Operation Petticoat poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O'Brien, Dina Merrill, Gene Evans ... see more see more... , Arthur O'Connell , Virginia Gregg , Robert F. Simon , Robert Gist , Gavin MacLeod , George Dunn , Dick Crockett , Madlyn Rhue , Marion Ross , Clarence Lung , Frankie Darro , Robert Hoy , Nicky Blair , John Morley , Hal Baylor , William Bryant , Malcolm Cassell , Francis De Sales , Vince Deadrick Jr. , Alan Dexter , Preston Hanson , Harry Harvey Jr. , Robert Keys , Joseph Kim , James Lanphier , Nelson Leigh , Leon Lontoc , Alan Scott , Nino Tempo , Robert Gibson , Dale Cummings , Glenn Jacobson , Bob Stratton , Dick Sargent

Rear Admiral Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) visits the submarine Sea Tiger on the morning of its decommissioning and reminisces about his time as the first commander of the boat, in 1941. Three days after ... read more read more...Pearl Harbor, the sub is damaged during an enemy air raid in the Philippines; rather than abandoning her, Sherman and his chiefs refloat the boat. He's forced to accept the services of Lt. (jg) Nick Holden (Tony Curtis), who has no sea experience. Sherman appoints Holden -- a born conniver, deal-maker, and scrounger (his motto: "In confusion, there is profit") -- as supply officer, and through a series of burglaries and petty thefts he gets the Sea Tiger seaworthy again. Up to this point, the movie is an increasingly amusing service comedy, akin to the lighter moments of Mr. Roberts, running on Grant's wry exasperation and Curtis's cool arrogance, coupled with Arthur O'Connell's periodic sardonic yet optimistic jabs at their situation and Gavin MacLeod's fidgety nervousness. The Sea Tiger puts to sea ahead of the Japanese with a quintet of stranded army nurses aboard. The film shifts to a new level of humor as the officers and crew try to cope with living in close quarters with five attractive women in their midst. Grant gives a very witty performance as a man who is both exasperated by the situation he is in, having to adjust his masculinity to keep it from clashing with the feminine sensibilities of his guests, and also trying to control the mating urges of his men, starting with Holden, who can't stay away from Lt. Duran (Dina Merrill). Complicating matters more is Grant's awareness that the Sea Tiger is a "virgin" -- she has never engaged the enemy, but when they finally do, the accident-prone Lt. Crandall (Joan O'Brien) causes their torpedo to miss a tanker and sink a truck (probably the funniest sight gag in the movie). The boat also gets an accidental coat of pink paint when their supply of red and white runs low, and ends up carrying several Filipino families -- including two pregnant women. Since neither the Japanese nor the Americans officially has a pink submarine, the Sea Tiger ends uphunted by both sides and come under attack by an American destroyer. That's where the women's presence becomes a godsend. The movie ends 18 years later, with Holden a serious career navy man and responsible father, married to Duran, and Grant married to Crandall, who is as accident prone as ever. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Flixster Users

78% liked it

8,306 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

17 critics

Unrated, 2 hr.

Directed by: Blake Edwards

Release Date: January 1, 1959

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: September 18, 2001

Stats: 428 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Dina Merril and Joan O'Brien Cary Grant and Tony Curtis Cary Grant and Joan O'Brien Dina Merrill, Tony Curtis and Cary Grant Dina Merrill, Tony Curtis and Cary Grant Operation Petticoat Operation Petticoat Cary Grant and Arthur O'Connell
Upload a Photo | View All Operation Petticoat Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (428)

