| . |
. |
| Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn,
Gig Young, Joan Blondell Directed
by: Walter Lang |
Theatrical Release: 1957
DVD Release: 2004
Released by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo
Widescreen (anamorphic) |
| Additional Fox Studio Classics20th Century Fox could simply have released
its vast array of classic titles as bare-bones movie-only reissues. Or it could have
gussied them up with pertinent and plentiful extras and sold them at premium prices.
Fortunately for the consumer, the company has taken the latter route, yet priced each at a
very affordable $14.98. Shop around and you can pick them up for $12-$13 apiece.
Each boasts new video and audio transfers. Great care has
been taken to ensure that these movies look and sound exceptionally good. They are all
transferred at the correct aspect ratio. And the DVDs have been packaged in attractive
collector cases, with new art and a consistent design that makes them look good as a set
on the shelf.
The extras vary for each release, but they all have many
special features. All About Eve has two commentaries, four "Movietone"
newsreels, and an interview with Bette Davis. The Day the Earth Stood Still
contains a commentary, a 70-minute production featurette, and a newsreel. Anastasia
is filled with a commentary, the story of the real Anastasia as told on A&E’s Biography,
and newsreels. And so on. At the low price, it seems an understatement to call these
releases "bargains."
Desk Set and The Snake Pit (released in June
-- look for our review next month) bring the number of classic films in this series up to
19. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is No.20, releasing this month, and Zorba the
Greek will be No.21 when it is released in August.
Here is the complete list. You won’t want to miss a
one.
- All About Eve
- Gentleman’s Agreement
- How Green Was My Valley
- An Affair to Remember
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
- Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
- The Song of Bernadette
- Anastasia
- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
- Titanic
- The Mark of Zorro
- The Ox-Bow Incident
- My Darling Clementine
- The Diary of Anne Frank
- Peyton Place
- The Grapes of Wrath
- Desk Set
- The Snake Pit
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- Zorba the Greek
...Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com |
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|
Bunny Watson is the head of the research department at the
Federal Broadcasting Company, a fictional television station headquartered in Rockefeller
Center. When computer engineer Richard Sumner is hired to update some of the departments,
the research staff fears that jobs are on the line. Meanwhile, Bunny's boyfriend, Mike, is
growing jealous of the sparks between her and Sumner.
Desk Set is a cute little movie that looks at the
inexorable march of technology to replace what were once purely human tasks. Yes, it is a
romantic comedy, but it also played into the fears and uneasiness of the 1950s post-war
culture, unsure if these new computers would make the skills they held unneeded.
Hepburn and Tracy were one of the few real-life couples
that audiences liked to see on the screen, and they both carry themselves well. Tracy
gives Sumner a good-natured air of mystery, and Bunny seems entirely capable and
professional. The supporting cast, from boyfriend Mike to the rest of the staff in the
research department, all do a fine job.
On DVD, Desk Set looks very nice. Fox has gone back
to remaster all these "Studio Classics" releases, so the quality we are getting
now is every bit as good as audiences would have seen upon their release.
The colors are all clean, if a bit muted in that "old
film" way. Everything seems to have a slight cyan cast to it, but it is not
distracting. There's no blooming on the reds, though there is some dot crawl, and the
bright whites and dark blacks are balanced well.
Sound is crisp and clear. The soundtrack never drowns out
the voices, except when it is supposed to -- when a character comments on not being able
to hear over the noise, for instance.
Extras are light. There is a commentary track from actress
Dina Merrill and film historian John Lee, which is informative if a bit dry; a "Fox
Movietone News" segment about the costumes for the film; a theatrical trailer; a
still gallery; and promos for a few other films in the "Studio Classics" series.
Desk Set has held up surprisingly well over the
years. Sure, the room-sized computer is a bit dated, but the ideas of the film --
technology vs. humanity, and the looming loss of employment -- are just as prevalent and
relevant today as they were 50 years ago. |
