13 Washington Square Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

13 Washington Square Blu-ray Movie Review

13 Washington Square is a classic mystery thriller with some surprises in store for audiences. Presented by Carl Laemmle (Frankenstein, All Quiet on the Western Front), 13 Washington Square is an essential classic and a film ripe for discovery by new audiences in the modern era. Based on the novel by Leroy Scott, 13 Washington Square is adapted by Harry O. Hoyt. Intertitles are by Walter Anthony. The film stars Alice Joyce, Zasu Pitts, and Jean Hersholt.

Mrs. De Peyster (Alice Joyce) doesn’t want for her son to elope with the daughter of a neighborhood grocer – the mere thought of the pair being together upsets her so. Determined to stop her son from getting married, De Peyster concocts a disguise and goes undercover alongside her maid (Zasu Pitts) in order to try and prevent the young couple from eloping together.

Yet the undercover operation to stop her son’s marriage finds unexpected obstacles when De Peyster stumbles across a diabolical and mischievous thief, Pyecroft (Jean Hersholt), just as he is attempting to rob her home. Because De Peyster is undercover in her own home, her lies catch up with her and soon madness ensues with a mad-cap frenzy with the thief. Will it be too late to stop her son from eloping?

The performances are excellent and help to carry the silent era filmmaking. Alice Joyce delivers a strong comedic performance and the role certainly was an exceptional fit for her personality and charm as an actress. Not only does the role fit her like a glove, the performance elevates her material and helps enhance the filmmaking.

Zasu Pitts delves in to her role as the maid in what is a strong supporting role. Providing some of the best comedic moments, Pitts delves in to the comedic sensibilities of her role. Jean Hersholt adds a sense of mad-cap energy and the role is one with a sinister undercurrent that is dramatic and adds suspense to the production.

Edited by Ray Curtiss (Little Caesar, The Black Cat), 13 Washington Square is a well-paced film and the production has a great sense of energy and style. Curtiss selected great moments for the film and the edit is not only well paced, it is well structured. Every silent film is dependent on an especially strong edit and the efforts here are certainly commendable.

The art direction by Charles D. Hall (Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein) is worthwhile and provides 13 Washington Square with an impressive looking aesthetic. Hall is a strong art director and the film is a great showcase for their efforts. The art direction was creative in exploring the house of Mrs. De Peyster (making the mystery element of the film all the more compelling visually).

The score composed by Tom Howe (Early Man, The Amazing Maurice) is one of the best highlights of 13 Washington Square. Composer Howe understands his craft and certainly adds an entertaining score for the silent film. The music is breezy and exciting – adding something refreshing to the filmmaking. This score was certainly a nice addition to the presentation.

The cinematography by John Stumar (Above the Clouds, Voice in the Night) is another strength of the film. The color tinted cinematography is creative and stylized. The color tinting played a good role in enhancing the sense of drama and intrigue during the tale. Stumar did a strong job and the material certainly benefits from their contribution.

The screenplay by Harry O. Hoyt (The Lost World, The Rider of the King Log) provides the right comedic charms for a successful production. Hoyt understands how to balance the fun concept with the right comedic sensibilities. The results are certainly worthwhile. Hoyt crafted some interested characters within this tale. As Mrs. De Peyster becomes more involved in her own over-the-top mistake (being undercover in her own home), the tale finds even more comedic moments. The results work well.

Directed by Melville W. Brown (Lost in the Stratosphere, Red Lips), 13 Washington Square is quite the charming and fun silent comedy. Brown has a knack for filmmaking and the directing style enhances the experience. 13 Washington Square is an under-seen and underappreciated silent classic with great performances and the director at the helm did a great job with the ensemble cast. This is certainly a film offering enormous entertainment.

13 Washington Square Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, 13 Washington Square is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition presentation in the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.35:1 full frame. The presentation is from a brand new 4K Restoration completed by Universal Pictures. The source used for the restoration looks exceptional.

The print quality of the 4K remaster is excellent and the black and white filmmaking benefits with a quality example of color tinting. The color tinting enhances the entire experience and makes the film more enjoyable. The presentation achieves a worthwhile artistic aesthetic and the end results are highly satisfying. A superb restoration by Universal Pictures and distributor Kino Lorber did a superb job with the encode.

13 Washington Square Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The soundtrack is crisp and clear sounding on this release. The music track is remarkably crisp and with great bright sound and the lossless audio encode handles the score composed by Tom Howe wonderfully. This is a superb encode of the score from distributor Kino Lorber.

13 Washington Square Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Nora Fiore

13 Washington Square Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

13 Washington Square is an enormously entertaining classic. The silent gem is a worthwhile gem with great comedic sensibilities and rhythm. The production is excellent and the sets for the film are quite inventive for the story. The performances by Alice Joyce, Zasu Pitts, and Jean Hersholt enhance the experience. A great ensemble.

The Blu-ray release features a stunning new 4K restoration completed by Universal Pictures. The 4K remaster is exceptional and the film looks incredible for a silent era restoration. The color tinting is phenomenal. The Blu-ray release also features an excellent lossless audio encode of the score by composer Tom Howe (Early Man). Highly recommended.