Operation Petticoat: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
(Rescuing 0 sources and tagging 2 as dead. #IABot (v2.0beta9))
m (Reverted edits by InternetArchiveBot (talk) to last revision by Looney Toons)
Tag: Rollback
Line 1: Line 1:
{{work}}
<!DOCTYPE html>
[[File:operation_petticoat_poster_8022.jpg|frame]]
<html class="client-nojs" lang="en" dir="ltr">

<head>
A 1959 comedy starring [[Cary Grant]] and [[Tony Curtis]] and directed by [[Blake Edwards]] concerning the manic maiden voyage of the submarine ''Sea Tiger'' in the early days of World War II.
<meta charset="UTF-8"/>

<title>Login required - All The Tropes</title>
The movie begins with Rear Admiral Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) making a sentimental visit to his first command, which is due to be scrapped. He goes down to the empty Captain's cabin, opens the old log book and begins to read. Cue flashback to December 10th 1941. The ''Sea Tiger'' is sunk at dock and the crew works frantically to jury-rig sufficient repairs to make the run from the Philippines to Darwin where American forces are regrouping. Lt. Nick Holden (Tony Curtis) is a reassigned Admiral's Aide with no sea experience who proves unexpectedly useful as the new [[The Scrounger|'Supply Officer']] getting Sherman the parts he needs by humorously unscrupulous means.
<script>document.documentElement.className = document.documentElement.className.replace( /(^|\s)client-nojs(\s|$)/, "$1client-js$2" );</script>

<script>(window.RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgCanonicalNamespace":"Special","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":"Badtitle","wgNamespaceNumber":-1,"wgPageName":"Special:Badtitle","wgTitle":"Badtitle","wgCurRevisionId":0,"wgRevisionId":0,"wgArticleId":0,"wgIsArticle":false,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":[],"wgBreakFrames":true,"wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy","wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgMonthNamesShort":["","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec"],"wgRelevantPageName":"Special:Badtitle","wgRelevantArticleId":0,"wgRequestId":"d2458d8083e45b3867c1d050","wgIsProbablyEditable":false,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":false,"wgBetaFeaturesFeatures":[],"wgWikiEditorEnabledModules":[],"wgCategoryTreePageCategoryOptions":"{\"mode\":0,\"hideprefix\":20,\"showcount\":true,\"namespaces\":false}","wgCollapsibleVectorEnabledModules":{"collapsiblenav":true,"experiments":true},"wgMetrolookEnabledModules":{"collapsiblenav":true},"wgPreferredVariant":"en","wgMFExpandAllSectionsUserOption":true,"wgMFEnableFontChanger":true,"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":false,"nearby":false,"watchlist":false,"tagline":false},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":false,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsShouldSendModuleToUser":true,"wgPopupsConflictsWithNavPopupGadget":false,"wgRelatedArticles":null,"wgRelatedArticlesUseCirrusSearch":false,"wgRelatedArticlesOnlyUseCirrusSearch":false,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en","usePageImages":true,"usePageDescriptions":false},"wgNoticeProject":"open","wgCentralNoticeCookiesToDelete":[],"wgCentralNoticeCategoriesUsingLegacy":["Fundraising","fundraising"],"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgVisualEditorToolbarScrollOffset":0,"wgVisualEditorUnsupportedEditParams":["undo","undoafter","veswitched"],"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":false});mw.loader.state({"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.site.styles":"ready","ext.gadget.NoSmallFonts":"ready","site.styles":"ready","noscript":"ready","user.styles":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"ready","user.tokens":"loading","ext.socialprofile.responsive":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","mediawiki.legacy.shared":"ready","mediawiki.legacy.commonPrint":"ready","mediawiki.sectionAnchor":"ready","mediawiki.skinning.interface":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.site":"ready"});mw.loader.implement("user.tokens@1ogqjqd",function($,jQuery,require,module){/*@nomin*/mw.user.tokens.set({"editToken":"+\\","patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"});
Repairs are finally complete and they are ready to get under way, but the No. 1 engine keeps blowing up and sending out black smoke. As the engineers try to fix it, a local witch doctor comes up and starts doing some kind of ritual dance to ward off evil spirits. Sherman tries to get him to leave, when suddenly the engine starts and they are finally able to shove off. Once the sub is headed out to sea, the witch doctor stops dancing and shakes his head, remarking, "They'll never make it."
});mw.loader.load(["site","mediawiki.page.startup","mediawiki.user","mediawiki.hidpi","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.searchSuggest","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","ext.collapsiblevector.collapsibleNav","ext.eventLogging.subscriber","ext.gadget.ATTSiteCode","ext.gadget.Altredirects","ext.gadget.purgetab","ext.gadget.Auto_Complete","ext.gadget.HotLicense","ext.gadget.Edittools","ext.hideSection","ext.popups","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","skins.vector.js"]);});</script>

