Desk Set (1957)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Phoebe Ephron (screenplay) and
Henry Ephron (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 May 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Make the office a wonderful place to love in!

Plot:

Two extremely strong personalities clash over the computerization of a TV network's research department.

Plot Keywords:

Research | Computer | Office | Menomnic Device | Intelligence Analysis

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Richard Sumner
Katharine Hepburn	...	Bunny Watson
Gig Young	...	Mike Cutler
Joan Blondell	...	Peg Costello
Dina Merrill	...	Sylvia Blair
Sue Randall	...	Ruthie Saylor
Neva Patterson	...	Miss Warriner
Harry Ellerbe	...	Smithers
Nicholas Joy	...	Mr. Azae
Diane Jergens	...	Alice
Merry Anders	...	Cathy
Ida Moore	...	Old Lady
Rachel Stephens	...	Receptionist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Duray	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Harry Evans	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Jesslyn Fax	...	Mrs. Hewitt (uncredited)
Richard Gardner	...	Fred (uncredited)
Charles Heard	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Jack G. Lee	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Renny McEvoy	...	Man (uncredited)
Martin Milner	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Shirley Mitchell	...	Myra Smithers (uncredited)
King Mojave	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)
Sammy Ogg	...	Kenny (uncredited)
Don Porter	...	Elevator operator Don (uncredited)
Lou Southern	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Member of the Board (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Lang

Writing credits
Phoebe Ephron		(screenplay) and
Henry Ephron		(screenplay)
William Marchant		(play)

Produced by
Henry Ephron	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy

Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson		(as Robert Simpson)

Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Charles Le Maire		(executive wardrobe designer) (as Charles LeMaire)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Lawrence Carr	....	producer: play
Robert Fryer	....	producer: play

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)

Other Companies

• International Business Machines (IBM)  acknowledgment

Also Known As:

His Other Woman (UK)

Runtime:

103 min | Germany:98 min | Argentina:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #18461) | Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:S | Argentina:Atp | UK:U

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

This is the first film that Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn did in color and the eighth of the nine films they starred in together. Their next, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), came ten years later.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When EMERAC begins to print out "Curfew Must not Ring Tonight," Bunny Watson says, "That old poem has about 80 stanzas." In fact, it has 10 stanzas, of 6 lines each.

Quotes:

Mike Cutler: [to Richard Sumner] I supposed I should have called first?
Richard Sumner: Yes, do that next time.

Movie Connections:

References "Lassie" (1954)

Soundtrack:

Jingle Bells

fighting battles all around her - K Hepburn

Fun, fast, clever script for Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy. She even calls him "darling" a couple times (by accident, I think). Katherine is the head of the studio reference and research department. Suddenly, Spencer Tracy appears, measuring and asking questions. While fearing for her job, this same guy starts challenging her job-skills. The roof-top lunch scene is GREAT... Sumner (played by Tracy) gives Bunny (Hepburn) a trivia test, and she proves to be his superior in many ways! it's fun to watch him squirm as she explains how she comes up with her answers. Then there is the battle of the boyfriends as Bunny tries to make her boss/boyfriend jealous. There are some running gags, such as the little old lady that keeps walking through the office, the plant in Bunny's office, and everyone keeps calling to ask one question over and over during the office Christmas party. Lots of fun, and the typical over the top ending at the finish.