Review of Desk Set

I'm not a die-hard fan of either Hepburn or Tracy like some, but this film is a true gem. The chemistry between the two rocks and the silly 1960s computer, emblematic of movie and TV computers is quite goofy and thankfully saved until the last. It's the human element between the actors that makes this film so endearing. Joan Blondell is a treasure and you watch everything she does. The girls in the office are upbeat and perky, without going into melodrama, which is a nice foil to the relatively humdrum men that inhabit Federal Broadcasting. There shouldn't be any chemistry between Hepburn, still attractive and sophisticated at 50, and Tracy, a grandfatherly type, who is nice but rather retiring -- a character who fits nicely into the background. In real life, a wallflower. There shouldn't be, but there is.

It all makes Desk Set work. It's an enjoyable and fun adventure with good performances all around. A definite gem in the morass of Hollywood madness.