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Monday, May 11, 2015

Desk Set

The Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon is exactly what it says on the tin, hosted by Margaret Perry. For a complete list of participating bloggers, visit the link at the host site.

Desk Set
seen online at YouTube

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International Business Machines Corp.
Electronic Brain Version 1.0
Electromagnetic Memory and Research Arithmetical Calculator
colloquial referent "EMARAC"


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>>culture

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>>film

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>>open files for: Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy




searching database for: KATHARINE HEPBURN, SPENCER TRACY

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Katharine Houghton Hepburn
b. 05.12.1907 - d. 06.29.2003
American actress, theater/film/television
Notable films: LITTLE WOMEN, BRINGING UP BABY, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, ADAM'S RIB, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, THE LION IN WINTER, ON GOLDEN POND [see expanded database]
Academy Award winner, 1934, 1968, 1969, 1982
Primetime Emmy Award winner, 1975
BAFTA Award winner, 1969, 1983
Spouse: Ludlow Ogden Smith, 1928-1934 [divorced]

Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
b.04.05.1900 - d. 06.10.1967
American actor, theater/film
Notable films: BOYS TOWN, CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS, ADAM'S RIB, FATHER OF THE BRIDE, THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, INHERIT THE WIND, JUDGMENT AT NUREMBURG [see expanded database]
Academy Award winner, 1938, 1939
Golden Globe Award winner, 1954
BAFTA Award winner, 1969
Spouse: Louise Treadwell, 1923-1967 [his death]

09 movies made together: WOMAN OF THE YEAR, KEEPER OF THE FLAME, WITHOUT LOVE, THE SEA OF GRASS, STATE OF THE UNION, ADAM'S RIB, PAT AND MIKE, DESK SET, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

>>Hepburn and Tracy were unmarried?

Hepburn and Tracy met in 1941 during filming of Woman of the Year and maintained a private relationship until Tracy's death in 1967. Tracy remained married to Louise Treadwell due to his Catholic beliefs against divorce.

>>open file for film: Desk Set

searching...



DESK SET
Year of release: 1957
Director: WALTER LANG
Writer(s): PHOEBE EPHRON, HENRY EPHRON; based on the play by WILLIAM MARCHANT
Primary cast: SPENCER TRACY, KATHARINE HEPBURN, JOAN BLONDELL, GIG YOUNG, DINA MERRILL, SUE RANDALL, NEVA PATTERSON
Summary: Researchers at a television network are scrutinized by mysterious engineer with plans to improve department efficiency with the installment of a modern computer. Engineer is attracted to head of department, who is in a relationship with a network executive.

>>open Notes within file: Desk Set

opening...

Begin notes.

>>Fascinating look at early computer systems vis-a-vis their >>place in the corporate business world and implicit threat of >>downsizing human workers, but overall not as funny as expected. >>Humor is light but intermittent; noteworthy more for seeing >>Tracy and Hepburn together again. Screenplay's origins as a >>stage play are obvious. Blondell steals scenes.

>>save within file: Desk Set

Unable to comply.

>>Reason?

User's comments in contradiction with established data parameters for file: Desk Set.

>>Clarify.

Desk Set is a better film than user's comments suggest.



>>...

>>...

>>How can unit: EMARAC have an opinion on a movie???

Unit: EMARAC contains the sum total of not only accumulated data gathered by International Business Machines Corp. but the writings of hundreds of thousands of professional cultural arbiters throughout history, including those within the realm of world cinema. The consensus opinion on Desk Set says it is a movie of high quality.

>>I never said it sucked. I liked it too, just not as much as >>other movies of theirs.

User's comments fail to note critical elements in film as noted by cultural arbiters within unit: EMARAC's database.

>>And for that you're not gonna save my notes?

Among unit: EMARAC's prime directives includes the preservation of the integrity of its database.

>>That's bullshit! You just don't want your database to be >>"corrupted" by a review that's anything less than spectacular!



Welcome!

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>>...

>>...

>>What happened to my notes???

Notes not saved by user.

>>Open file: Desk Set within category: film.

Unable to comply.

>>...

>>rvshuoghiubfwef42AZIUpPUAFWGFWPQRWE
>>PDBVSPBI2WfwvdsfaowfbwhFWWBJUFWJ;HEF;
>>FBN3RWI0OHHJOFIO

Further damage of keyboard will result in malfunction.

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WARNING!

WARNING!

WARN--


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Welcome!

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>>Open file: Desk Set within category: film.

Unable to comply.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

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Other Katharine Hepburn films:
The African Queen

8 comments:

  1. Ha ha! Loved this! Loved the format, the font, the way it's written.

    I've never seen this movie in its entirety. A lot of people seem lukewarm about it, but your review has me excited about it. I'm going to search my collection and see if I've got it kicking around...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm guessing you'll probably like it. It's likable.

      Delete
  2. Your approach to the movie is fantastic. Well done!

    "Desk Set" is one of those comfort food movies for me. I love the office setting and think those gals would be grand as workmates. It always starts off my holiday movie binge because of the Christmas party.

    When Sumner says to Bunny: "I'll bet you write beautiful letters.", my heart melts. It is the prettiest "I love you" ever said.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tracy and Hepburn are inseparable, in my mind. They had such a natural on-screen rapport - the result of their off-screen relationship, natch - that you believe them no matter what the situation.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, you really outdid yourself with this post! I need to see Desk Set as soon as possible (I intended to do it last Christmas, but a knee injury got in the way) and I hope my blog / notebook lets me write my own opinion - no matter how spectacular it thinks the film is!
    Don't forget to read my contribution to the blogathon! :)
    Cheers!
    Le
    http://criticaretro.blogspot.com.br/2015/05/sem-amor-without-love-1945.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks. Giving EMARAC a mind of its own was the last-minute decision I alluded to on Twitter, and as always whenever I attempt humor, I wasn't sure if it was gonna go over well or not. Also, I wasted almost a week trying to invent a computer "code" for EMARAC when I realized I totally did not need all those symbols and numbers and stuff. The lengths I go to amuse you people...

    Hope your knee is better.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Creative and fun format, Rich! Desk Set is actually my top favorite Tracy/Hepburn movie. It is witty, has pathos -- just wonderful. I always wished for a job like that! Hey, I have a knee injury too, like Le! It's been a great excuse for watching more movies than usual -- I really enjoyed this piece!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Must be getting around! Hope yours is better too.

    ReplyDelete

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