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:

U Boat | Ship Sinking | War Comedy | Clumsy | Casino

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)
William R. 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 (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

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:

USA:Approved (PCA #19345) | Iceland:L | 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:

Factual errors: When challenged by the Marine, Nick Holden tell him that he is violating an order of Admiral Nimitz. This is impossible as Nimitz didn't take command of the Pacific Fleet until 31 December 1941. Given the fact that Holden goes "shopping" on or about the 17-18th of December, according to the returned supply requisition.

Quotes:

Witch doctor: [removes mask and shakes head] They'll never make it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV)

Works Quite Well as Light Entertainment

As long as you don't expect anything substantial, "Operation Petticoat" works quite well as light entertainment, thanks to a lively script with some pretty good material, two good leading performances by Tony Curtis and Cary Grant, and a solid supporting cast. While the whole story has very limited plausibility, it has its own internal logic and consistency, rather like the better of the more manic screwball comedies of an even earlier era.

The submarine setting is used creatively, and it has just enough realistic detail to keep it from getting too silly. Grant and Curtis have rather different styles, yet they work well together in setting the right tone for everything, and in involving the rest of the cast. While it would be hard to single out any of the other cast members, since none of them have a particularly large or important role, they all do well enough, and they make the secondary characters a solid part of the story.

There are plenty of amusing highlights, such as the pink paint and Curtis's scrounging expeditions. For all that it is just fluff, it fits together well, making for an entertaining, unpretentious movie.