Operation Petticoat (1959)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Paul King (story) and
Joseph Stone (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1959 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

20,000 Laughs Under The Sea!

Plot:

World War 2 comedy about a submarine commander who finds himself stuck with a decrepit (and pink) sub, a con-man executive officer and a group of army nurses.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | Nurse | Pink | Scavenger | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman
Tony Curtis	...	Lt. JG Nicholas Holden
Joan O'Brien	...	Lt. Dolores Crandall RN
Dina Merrill	...	Lt. Barbara Duran RN
Gene Evans	...	Chief Molumphry
Dick Sargent	...	Ens. Stovall (as Richard Sargent)
Virginia Gregg	...	Maj. Edna Heywood RN
Robert F. Simon	...	Capt. J.B. Henderson
Robert Gist	...	Lt. Watson
Gavin MacLeod	...	Ernest Hunkle
George Dunn	...	The Prophet
Dick Crockett	...	Harmon
Madlyn Rhue	...	Lt. Reid RN
Marion Ross	...	Lt. Colfax RN
Clarence Lung	...	Sgt. Ramon Gillardo (as Clarence E. Lung)
Frankie Darro	...	Pharmacist Mate Dooley
Tony Pastor Jr.	...	Fox
Robert F. Hoy	...	Reiner (as Robert Hoy)
Nicky Blair	...	Seaman Kraus
John W. Morley	...	Williams
Arthur O'Connell	...	Chief Mechinist's Mate Sam Tostin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hal Baylor	...	MP Sergeant (uncredited)
William Bryant	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Bert Byers	...	Bowman (uncredited)
Dick Callinan	...	Lt. Morrison (uncredited)
Gordon Casell	...	Col. Higginson (uncredited)
Malcolm Cassell	...	Sailor (uncredited)
H. Haile Chace	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tony Corrado	...	Fireman Lye (uncredited)
Dale Cummings	...	MP (uncredited)
Vince Deadrick Sr.	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Francis De Sales	...	Capt. Kress (uncredited)
Alan Dexter	...	Navy Chief (uncredited)
Tusi Faiivae	...	Witch Doctor (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Bob Gibson	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Larry Gilliland	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Preston Hanson	...	Lt. Col. Simpson (uncredited)
Fred Harflinger II	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Vi Ingraham	...	Pregnant Filipino Woman (uncredited)
Glenn Jacobson	...	Control Tower Staff (uncredited)
Robert Keys	...	MP (uncredited)
Joseph Kim	...	Filipino (uncredited)
William Kinney	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
James Lanphier	...	Lt. Cmdr. Daly (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Adm. Koenig (uncredited)
Leon Lontoc	...	Filipino Farmer (uncredited)
John James Russell	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Alan Scott	...	Chief of Demolition (uncredited)
Bob Stratton	...	Marine Lieutenant (uncredited)
Nino Tempo	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Howard Venezia	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Francis L. Ward	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
Robert C. Youmans	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
Paul King		(story) and
Joseph Stone		(story)
Stanley Shapiro		(writer) and
Maurice Richlin		(writer)

Produced by
Robert Arthur	....	producer

Original Music by
David Rose
Henry Mancini		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan

Film Editing by
Frank Gross
Ted J. Kent

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Robert Emmet Smith		(as Robert E. Smith)

Set Decoration by
Oliver Emert
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Edward Muhl	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Shaw	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Vernon W. Kramer	....	sound

Stunts
Ray Austin	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Clifford Stine	....	special photography

Editorial Department
Henri Jaffa	....	color consultant

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Rear Admiral Lucius H. Chappell	....	technical advisor
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Paul Frees	....	looping voices (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Granart Company
• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

124 min | Germany:100 min | Canada:120 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #19345) | Finland:K-12 | UK:U | West Germany:6 | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Company:

Granart Company

Trivia:

USS Balao SS285 was painted pink and was used for exterior shots in and around Key West. USS Archerfish SS311 wore the standard colors of gray and black, and was used for interior and exterior shots in and around Key West. USS Queenfish SS393 was used in opening and closing scenes, and was used for the "at sea" shots filmed in and around San Diego.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Cary Grant comes down the gangplank to meet his wife and children at the end of the movie the actor playing his son clearly says "hello Mr. Grant" instead of referring to Grant's character.

Quotes:

Fox: [the collision alarm goes off] Collision, sir! Collision! Collision!
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Whoa, whoa, whoa. We're not even moving.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Fire Maidens of Outer Space (#5.16)" (1992)

A just sit back and enjoy family film!

This movie was made in 1959???!!! My kids just love this movie and learned something of W.W.II, too. Great fun and somewhat hysterical; uh historical. During Vietnam era we had some days as these. A few anyway. The best ones I remember. Kind of takes some of the stress off real war tragedy. Well made and edited. Easy to follow and understand. Can be watched repeatedly. Grant at his usual best with company as "North By Northwest" , "Father Goose" and the like. Great, well made movies the younger fans can understand and enjoy.