Movie spotlight
According to Hoyle
"'Boxcar' Simmons, a tramp, represents himself as a mining millionaire in a small town. The population accepts him at his own valuation, and two of the town's 'slickers' make desperate efforts to 'take him for his roll.' One of their schemes is to sell him a worthless ranch, but he turns the tables on them by making them believe that the ranch is a veritable bed of silver ore, and then, after they buy it, he presents the major part of the proceeds to the girl who owns the place and with whom he had fallen in love." (Moving Picture World, 24 Jun 1922, p. 736.)
Insights
Plot Summary
A short drama exploring themes of gambling and desperation. The film likely depicts a protagonist facing dire circumstances and turning to games of chance, with the title suggesting a reliance on established rules or perhaps a deceptive adherence to them.
Critical Reception
As a silent short film from 1922, specific critical reception is not widely documented or preserved. Such films were often reviewed in contemporary trade publications, but detailed analysis is rare today. Audience reception would have been ephemeral, tied to cinema showtimes of the era.
What Reviewers Say
Information on critical consensus for this specific short is unavailable.
Silent shorts of this era often focused on straightforward narratives or novelty.
Any contemporary reviews would likely have been brief and trade-focused.
Google audience: Due to the film's age and status as a short, there are no readily available Google user reviews or summaries.
Fun Fact
The phrase 'According to Hoyle' refers to Edmond Hoyle, an 18th-century authority on card games, and it became a common idiom meaning 'according to the rules' or 'correctly'.
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