REVIEW: Desk Set (1957)

Title: Desk Set
Release Year: 1957
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Gig Young
Plot: An engineer is assigned to computerise a research department at a big TV station and is ordered to keep his purpose a secret. The research department personnel however, find out, but their assumption is not quite the truth.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 


Review: I love love love this film and had been searching for something like it in a very long time. I could definitely imagine Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks doing a remake!

Incidentally, the screenwriters for 'Desk Set' are Nora and Delia Ephron's parents - Henry and Phoebe Ephron - and after watching this film, I found that a lot of the jokes/storyline for 'You've Got Mail' were influenced it seems by them.

Anyway, I had seen the title of this film before, but only decided to watch it after finding it on a list of romantic comedies in some website. I think this delay was mostly due to the silly title.

When I first read it, I thought, this doesn't sound good, but because of my desperation for romantic comedies, I gave in and watched it...and thank God I did.

This was Tracy and Hepburn's first colourised film together. They did another one after that, ten years later, which was also their last.

They both did a wonderful job as usual. I love seeing Hepburn eat, she does it with a lot of enthusiasm. Probably because she was starving...


Katharine Hepburn's character was based on Agnes E. Law, a researcher who built up the CBS network research library. It is such an interesting job, but you'd probably need to have a huge brain to do it!



I read that quite a few of the information, the reference department had given in the film, were incorrect. It was stupid of them to make a film that revolves around people in the reference department and not research their information! Anyway they still sounded smart and it still made me want to transform myself into a human encyclopaedia.

This was the first film I had ever watched of Katharine Hepburn. There was this poem she had to recite and she did it in the strangest way. If you don't get what I mean, just try to search for that part on YouTube maybe. Of course now I don't think it's as strange as I used to because now I know it's her style of speech and it wasn't her weird way of protraying a librarian haha

The poem reminded me of an episode of "I Love Lucy", where Lucy recited
'The Song of Hiawatha' poem when she wanted Ricky to include her in the 'Native American Night' at the Tropicana. I miss watching Lucy...

One of the most visible mistakes I've seen on this film, was when Hepburn was given white carnations at the office but left carrying pink ones hahaha

Spencer Tracy's character was funny as the inventor. I think this was his and Hepburn's most romantic role together because they felt genuinly suitable for eachother.

In one of the scenes where Tracy had to leave Hepburn's place, he improvised the scene to make her laugh. You'd have to watch and see. It's cute.

Gig Young playing opposite Hepburn was weird. I think he was too young for her. Even though he's only six years younger, he looked a lot younger than that. Perhaps because Hepburn was skinny beyond all reason, which always made her look like a corpse.

Loved all the other characters in the films, except for Neva Patterson's. Her hysterical scene made the film a tad childish. Other than that, the characters' interactions with each other and the office gossip, made me want to work at a firm. It really felt like one big fun family.

I felt really sad though, that they had to computerise the company. I loved the place without all the technology. I am not a neo-luddite, but I guess I'm just not very fond of change.


The huge computer they used in the film - created by IBM - was used in later productions like "The Fly", 1957. The sound the machine made, which kind of ruined the film - I'm not exaggerating - was also used in various films and television series. In the final scene between Hepburn and Tracy, the music and everything was so romantic, until that ugly machine sound popped up and ruined it!

Still, I lived hehe


The film was full of funny lines but my favourite was:


Smithers: I've heard something that concerns you though. Personally.
Bunny Watson: You did! You haven't heard I'm engaged to be married have you?
Smithers: No, are you?
Bunny Watson: No. If you ever hear anthing like that, you come and tell me right away. And be sure to get the name of the man too.

I highly recommend this film if you love romantic comedies plus it could be a christmas film. Definitely has that kind of merry feeling.

P.S Ms Landers was in the film, beaver fans!

Comments

  1. This film really makes me want to decorate the place with Christmas ornaments and sit down with a blanket and hot chocolate when watching it.
    Neva Patterson destroyed the last half of the film...she was terrible...they should’ve deleted her scene and the annoying computer sounds!
    The other stupid part in the film was when Spencer Tracy would be shocked when a woman that was probably just a few years older than him appeared in the office. That was silly and useless...hahaa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Hahahaha how can I forget this part, we were just talking about how silly it was, a few days ago! I think the writers probably had a younger couple in mind to star in the film hahahha

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