Computers take over the world

"Desk Set"
Overall Rating: ****


Last November--the first week, to be specific--marked the one year anniversary of my review service. Also, last October marked the thirtieth anniversary of Arpanet--the forerunner of the Internet. To celebrate both occasions (albeit somewhat belatedly), I thought I'd review an appropriate video: the 1957 classic about the encroachment of computers into our lives, "Desk Set."

Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) is the head of the research department for the Federal Broadcasting Network and is a strong, intelligent, career-minded woman. So, when systems engineer Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) starts evaluating her department--shortly after a computer installation in payroll resulted in staff cutbacks--Bunny is concerned how Richard's work will affect her department. The question, however, soon becomes how his presence will affect her strained romance with network executive Mike Cutler (Gig Young).

The mark of a successful comedy is that it's funny--and "Desk Set" succeeds completely. The jokes vary in type, from sheer chaos of the Christmas party, to the subtle situation of Richard not noticing that Bunny is freezing during their outdoor lunch meeting--in New York, in November. While many romantic comedies suffer from a slow pace, "Desk Set" manages to keep the action moving.

The real strength of "Desk Set" is the cast. Joan Blondell, Dina Merrill, and Sue Randall are wonderful as Peg, Sylvia, and Ruthie, the women who work in the reference department. Two fairly small parts are very well played: Harry Ellerbe is great as Smithers--who works in the legal department and has a chaotic family life, and Ida Moore is excellent as the lady who, long ago, modeled the network logo--a regular visitor to the research department. Make no mistake, however, the star performances are delivered by Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn is wonderful as Bunny; Hepburn always has a strong presence on screen, and her powerful demeanor works very well in this role. Tracy, though, steals the show--he is perfectly in touch with his computer geek character; in many ways, without trying, he helped define the type. Moreover, the two actors have great chemistry between them (it's not surprising that they made ten films together, nor that they had a long-standing romantic affair); here, their chemistry helps bring this odd couple together.

While the stars may be perfect here, the film as a whole isn't perfect. One minor problem is that the technology is too advanced: the computer does more than it seems like it should be able to do--particularly considering that the film is set in 1957. Perhaps this is nitpicking, and perhaps it would have been less noticeable to audiences of forty years ago, but it bugged me. I'd also add that the ending is a little unconvincing.

"Desk Set" is definitely safe for children. There are no sexual situations beyond kissing, no strong language, and no violence. The downside is that children--especially boys--probably won't be interested in an old romantic comedy. If you can get them to sit still, however, it's pretty safe.

When you think of taking a common fear and making a movie based on that fear, you'd normally expect a horror film, or at least a dark drama or science-fiction film. Nearly everybody worries that computers or robots will replace them in the workplace; it's a feature of virtually every job of the late 20th century. The genius of "Desk Set" is that it takes the pervasive fear--and uses it as the basis of a romantic comedy. The amazing part is that it works very well, and has held up for more than forty years despite the advance of technology.


Title: "Desk Set"
Release date: 1957
Not MPAA rated; Hays Code compliant
Overall rating: ****
Aprox. run time: 103 min.
Director: Walter Lang
Writers: Henry Ephron, Phoebe Ephron, William Marchant (play)
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/reviewsbyjohn/DeskSet.htm
Added to blog site: 7/27/09