Memorable quotes for
Operation Petticoat (1959) More at IMDb Pro »

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: I don't want to bore you with the problems of command, Mr. Holden, because I doubt you'll ever have one. It's inconsistent with that philosophy of yours - every man for himself.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: Dog eat dog.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Exactly. The unfortunate thing about command, though, Mr. Holden, is that the responsibilities outweigh the privileges. Now if it was just myself I was concerned with, I'd tell you what to do with that list. But my responsibility is this boat, and to get her out of here I'd even make a pact with the devil.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: That's where I come in.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: That's right.

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Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Subject, Toilet paper. One: on 6 June 1941, this vessel submitted a requisition for 150 rolls of toilet paper. On 16 December 1941 the requisition was returned with stamped notation, 'Cannot identify material required.' Two: the commanding officer of the USS SeaTiger cannot help but wonder what is being used at the Caviti Supply Depot as a substitute for this unidentifiable material once so well known to this command.

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[Lt. Barbara Duran climbing down a ships ladder]
Lt. Barbara Duran, RN: Am I uh, going down right?
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Is she going down right?
Lt. Watson: She sure is.

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Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: When a girl is under 21, she's protected by law. When she's over 65, she's protected by nature. Anywhere in between, she's fair game. Look out.

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Chief Mechanic's Mate Sam Tostin: A woman just shouldn't mess around with a man's machinery.

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[finding water all over the floor]
Lt. Nicholas Holden: Excuse me, sir, is this normal, or should I be nervous again?

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Lt. Cmdr Matt T. Serman: Sir, Sea Tiger was built to fight. She deserves a better epitaph than 'Commissioned 1940, sunk 1941, engagements none, shots fired none.' Now, you can't let it go that way. That's like a beautiful woman dying an old maid, if you know what I mean by old maid.
Capt. J.B. Henderson: Did you ever sell used cars?
lt. Cmdr. Matt T.Sherman: No, Sir.
Capt. J.B. Henderson: I've got a hunch you missed your calling.

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Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Have you ever been to sea?
Lt. Nicholas Holden: Yes, Sir. Destroyer duty.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: How did you find time for it?
Lt. Nicholas Holden: It was a mistake, Sir. About a week after I left Honolulu, they got it straightened out.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Who? The Admiral or the Admiral's wife? She must be awfully upset with you stranded out here. That will probably cost her the rumba championship this year!

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Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: We sunk a truck! Let's get the hell out of here!

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Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: It's like watching a strip tease. Don't ask how it's done, just enjoy what's coming off.

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[part of the corrugated iron wall of the Admiral's office has vanished]
Capt. J.B. Henderson: Mr. Sherman, I want my wall back!
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: I'm not sure that we have it, Sir!
Capt. J.B. Henderson: You must have it! You've got everything else!

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Lt. Nicholas Holden: When I was a kid, I was the victim of the most vicious propaganda. People told me that money wasn't everything and I believed it. Then I found out that the people that were telling me that money wasn't everything were the people who had a lot of money. Now there are two ways you can get money. You can steal it, or you can marry it.

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Lt. Nicholas Holden: Let me go shopping, sir, and see what's left at the market.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: You, Mr. Holden? You'd ruin your manicure.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: Don't let the manicure fool you, sir. I grew up in a neighborhood called 'Noah's Ark'; If you didn't travel in pairs, you just didn't travel.

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Lt. Nicholas Holden: [Seeing Lt. Crandell and Sherman come out of the shower together] Good morning, that's a clever shower schedule you've worked out. Conserves water too.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Look, Lt. Crandell was having trouble with the shower head.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: It's your boat, sir.

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Chief Mechanic's Mate Sam Tostin: I'm a religious man, Captain, and I believe we'll get through if the Good Lord puts His mind to it. Of course, He'll have to give us His undivided attention

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Lt. Nicholas Holden: The scuttlebutt is that we're going to try to submerge at daybreak, and I figured if you've got to go, you might as well go big.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Mr. Holden, it's past daybreak, and we are submerged.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: We are?
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: We are.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: You mean, we're under?
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Yes.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: Well, it isn't a permanent situation, er... What I'm trying to say is, I mean, we can come up if we like to.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Well, I like to think we can, but then, I'm an incurable optimist.
Lt. Nicholas Holden: What happens, sir, if we, er... What happens if we can't...?
[he motions upward]
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Oh, well, if we can't, er...
[he motions upward]
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: , then, we, er...
[he motions downward]

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

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Filipino farmer: [seeing Holden's shoes] Oh! Zappatos!
Lt. Nicholas Holden: Oh no! Not my zappatos.

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Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Where is Lt. Holden?
Lt. Watson: He left when the bombs started dropping saying, "in confusion their is profit."

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Fox: [comes up the ladder] I found it! I found it! I found it! Look!
[holds up a water soaked box with something in it beyond recognition]
Chief Molumphry: I give up, what is it?
Fox: It's a cake my mother sent me.
Chief Molumphry: Oh, isn't that nice. Take it down to the cook. Maybe he'll warm it up for you.
[Fox leaves]
Chief Molumphry: Mothers. Why couldn't she send us something we need. Like an universal coupling joint.

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Chief Mechanic's Mate Sam Tostin: [speaking to Maj.Heywood at the luau] You know, I spent alot of years disliking women. But I don't dislike you.
Maj. Edna Heywood, RN: Oh?
Chief Mechanic's Mate Sam Tostin: You're not a woman. You're more than a woman. You're a *mechanic*

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Ens. Stovall: Wow! That's what I call scavenging!
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Mr. Stovall, Lt. Holden's influence upon you is starting to worry me. I suggest you "wow" less and "tsk tsk tsk" a little more!

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

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Lt. Nicholas Holden: Sir, I grew up in a place called Noah's Ark - if you didn't travel in pairs, you just didn't travel!

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[Hunkle has revealed the picture of Gertie tattoed on his chest]
Lt. Nicholas Holden: [pointing to Gertie] They ought to hang you in the Lourve!

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