Desk Set

In terms of pairing Tracy and Hepburn "Desk Set" is certainly unique because it is the only film where she gets the upper hand at the end and he gets the comeuppance. Tracy is really nothing more than a misunderstood villain; his new toy is suppose to help the girls in the reference library not replace them. But none of this really matters because in the end it is clear than the women are a lot smarter than the machine (although they do get the baseball trivia answer wrong). The one priceless scene in the film is a roof top lunch between Tracy and Hepburn. He just has a few simple questions for her that turn out to be brainteasers, and Hepburn's character disposes of each and every challenge with an ease grace and guileless naiveté that is quite charming, while Tracy sinks lower and lower as she beats him at every turn. The rest of the film is fairly pedestrian as we wait for the expected happy endings for the computer and romantic plot lines.

After receiving Academy Award nominations for her work in "Summertime" and "The Rainmaker," Hepburn had made a film with Bob Hope that was totally butchered, the astonishingly unfunny film "The Iron Petticoat," and "Desk Set." It would be another two years before she made another film, although Spencer Tracy's failing health was as much if not more of a contributing factor as the sudden drop off in the quality of her films. Hepburn would turn to the stage and perform Shakespeare and then return to the screen with four consecutive Oscar nominated roles. Consequently, in retrospect, "Desk Set" clearly defines the end of a period in Hepburn's career. You can not help but look at the next two decades of her film career, where virtually every film is based on a play by a great dramatist (Tennessee Williams's "Suddenly Last Summer," Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night," Euripides's "Trojan Women," Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance") and not think that this was very much a conscious effort by Hepburn in the wake of this particular fluff piece.

I'll go even further than that review and say that Desk Set is the BEST film with Spence and Kate. And don't forget the great Gig Young doing his perfect second banana routine, which has already delighted us in so many other films. They didn't hide behind so many physical gags or the safer facade of black and white. Instead they acted out the script in glorious full color widescreen and stereo, no less.

And did Fox drop the ball in giving us the proper widescreen version of this classic? No, they did not! The studio came through for us (which is more than we can usually say about studios) and put it out in widescreen! And they even added some actress commentary for good measure. Yes, it's been a long 9-year wait, since DVDs first came out in 1995, but it's here now, at least.

And what a great modern plot Desk Set has: an independent woman (instead of a cloying playtoy), a job for that woman as a research expert, (instead of the usual secretary trying to date her boss), a strong leading man but one with a sense of humor (instead of the usual he-man tough guy). And all smack in the middle of the early revolution of COMPUTERS!

The man vs. machine concepts in this film will reverberate down through the ages. Plus it has a great romantic plot, too. This film has everything! Many people say they love to see a well-restored 1957 Chevy, but I'll take this well-restored 1957 Desky instead!