ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

SimonJack "Desk Set" is one of several movies that Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn made. Half a dozen of nine films were comedies or part comedy. Most of their pairings are of the type in "Desk Set." The two stars are antagonists, though not hostile, in whatever setting the film has. The comedy is mostly of the general feel-good humorous type.Theirs generally is not the rollicking laughter comedy of the type that Cary Grant and Irene Dunne evoked. They have occasional witty or funny lines, but not on the scale of William Powell and Myrna Loy. And, their antics are sparse and tame compared to others. The one film in which they seem to give more of all the above is "Adam's Rib" of 1949. Still, audiences of their day enjoyed their often laid-back and sophisticated comedy. That's what we have in "Desk Set." Audiences of the 21st century may get a laugh out of the size of the huge mechanical brain (aka, computer) in this film. With information and communication at present-day fingertips in hand-held devices, it may seem strange for younger generations to realize that the first computers were such behemoths. Or, to know that it took four decades for the technology to evolve to that of modern times. IBM made the first commercial computer, UNIVAC. The U.S. Census Bureau got the first one on June 14, 1951. In this film, Tracy plays Richard Sumner, who is sizing up the research department of a broadcast network. Hepburn's Bunny Watson is the head of the group. She has a crew of three other women and all are whizzes at finding the answers to the myriad questions people in and outside the network have. But they fear that Sumner's presence bodes ill for the future of their jobs. This reflects a legitimate widespread concern in employment fields all across the country in the mid-20th century. The bulk of the comedy comes from Watson's crew, especially peg Costello, played by Joan Blondell. The film has romance, but it's not between Tracy and Hepburn. It's a seven-year courtship of Hepburn and Gig Young. He plays Mike Cutler, her boss. That may be the comedy of the romance - that it amounts to little more than occasional dates. This piece of the plot doesn't seem believable. There's no passion or chemistry between Bunny and Mike. Nor do their lines reflect any kind of real closeness, let alone love. This is far from a great comedy, or even a very funny film. It is humorous in places and otherwise interesting and enjoyable. Modern audiences may find it too slow or tame. It is a good look at a couple of the biggest stars of the early to mid-decades of the 20th century. Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page on the movie. Ruthie Saylor "Maybe we're getting that air conditioning, finally." Sylvia Blair, "Hmmm, that figures. This is November."Peg Costello, "You only smoke when there's a crisis. Who is he?"Bunny Watson, "Well, kids, whataya say we give the company a little of our time?" Bunny Watson, "On the Shores of Gitche Gumee." Ruthie Saylor, "James Whitcomb Riley." Bunny Watson, "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, bless him."Bunny Watson, "Mike, for the 500th time, there's a glass wall behind you." Mike Cutler, "Bunny, who do you think you're kidding? Everybody knows you haven't got a brain in your head. The only way you keep your job is by being nice to me."Mike Cutler, "Bye girls. Always a pleasure to see your freshly scrubbed, smiling faces. Remember our motto: Be on time, do your work, be down in the bar at 5:30."Ruthie Saylor, "What is the company policy here for Christmas?" Sylvia Blair, "Anything goes, as long as you don't lock the door."Richard Sumner, answering the phone, "Hello! Uh, Santa Clause's reindeer? Uh, uh, why yes, I can. Uh, uh, let me see now. There's Dopey, uh, Sneezy, Grouchy, Happy, Sleepy, uh, Rudolph and Blitzen. You're welcome."Richard Sumner, "This office of yours is bigger than the whole research department." Mr. Azae, "Well, it's supposed to be. If the office of the president isn't big enough to impress the sponsors, then there's nothing for the girls down in Research to research."

Python Hyena Desk Set (1957): Dir: Walter Lang / Cast: Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Gig Young, Joan Blondell, Dina Merrill: Enjoyable romantic comedy about compatibility and advancement. Katherine Hepburn heads a research department that has become suspicious once Spencer Tracy periodically shows up. His task is a secret but he is to observe the work place in hopes that it will adapt to the future of computers. Problems arise when everyone believes that they are being replaced. Good idea with a surprising climax yet it is structured like a sitcom with stagy sets to match. Director Walter Lang keeps a comic tension as the office area becomes unnerving. Hepburn and Tracy have remarkable chemistry as they struggle to figure each other out. This is hardly the masterpiece that Adam's Rib is but it showcases the reality that both actors are well suited for each others style. Supporting roles are unfortunately cardboard. Gig Young as Hepburn's boyfriend in politics only appears within the convenience of the plot. Another problem is the secretaries also could have been driven further as oppose to being a total annoyance. They are suppose to further comic relief but all they seem to accomplish is corrupting any credibility that the film aims for. While it isn't great cinema, it does contain funny moments plus it gives comic insight into the introduction of the future of computers. Score: 6 / 10