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?debug=false&amp;lang=en&amp;modules=ext.socialprofile.responsive%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cmediawiki.legacy.commonPrint%2Cshared%7Cmediawiki.sectionAnchor%7Cmediawiki.skinning.interface%7Cskins.vector.styles&amp;only=styles&amp;skin=vector"/>
The ''Sea Tiger'' set sail under strict order to avoid engaging any enemy craft - including lifeboats. Forced to drop anchor at Marinduque for still more repairs Mr. Holden goes ashore and discovers five stranded Army Nurses. A submarine isn't intended to be co-educational but obviously the women cannot be left where they are. Cue sexual tension between a predatory (and engaged) Lt. Holden and Lt. Duran; Captain Sherman and the buxom - and clumsy - Lt. Crandall; and the misogynistic Chief Masters Mate Tostin and Major Heywood.
<script async="" src="/w/load.php?debug=false&amp;lang=en&amp;modules=startup&amp;only=scripts&amp;skin=vector"></script>

<meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""/>
Sherman intends to unload the nurses at Cebu but the Army Officer in Command refuses to take responsibility for them as he is expecting to be overrun and engage in guerilla operations, possibly for years. Nor can he help Sherman obtain the parts he needs as ''everything'' has been taken up into the hills. Lt. Holden comes up with a solution; he establishes a 'casino' up in the hills which accepts machine parts in exchange for chips leading Sherman to write that Mr. Holden is the only man he knows who will be awarded the Navy Cross at his court-martial.
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?debug=false&amp;lang=en&amp;modules=ext.gadget.NoSmallFonts&amp;only=styles&amp;skin=vector"/>

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?debug=false&amp;lang=en&amp;modules=site.styles&amp;only=styles&amp;skin=vector"/>
One of the items Holden obtains is lead paint for the submarine's undercoat. Unfortunately they have to mix red and white lead resulting in a bright ''pink'' submarine. They have regulation gray paint to go over it but predictably are forced to make a quick departure under fire before this can be done. They also have a dozen or so more passengers, the wives and children of the dealers at Mr. Holden's casino and a goat to provide milk for the children. Even better two of the women are in the last stages of pregnancy.
<meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.31.1"/>

<meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow"/>
Sherman naturally assumes that things can't possibly get worse - then they do. Tokyo Rose mocks the bright pink submarine cruising the Celebes Sea and U.S. Naval Intelligence assumes it's deliberate disinformation leading to orders to fire on the ''Sea Tiger'' when she attempts to make contact with a destroyer group. Sherman is forced to resort to most unconventional means to prove that he is 'friend' not 'foe'.
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png"/>

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"/>
The flashback ends with a color photo of the pink ''Sea Tiger'' steaming into Darwin Harbor. Smiling Admiral Sherman closes the log book and goes on deck to encounter ''Commander'' Nick Holden, now captain of the ''Sea Tiger'' who has just said good-bye to his wife, the former Lt. Duran, and their two sons. A few moments later the Admiral's wife, the former Lt. Crandall, arrives with their four lovely daughters rear ending his staff car and sending it into a bus which then pulls out dragging the Admiral's car behind it by the locked fenders.
<link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/opensearch_desc.php" title="All The Tropes (en)"/>

<link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="https://allthetropes.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"/>
He assures her it won't go far, then turn to watch as ''Sea Tiger'' shoves off for the last time, punctuated by an explosion from the No. 1 engine. Sherman shakes his head, remarking, "I guess we never did get that fixed."
<link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"/>

