Carveth Wells narrates this brief vintage travelogue, “Panama Interior”. This film dates from 1941 and was produced by Bell & Howell as part of a series of Filmosound Lecture Films. Carveth Wells was a British adventure travel writer and television personality in the mid-20th century. It takes viewers to Panama and the Panama Canal. The film opens with footage of the canal (:33) and a close shot of the locks (:41). One of the Great War ships awaits passage through the lock which will send it 55 feet over the continental divide (:51). The SS Paula appears; used for the Grace Line South American Services (1:10). A view from the airplane captures the waters below (1:23). The filmmakers visit the San Blas people located on the San Blas Islands (1:32). Two of the San Blas natives ride a canoe with the travelers (1:43). Native huts line the water (1:51). The camera zooms in on the faces of the young women of the tribe (1:56) with thick septum piercing’s hanging from their noses. One of the travelers notes the short stature of the women of the tribe (2:12). One of the girls shows off the patterns of her dress (2:20). Totems carved by the San Blas people of those passed (2:32) appear with young boys of the tribe below. Some of the tribe’s primitive tools are noted. The saw mill is used to extract sugar cane juice (2:43). A fiery iguana swings its tail (2:54). A tarantula and two scorpions battle (3:13). A woman in white lets two tarantulas climb over her (3:39). She holds a fat poison toad (3:47). The vampire bat (3:51) is handled with thick gloves for protection from sharp teeth (3:56). The fer-de-lance appears (4:05) as one of the deadliest and most poisonous snakes in the world (4:05). The plumed basilisk is a traditionally fast running lizard (4:38). The plume lizard runs over water (4:44). A snake trails after it (4:50). A man attempts to capture the snake with its bare hands (5:05) as he is bit twice. The camera moves over dense jungle footage (5:17). The filmmakers hunt for wildlife (5:21) aboard a canoe. The collard peccary plucks at grass (5:40). It is known to be one of the most vicious fighters in the jungle. A raccoon pokes it’s head out (5:54) for a fight with live crabs. An anteater (6:08) appears. The silky anteater hoists itself up a narrow tree (6:19). It plays with a woman’s hand (6:34). A cluster of derby’s wooly opossums dangle from her hand (6:45). The lethargic sloth crawls across the ground (7:32). The two-toe cousin travels across a bamboo stick (8:15). A young ocelot appears here (8:31). A monkey spins before the camera (8:38). One combs a young woman’s hair (8:45). The explorers head back to their Sikorsky S-43 (8:54). The film begins to conclude with aerial shots of Panama and waters below as they take off for a return trip home (9:08). This film was released by Bell & Howell Filmosound Library (9:28).
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