Ask Dad Review: Edward Everett Horton is a nervous wreck and I love it

If you have twenty minutes and want to see a man look physically pained by a simple conversation, you should watch this. It is a perfect choice for anyone who misses when comedies were just about awkward faces and simple misunderstandings. People who need big explosions or fast editing will probably find this incredibly boring and should go watch something from the modern era instead.

I found this while digging through some old shorts and honestly, it is mostly worth it for Edward Everett Horton. He has this way of looking like he just accidentally swallowed a fly but is trying to remain polite about it. 🧐

The whole plot is basically a kid, played by Winston Miller, deciding he is head over heels for his dad's secretary. The secretary is Ruth Renick, and she is the only person in the movie who seems like she actually knows how to tie her own shoes. She spends most of her time being efficient while the boys around her act like total lunatics.

There is a scene near the beginning where the kid is just staring at her while she works. It goes on a little too long and becomes slightly creepy in that way only 1920s child actors can pull off. You can see him trying really hard to look 'dashing' but he just looks like he has a stomach ache.

The Horton Factor

Horton is the dad here, and he is a widower who is clearly overwhelmed by life. He handles his son's crush with the kind of baffled energy that made him a star later on in movies like The Jazz Age. I love how he moves his hands when he is stressed. It is like he is trying to catch invisible butterflies. 🦋

The office set is actually pretty cool, though the lighting in the back corner is so dark it looks like a black hole is opening up. I kept wondering if the cameraman forgot to plug in a lamp that day. It doesn't really matter, but once you notice it, you can't stop looking at it.

The secretary, played by Ruth Renick, is great because she doesn't overact. In a lot of these old shorts, everyone is flailing their arms around like they are trying to flag down a plane. She just sits there, looks sensible, and handles the business. It makes the ending feel a bit more earned than it probably should.

• The kid's hair is perfectly combed in every single shot, even after he's been running around.
• There is a very dusty looking rug in the living room scene that I'm pretty sure needed a vacuuming.
• Horton's double-takes are world class.

I noticed that the way the boy talks to the secretary is way more formal than any kid talks today. He calls his dad 'Father' like he's addressing a judge in a high court. It is weirdly charming, even if it feels like a different planet. 🌍

There is a moment where Horton tries to organize some papers and just makes a bigger mess. It reminded me of The Rough Diamond in how the physical comedy is so low-key but effective. It isn't slapstick where people are falling off buildings, it's just a guy being bad at life.

"The kid really thinks he has a shot with a grown woman who clearly just wants to finish her filing."

One thing that bothered me was the pacing in the middle. There is a bit where they are just walking in and out of doors that feels like it was added just to hit the twenty-minute mark. It doesn't ruin the movie, but I did find myself checking my phone for a second.

The ending is predictable, but it's the kind of predictable that feels like a warm blanket. You know exactly where it's going, and you're happy when it gets there. It's much lighter than something like The House of Shame, which is a relief if you're just looking for a laugh.

Is it a masterpiece? No. It is just a very solid short film from a time when movies were still figuring out how to be funny without being loud. If you like vintage charm and actors who can tell a joke just by blinking their eyes, give it a look. 🎞️

I'm still thinking about that dark corner in the office though. Seriously, what was going on back there? Maybe they ran out of budget for one more bulb. Or maybe it was a ghost. Probably just a bad lamp. Anyway, the movie is cute.