Scr: Henry Ephron, Phoebe Ephron; dir: Walter Lang; w/ Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Joan Blondell, Gig Young.
In one of their final films together, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy radiate as adversaries in a modish battle of the sexes. This glossy Fox comedy, the first Hepburn/Tracy film in color and Scope, unfolds in the corporate workplace, specifically the Federal Broadcasting Network’s high-rise where Bunny Watson (Hepburn), the lovelorn and brilliant department head of the research division, sounds the alarm when efficiency engineer Richard Summer (Tracy) comes nosing around the office with a tape measure and an enigmatic questionnaire. Seen today, Desk Set emits a nostalgic glow: the mid-fifties décor is terrific and the stars’ pitch-perfect timing and mellow intimacy adds depth to its romance-after-forty plot.
Bing Theater | $10 for the general public, $7 for LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID; $5 LACMA Film Club members | Tickets: 323 857-6010 or purchase online.
