When he loses his job as ranch hand for singing during work hours, Hank Sherman takes his pet mule and joins a circus. There he meets Gloria Gómez, with whom he had indulged in a mild flirtation, and emerges victorious from a tangle with circus employees.


Circus canvas flapping against the dusk, a mule braying in three-four time—welcome to The Rough Diamond, a 1923 Fox western that pirouettes from prairie dust to palace revolt without ever pausing for breath. Tom Mix, that mahogany daredevil in ten-gallon mythology, straps the celluloid to his saddle and gallops throu...


Comparing the cinematic DNA and archive impact of two defining moments in cult history.

Edward Sedgwick

Lloyd Ingraham
Community
Log in to comment.
" Circus canvas flapping against the dusk, a mule braying in three-four time—welcome to The Rough Diamond, a 1923 Fox western that pirouettes from prairie dust to palace revolt without ever pausing for breath. Tom Mix, that mahogany daredevil in ten-gallon mythology, straps the celluloid to his saddle and gallops through tonal switchbacks: rodeo slapstick one reel, cloak-and-dagger intrigue the next. The film, long buried in archival cans, now surfaces like a weather-worn jewel: facets scuffed, ..."
Ralph Spence, Edward Sedgwick, Tom Mix
United States


Deep dive into the cult classic
Discover similar cinematic experiences
A Directorial Spotlight on Edward Sedgwick