Overview
A battle of wits unfolds as a woman faces off against a charming engineer determined to change her world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- breezy
- affectionate
- lazy sunday
- classic movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a polished, thoroughly lighthearted romantic comedy elevated by the performances and timely computerization premise, though some found its dramatic tension and direction uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bunny Watson and Richard Sumner repeatedly test each other through sharp dialogue as workplace conflict shades into attraction.
Richard's concealed assignment is to computerize Bunny's research department, making job security the central workplace fear.
Bunny and the research staff possess extensive practical knowledge while management considers replacing their work with a computer.
The computerization plan turns the research department into a comic testing ground for 1950s fears about electronic brains.
Films like Desk Set, and why
Adam's Rib
classic Hollywood battle-of-wits romance with fast dialogue and strong comic chemistry
His Girl Friday
screwball workplace romance built around verbal sparring and gendered professional rivalry
The Philadelphia Story
warm, witty romantic comedy pairing formidable leads amid social and professional conventions
The Apartment
office-centered romantic comedy where modern technology disrupts familiar working relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Walter Lang
- Release Date
- 1957-08-02
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (136)
Cast
- Spencer Tracy
- Katharine Hepburn
- Gig Young
- Joan Blondell
- Dina Merrill
- Sue Randall
- Neva Patterson
- Harry Ellerbe
- Nicholas Joy
- Diane Jergens
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Desk Set about?
- A fiercely capable research chief spars with the engineer sent to automate her department, turning workplace anxiety into a witty mid-century romance.
- What is Desk Set like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Desk Set as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Desk Set violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Desk Set.
- What did critics think of Desk Set?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a polished, thoroughly lighthearted romantic comedy elevated by the performances and timely computerization premise, though some found its dramatic tension and direction uneven.
- Which films are like Desk Set?
- Films with a similar feel include Adam's Rib, His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, and The Apartment.
- How long is Desk Set?
- Desk Set runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Desk Set?
- In United States, Desk Set is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