  • ajv2688
    November 21, 2010
    ajv2688
    The plot of this movie is pretty silly obviously, and the movie is goofy and funny some of the time, but overall it's not that good.
  • kenstachnik
    July 15, 2009
    kenstachnik
    A lot of good shtick.
  • garyX
    July 14, 2007
    garyX
    Another enjoyable WWII comedy from Cary Grant, and Tony Curtis provides some able support as a hustler who turns his now bright pink submarine into a refugee camp for the inevitable romantic interest. Formulaic but fun.
  • moonrivers
    July 12, 2007
    moonrivers
    if i'm not mistaken this film was made shortly after mr. curtis' stint as cary's tongue-in-cheek doppelganger in "some like in hot", so this should've been a hoot if only to see if any sparks fly between the two...but it doesn't. too bad, but still a fun film
  • ashleymh007
    August 18, 2007
    ashleymh007
    Its very cute,love Curtis and Grant.
  • broadwaymo
    June 8, 2007
    broadwaymo
    Cary Grant is just too cool, nothing rattles him. Lots of fun...
  • glennmoss2000
    February 18, 2011
    glennmoss2000
    A hilarious movie staring two Hollywood legends. Probably the best comedy Curtis made after Some Like it Hot.
  • simonsez32000
    March 29, 2009
    simonsez32000
    A classic in the making. I cried a few times. To have a love like theirs is a true and rare gift few people are lucky enough to find. Truely inspirational.
  • donaldwhite1
    August 24, 2008
    donaldwhite1
    I first saw this old movie on late night TV back in the 1970's. It was a staple of late night TV in the 1970's. It's a funny movie without being too over the top. It's loosely based on some real events in World War II but stretches the truth a bit. The basic joke is what happ... read moreens when you put five large breasted Army nurses on a crowded submarine with with men a long way from home. For a movie made in 1959 it was as risque as they could make it but is very tame by today's standards. Compared to the TV shows in 1959 it was very risque. The movie starts in 1959 then flash backs to December 1941. The fictional submarine is sunk by the Japanese while tied to the dock in the Philippines. This happened to a real submarine in World War II but it had to be destroyed before the Japanese could capture it. In the movie they raise it and repair it in four days. Not very likely. The Subs they used in the movie were all made after 1942 but where of the type being used in the Pacific in 1941. They had jeeps too but the jeeps weren't delivered until after the attack on Pearl Harbor and wouldn't have been in the Philippines. Tony Curtis plays a playboy officer who steals parts for the submarine. Cary Grant plays the sub Captain. He was the right age for the 1959 beginning and ending but he was too old for the 1941 Captain. Most of the World War II Sub Captains were in their 30's not grey haired old men. Tony Curtis had just made the movie "Some Like it Hot" were he did a Cary Grant imitation. Also apparently using pink primer paint is common when there is a shortage of red and white primer. The women in the film were good looking but not overly hot like in the 1977 TV remake. Many of the supporting cast became latter TV stars on shows like McHale's Navy, Bewitched, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Love Boat.
  • homerunmatthew
    May 20, 2008
    homerunmatthew
    Hilarious! Grant and Curtis make a hilarious duo. The situation combined with 1950's innuendos make this movie one of my favorites.

View All Operation Petticoat Reviews

Critic Reviews

Don Druker
May 15, 2012
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

Blake Edwards directs with his customary wit, breeziness, and acute sense of pacing. Full Review

Variety Staff
July 7, 2010
Variety Staff, Variety

Operation Petticoat has no more weight than a sackful of feathers, but it has a lot of laughs. Full Review

May 15, 2012
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The gags are bright and Blake Edwards's direction adroit enough to make Operation Petticoat an enjoyable time. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
March 21, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Appealing but thin service comedy. Full Review

Cole Abaius
February 11, 2009
Cole Abaius, Film School Rejects

Without a true plot to speak of, you really watch the film for the comic set ups that all have fairly quick payoffs. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Not unpleasant, but the situations (including the inevitable invasion of women aboard the sub) are horribly familiar, and the dialogue none too inspired. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 17, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

With shining, contarsting turns from Cary Grant and Tony Curtis, Blake Edwards's slick and funny military comedy was one of 1959's most popular films and one of Grant's biggest commercial hits in a lo... Full Review

Robin Clifford
November 30, 2003
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

A n ice pairing of the talents of Cary Grant and Tony Curtis

Ken Hanke
November 20, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Splendid, if a little long, service comedy from Edwards.

Widgett Walls
June 3, 2003
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com

Ah, Blake Edwards. I remember when he was not just funny--but really funny.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Catch-22
    Catch-22 (100%)
  • Torpedo Alley
    Torpedo Alley (100%)
  • Arsenic and Old Lace
    Arsenic and Old Lace (56%)
  • M*A*S*H (MASH)
    M*A*S*H (MASH) (50%)

More Movies like Operation Petticoat

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Adm. Matt 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.
Submit a Fact | View All

Operation Pettico... : Watch Free on TV

Operation Petticoat Trivia

  • In which movie was Carey Grant a Captain on a pink submarine?  Answer »
  • Name this movie: Submerged with 5 Girls...No wonder the S.S. Sea Tiger turned a Shocking Pink!  Answer »
  • what female article of clothing was used to repair the engine in the movie "Operation Petticoat"  Answer »
  • Which actor played opposite Cary Grant in "Operation Petticoat"?  Answer »
More Operation Petticoat Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Operation Petticoat. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Operation Petticoat to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?