Blueghost There was Eniac, UNIVAC, the 486, the 386, the 286, and 8086 computer architecture in general. Before them were teletypes, the kind of which I used to play with in the 70s. "Desk Set" looks at a romantic theme revolving around the introduction of the electronic "mind" into the work place, and the ramifications thereof of a machine attempting to replace the human spirit.At least that's the unspoken rhetoric of the film. How are the personal lives of folks altered when a device is introduced that replaces a labor means once provided by human beings. At the FBC, four ladies of traditional American backgrounds dawning from the button down 1950s man and run the information center for a company that broadcasts some form of entertainment. They peruse books, scrounge through documents, answer and make phone calls of all sorts, trying to sort and file through mounds of information for the various segments of the company interested in trivia for a variety of applications.Enter "EMERAC", Hollywood's take on the Univac and other early computers whose size and scope filled entire floors of offices, if not warehouses worth of space. Emerac, by comparison is a "personal computer", so to speak. Huge reels of magnetic storage tape, lots of flashing lights, all attached to a Royal typewriter keyboard. Emerac is the data storage and regurgitation device "of the future", but will it's abilities put Katherine Hepburn and her cadre of femme-researchers out of a job? Enter Spencer Tracy, efficiency expert, who evaluates the office before introducing the much vaunted machine of tomorrow. As can be expected from a Tracy-Hepburn rom-com, fireworks fly, but not always the good kind. Hearts and mind are challenged as we see the early pitfalls of computer operations in the office environment of yesteryear. The early question of "what is intelligence" are introduced and examined in this fairly basic piece of Golden Era commecial film making.As can be expected there's more to this romantic triangle than a man, woman and computer. Another rival or two are introduced, as well as various support character to add to the usual milieu and spice up "the office".Will romance flourish? Will Emerac put the girls and company out of a job? Can early algorithms of post WW2 and early Cold War electronic minds show us the future? Is Emerac the all in one do-all computer cum search engine of a pre PC America? There actually is a hard answer to all those questions, but you need to watch the film to find out.Technical Corner; this is basic classic Golden Era 1950s commercial film making. There aren't a lot of dramatic shots, everything is well lit, and the humor is kept toned down for the social sensibilities of the time. Colors are vibrant but also basic, and in essence we're getting a set stage piece of 1952 as it was and might have been. The art direction is spot on, and as with all speculative fiction, the impressionism of what a "computer of tomorrow" might look like, sound like, and how big it might be, should bring a knowing smile.All in all it's a decent film. The mothers and grandmothers might grin at it, younger ladies might dismiss it. Males, particularly us computer tech types, might smile on it with fondness; remembering an old friend, so to speak from years gone by.Give it a chance.

michaeljhuman First off, I would have given this movie a better review if it's pace was a bit better. It felt a bit disjointed in some ways, with a series of what felt like separate scenes (I believe someone mentioned it felt like a play, and it did). Some worked well, some did not work as well. But that's a bit objective.As an example of something I did not buy into...the romance between her and the computer engineer. I never quite bought into it. He shows some interest, but she only shows flashes of interest - but I just couldn't connect the dots.I loved seeing a woman playing a smart competent role. Kudos to them. It's enjoyable seeing strong female roles in movies - it's becoming more common now, but did not seem to be that common back then.As a software engineer, I totally appreciate the subject matter. And I am not sure the man-machine debate is done. While computers have been an amazing innovation, improving our lives in ways hard to imagine now doing without, at the same time they still introduce problems. For example, people living their lives out on the computer rather than in person with real people...some people have struggled with addiction to games even, such as World of Warcraft.But moving along, Hepburn makes this movie. She is fascinating to watch when she's quoting poetry, especially at the ending scene. For her acting alone, I should give it 6 stars.The supporting cast of her fellow researchers was quite good. Especially the heavier set one (sorry, forgot her name.) I can recommend this movie, for sure. It could maybe have been better though?