Idea;
(subtitle missing)
1915 - Volume 5: The Motion Picture Chums' New Idea;
or, The First Educational Photo Playhouse

16: The Movie Boys At The Big Fair (Garden City, 1927)
or, The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited
1915 - Volume 6: The Motion Picture Chums At The Fair;
or, The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited

17: The Movie Boys' War Spectacle (Garden City, 1927)
or, The Film That Won The Prize
1916 - Volume 7: The Motion Picture Chums' War Spectacle;
or, The Film That Won The Prize