Desk Set |
|---|
Desk Set is the movie about Librarians. Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) is the head of the reference department at Federal Broadcasting, where they get all manner of bizarre and interesting questions. Mr. Azae (Nicholas Joy), the head of the corporation, hires Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) to create a computer for the reference department, a computer that everyone assumes will replace the librarians. It is a classic film about the influence of technology on the profession and the librarian's role in the changing world of technology. Since it's a Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn movie, there's also a bit of romance.
The majority of the film takes place in the library, and some interesting, if somewhat unconventional, scenes take place there.
| Cast List
Richard Sumner ... (Spencer Tracy)
|
Bunny: Ruthie, you got any memos you want me to check? Ruthie: There are a few, Miss Watson....Here they are, if you would. Bunny: I'd say Times index for this. The old Farmer's Almanac for this. If not, use U.S. Weather Information Services. But check the Farmer's Almanac first and save time. This is from the Bible. Book of Amos, chapter one.
Bunny: You're certainly ambitious. |
|
The Stereotypes: Bunny Watson is and isn't a stereotypical librarian. She is certainly a spinster, although she still hopes to marry one day. (Her boyfriend, Mike Cutler (Gig Young), has been dragging her along for seven years.) She dresses in proper business/library attire and wears her hair in a bun, usually with a pencil through it. She has a photographic memory and can answer virtually any question. She keeps her "girls" in line, although as you can see from the quotations above, she's kind. The funny thing about Miss Watson is that she goes by the name of "Bunny." I think most people would agree that "Bunny" is not a stereotypical name for a librarian. Despite this rather unusual name and Hepburn's conservative attire, the role is quite complimentary towards librarians. Bunny has a better memory than the machine. The machine, actually, gets the facts wrong because the questions are not entered properly. In the end the film shows that the computer is merely a tool and can't possibly compete with a good librarian.
|