Desk Set

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Maybe you've heard of it and maybe you haven't, but either way it features two classic actors in a splendid comedy. Desk Set is a comedy by director Walter Lang starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. And although the film is nothing amazing, it is lots of fun to watch and reflect upon the novelty that the film must have had upon its release.

So here's the story, Katharine Hepburn plays the manager of a reference department for broadcast studio, a job that I have a hard time believing exists anymore. She has been dating a man for seven years who everyone else thinks is playing her but in fact is merely trying to get a raise so as to marry her. Enter Spencer Tracy's character, a method engineer aka efficiency specialist who has been sent to analyze whether his new computer machine could improve the efficiency of the references department. He is therefore forced to watch the department very closely and while doing so happens to gains the affections of a very frustrated getting older Hepburn who might or might not lose her job thanks to him. The story is a typical romanc story except that it goes to great lengths to show the importance of little things in life and how essential the human element is to a work space. OF course the film was made in the very early days of computers and it is obvious that the screenwriters had no idea how a machine actually processes data, which make it even more hilarious. The misunderstandings and dramatic irony drive the humor in this film alongside some nice bits of acting. Katherine Hepburn astounds us by rattling off tongue-tripping facts at lightning speed and looking strong and brilliant while doing it. Spencer Tracy on the other hand does a good job of playing bumbling and the archetypal crazy inventor-ish type. It's made even more amusing by placing everything in a context where Tracy can never tell Hepburn his real purpose. Unfortunately for Tracy he comes across as very wooden and the believability of his character through a modern lens is not nearly as strong as I would like. Yet the film is worth it if for nothing else to experience the fear, awe, and uncertainty of the technological revolution, especially with the size of the ridiculous computer. For a film with a simple romance basis at heart, it chronicles some interesting moments in history that in an advanced technological society we are liable to easily forget or not really care enough about to conceptualize. Thank you director Walter Lang for making this movie and The King and I before it. The film is fun and offers a nostalgic look back in time at two great actors, an interesting time period, and some themes that are still eerily present in the modern world. The direction is old school with sometimes long takes of people walking down hallways just so that the audience would know that they had walked down that hallway. Sometimes the edits last a bit long and some of the posturing and posing come off as silly. The most disconcerting thing for me though, was probably watching it and picking up on all of the sexual references that could never be spoken due to strict censorship. I guess I grew up just expecting that older films contained any sexual references because I had seen many but never noticed them until the more modern blatant references introduced m to puberty. It was very disconcerting for Katherine Hepburn to insinuated to enjoy having sex with man...I wonder if I come from Puritan stock? Anyhow, in the end the film is well put together, holds together over time well and is still highly entertaining.

3.4 out of 5

Wannabe