''The Man Who Played Square'' is a 1924 American

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...

directed by

Alfred Santell Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer. Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...

and written by John Stone. The film stars

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

Wanda Hawley Wanda Hawley (born Selma Wanda Pittack; July 30, 1895 – March 18, 1963) was an American actress during the silent film era. She entered the theatrical profession with an amateur group in Seattle, and later toured the United States and Can ...

, David Kirby, Ben Hendricks Jr., Hank Mann, and Howard Foster. The film was released on November 23, 1924, by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, riding madly to his rescue, Matt (Jones) finds his buddy Steve (Scott) has been flogged and later murdered by Spofford (Foster), when Steve attempted to claim his share of the Red Eagle mine, but that Steve also got Spofford. Steve makes over his claim to Matt and has him promise to avenge him. Matt gets a job at the mine where the foreman is crooked and tries to plant stolen gold on him, but fails through the quick-wit of the cook. Piggy (Kirby), discharged for theft, lures Spofford's daughter Bertie (Hawley) into the mine and a fire occurs. Matt who has found she is not hard-hearted but merely following her father's methods, rescues her. Spangler (Hendricks) the foreman learns of Matt's claim and tries to discredit him, but Bertie refuses to believe him. A riot of the disgruntled men led by Spangler is quelled, but Spangler attacks Bertie. Matt rescues her and beats Spangler. Then, realizing he loves Bertie, he tears up his claim, but she has already read it. She tells him that she wants him to take her and the whole mine instead of half, as he had promised Steve.

Cast

Preservation

With no prints of ''The Man Who Played Square'' located in any film archives,Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''The Man Who Played Square''
/ref> it is a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

References

External links

* 1924 films 1920s English-language films American action films 1920s action films Fox Film films Films directed by Alfred Santell American silent feature films American black-and-white films Silent action films 1920s American films {{silent-film-stub