13 Washington Square is a total mess of disguises and I kind of liked it

If you have about an hour and you want to see a rich lady look completely stressed out while wearing a servant's outfit, this is for you.

It’s perfect for people who like silent comedies where everyone is making very big faces to explain their feelings.

If you hate old movies where the plot relies on people being too dumb to recognize their own family members, you’re gonna hate this one.

Mrs. De Peyster is the main character and she is just... a lot. She thinks she's the queen of New York society.

The whole movie starts because her son wants to marry a girl who isn't rich enough, which is such a classic 1920s problem.

She tells everyone she's going to Europe, but then she hides in her own house at 13 Washington Square to spy on them.

Alice Joyce plays the mom, and she has this incredibly stiff way of walking that makes it so obvious she isn't a maid.

There is this one scene where she's trying to do chores and she looks like she's touching a gross bug whenever she has to pick up a broom.

It’s pretty funny, honestly.

Then we get the crook, Pyecroft, played by Jean Hersholt. He shows up dressed as a deacon.

I don't know why criminals in the 20s thought a deacon was the best disguise, but it happens a lot in these movies.

He’s got this fake beard that looks like it might fall off if he sneezes too hard. It’s very distracting.

The house starts getting crowded because reporters and the police keep showing up.

It reminds me of the chaotic energy you see in something like All Wrong, where the house just feels too small for the plot.

Zasu Pitts is in this too, playing the real maid, and she is easily the best part of the whole thing.

She has those big, sad eyes and she moves her hands in this fluttery way that makes me laugh every time.

There’s a moment where she’s hiding under a table and she looks genuinely terrified, but also like she’s about to fall asleep.

I think Zasu Pitts could make a funeral scene look like a comedy just by blinking.

The movie drags a little bit in the middle when they spend too much time on the son and his girlfriend.

They are kind of boring compared to the lady in the maid outfit and the fake deacon.

I found myself wishing the camera would just go back to the kitchen to see what Zasu was doing.

The lighting is actually kind of cool in the night scenes. Lots of long shadows in the hallways.

It almost looks like a horror movie for a second, which is weird because it’s definitely a farce.

There is this one shot of a shadow on a wall that lingered for way too long. I thought maybe a ghost was coming out, but no, it was just a reporter.

I noticed that the furniture in the house looks incredibly expensive. Like, actually expensive, not just movie-prop expensive.

It makes the rich lady’s disguise even more ridiculous because she’s dusting chairs that probably cost more than a house.

The ending is exactly what you think it will be. Everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bow.

But the journey there is just so weird and full of people running through doors at the wrong time.

It’s not quite as stylish as Mannequin, but it has a charm that’s hard to ignore.

I did find a few parts where the title cards were a bit too long. Like, we get it, she’s mad.

You don't need to show us a full paragraph of text to tell us a rich lady is annoyed.

Also, the music in the version I watched was a bit loud, but that’s not the movie’s fault.

There’s a scene with a ladder that goes on for a while. It’s supposed to be suspenseful, I think?

But mostly it just looks like the actor was worried about his knees.

I liked the dog, though. There is a dog that shows up and it seems like the only character with any common sense. 🐶

If you like movies that feel like a stage play where people keep walking into the wrong room, give this a shot.

It’s a bit dusty, but Alice Joyce and Zasu Pitts make a great, weird team.

It’s definitely better than some of the other stuff from 1928, like Kiss Me Again, which felt way more dated to me.

Anyway, it’s a fun little distraction if you can find a good print of it.

Just don’t expect it to change your life or anything. It’s just a lady in a maid suit. And that's okay.