Desk Set

1957

Action / Comedy / Romance

5
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 83% · 24 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 83% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 10266 10.3K

computer office

Plot summary

A computer expert tries to prove his electronic brain can replace a television network's research staff.

Director

Walter Lang Photo
Walter Lang

Top cast

Pamela Curran Photo
Pamela Curran as Bit Part
Merry Anders Photo
Merry Anders as Cathy
Sue Randall Photo
Sue Randall as Ruthie Saylor
Katharine Hepburn Photo
Katharine Hepburn as Bunny Watson
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
953.86 MB
1280*542
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 43 min
Seeds 3
1.73 GB
1920*814
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 43 min
Seeds 11

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by timothywalton-31924 7 / 10

Thoroughly enjoyable watch

Desk Set is a lighthearted, delightful, and thoroughly enjoyable watch courtesy of the effervescent chemistry between one of hollywoods greatest pairings Tracy and Hepburn. Surprisingly, Desk Set, despite its themes about automation and technology, still holds up decently well today, for it realises the power of context and human intuition lacking in any machine(though I might hesitate in saying the same thing in twenty years time given how rapidly technology is advancing). The highlight of Desk Set is of course the sparkling chemistry between Hepburn and Tracy. Hepburn is superb as the assertive, strong willed, sharp minded Bunny, stuck in a relationship with an always missing Mike Cutler, while Tracy plays the very affable Richard, who is self assured of his intellect, and as a result has an air of confidence around him, as if he were always in control of any situation. There is also a wonderful dynamic and camaraderie in the research department, consisting of three other characterful ladies which adds a great deal of charm to the picture. The script is also mildly witty, definitely sharper than the average rubbish around nowadays. Indeed, the film remains a breezy watch, that I cannot find much fault with it. It has an endearing storyline with well written characters that are never too serious. The film may not provide for many hysterical laughs but it does allow for plenty of chuckles. My only objection may be that it slows down in the second half, and the romance between Hepburns and Tracy's character could have been further developed. Regardless, I have to say Desk set is a remarkably fun office Romcom providing some laughs, and a charming office atmosphere which should easily hold an Audiences attention through its runtime. A thoroughly enjoyable watch.
Reviewed by EUyeshima 7 / 10

Breezy Tracy-Hepburn Workplace Comedy Benefits Mainly from Their Teamwork

If you replace the constant use of the term "automation" with "outsourcing", this 1957 workplace-driven comedy would be quite a relevant tweak on corporate restructuring and office politics. As it stands now, it's a light piece of entertainment that benefits primarily from a smart screenplay by Phoebe and Henry Ephron (Nora's parents...must run in the family) and of course, the incomparable Tracy-Hepburn teamwork. It's not their best work, but fifteen years into their relationship, they achieve an easy, laser-sharp rapport here that makes the film easy to enjoy.Efficiently directed by Walter Lang, the movie focuses its plot on the research department of a national TV network, the so-called Federal Broadcasting System. The four-woman staff is headed by the whip-smart Bunny Watson, who appears to possess a wealth of information and an unfailing memory for the smallest detail. They work like clockwork together in finding responses to often extremely trivial questions, but they do everything manually. Enter Richard Sumner, a befuddled man with a measuring tape and mismatched socks, who turns out to be a brilliant engineer hired by the network CEO to install an electronic brain called EMERAC. Designed to streamline the research process, the monolithic computer has the research staff understandably concerned about pending unemployment. Invariably, Bunny and Sumner start to recognize a mutual attraction through the awkwardness, and further complications arise with the presence of Mike Cutler, a rising network executive who has pompously kept Bunny on a leash for years.As Bunny, Katharine Hepburn appears to be playing a variation of herself, which in this case, suits the role perfectly. By comparison, Tracy seems a bit tired as Sumner, except when interacting with Hepburn, whether unsuccessfully volleying brainteasers on a freezing rooftop, eating floating islands in their bathrobes, or canoodling between the second-floor bookshelves during the office Christmas party. A terrific supporting cast has been assembled starting with Gig Young in his typical role as the third wheel Mike, which he plays with enough sharp and smarmy aplomb to make Bunny's dilemma palpable. Joan Blondell expertly plays Bunny's stalwart sidekick Peg, and they achieve a genuine chemistry as they banter about the "Mexican Avenue bus".Dina Merrill and Sue Randall (forever etched in my memory as Beaver's crush-worthy schoolteacher Miss Landers on "Leave It to Beaver") seem a bit too glamorous to be librarians, but they're both serviceable, while Neva Patterson plays EMERAC's coldly efficient "mother", Miss Warriner, to brittle perfection. Even though the sets are pure 1950's-style décor, Leon Shamroy makes full use of the Cinemascope process to bring his color-saturated cinematography to the widescreen. The 2004 DVD comes with a commentary track by film historian John Lee, who provides interesting insight to the production, casting and stage-to-screen translation. Merrill provides some remembrances of her own, but her commentary is spotty and a bit self-serving. A vintage, minute-long newsreel on the film's costumes; a few trailers for other Fox films of the period; and a photo gallery complete the package.
Reviewed by gavin6942 7 / 10

One of the Better Katharine Hepburn Films

Two extremely strong personalities clash over the computerization of a TV network's research department.Let me get this out in the open right away: I typically dislike Katharine Hepburn. I do not like her voice or her overrated acting (her range is quite minimal). Aside from a handful of films, she is not deserving of the immortal status she has obtained. This film, however, ought to be on her list of great films. And yet, it seems to have been largely forgotten.Spencer Tracy really carries this film (he is a national treasure), and it has an interesting theme: man versus machine when it comes to useless knowledge. Who knew that fifty years later man and machine would square off on "Jeopardy!" to test this very thing?
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