<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="All The Tropes Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&amp;feed=atom"/>
----
<link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.miraheze.org"/>
{{tropelist}}
<!--[if lt IE 9]><script src="/w/load.php?debug=false&amp;lang=en&amp;modules=html5shiv&amp;only=scripts&amp;skin=vector&amp;sync=1"></script><![endif]-->
* [[Armed Farces]]
</head>
* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]]: Most notably between Tostin and Heywood.
<body class="mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns--1 ns-special mw-special-Badtitle page-Special_Badtitle rootpage-Special_Badtitle skin-vector action-view"> <div id="mw-page-base" class="noprint"></div>
* [[Brick Joke]]: As they are trying to get under way, the engine keeps making sounds like explosions accompanied by thick, black smoke. The problem does not occur again while they are at sea. At the end, as ''Sea Tiger'' is getting under way, there is a sudden sound like an explosion and black smoke, causing Sherman to remark that they never did get that engine fixed.
<div id="mw-head-base" class="noprint"></div>
* [[The Captain]]: The bemused and put upon Matt Sherman.
<div id="content" class="mw-body" role="main">
* [[The Casanova]]: Lt. Holden.
<a id="top"></a>
* [[Deal with the Devil]]: Sherman describes it this way when he orders Holden to get the parts he needs to get ''Sea Tiger'' moving before the Japanese overrun the port.
<div id="siteNotice" class="mw-body-content"><!-- CentralNotice --></div><div class="mw-indicators mw-body-content">
* [[The Determinator]]: Sherman will stop at nothing to get ''Sea Tiger'' back out to sea, including allowing Holden to clean out the Admiral's office.
</div>
{{quote|"I think we've been victims of Sherman's march to the sea."}}
<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en">Login required</h1> <div id="bodyContent" class="mw-body-content">
* [[The Eeyore]]: Seaman Broom; 'You can't win, my friend...'
<div id="contentSub"></div>
* [[Embarrassing Tattoo]]: Poor Seaman Hunkle, he's got a female nude tattooed on his chest and feels he can ''never'' go home and marry his fiancee.
<div id="jump-to-nav" class="mw-jump">
* [[Hello, Nurse!]]: Lt. Crandall, very much so.
Jump to: <a href="#mw-head">navigation</a>, <a href="#p-search">search</a>
* [[Ladykiller in Love]]: Lt. Holden becomes this after meeting Lt. Duran. Unfortunately he's engaged....
</div>
* [[Poor Communication Kills]]: ''Sea Tiger'' is nearly sunk by their own navy because they think the bright pink sub couldn't possibly be one of their own.
<div id="mw-content-text">Please <a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&amp;returnto=Operation+Petticoat&amp;returntoquery=action%3Draw" title="Special:UserLogin">log in</a> to view other pages.<p id="mw-returnto">Return to <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Main Page">Main Page</a>.</p>
* [[Sub Story]]
<noscript><img src="https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" title="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;" /></noscript></div> <div class="printfooter">
* [[Witch Doctor]]: Lt. Holden hires one of these to see the ''Sea Tiger'' off, on the theory they need all the help they can get.
Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:Badtitle">https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:Badtitle{{Dead link}}</a>" </div>
* [[World War II]]
<div id="catlinks" class="catlinks catlinks-allhidden" data-mw="interface"></div> <div class="visualClear"></div>

</div>
{{reflist}}
</div>
[[Category:Sea Stories]]
<div id="mw-navigation">
[[Category:Films of the 1950s]]
<h2>Navigation menu</h2>
[[Category:Operation Petticoat]]
<div id="mw-head">
[[Category:Military and Warfare Films]]
<div id="p-personal" role="navigation" class="" aria-labelledby="p-personal-label">
<h3 id="p-personal-label">Personal tools</h3>
<ul>
<li id="pt-login-private"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&amp;returnto=Operation+Petticoat&amp;returntoquery=action%3Draw" title="You need to log in to use this wiki [o]" accesskey="o">Log in</a></li> </ul>
</div>
<div id="left-navigation">
<div id="p-namespaces" role="navigation" class="vectorTabs" aria-labelledby="p-namespaces-label">
<h3 id="p-namespaces-label">Namespaces</h3>
<ul>
<li id="ca-nstab-special" class="selected"><span><a href="/w/index.php?action=raw&amp;title=Operation+Petticoat" title="This is a special page, and it cannot be edited">Special page</a></span></li> </ul>
</div>
<div id="p-variants" role="navigation" class="vectorMenu emptyPortlet" aria-labelledby="p-variants-label">
<input type="checkbox" class="vectorMenuCheckbox" aria-labelledby="p-variants-label" />
<h3 id="p-variants-label">
<span>Variants</span>
</h3>
<div class="menu">
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="right-navigation">
<div id="p-views" role="navigation" class="vectorTabs emptyPortlet" aria-labelledby="p-views-label">
<h3 id="p-views-label">Views</h3>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="p-cactions" role="navigation" class="vectorMenu emptyPortlet" aria-labelledby="p-cactions-label">
<input type="checkbox" class="vectorMenuCheckbox" aria-labelledby="p-cactions-label" />
<h3 id="p-cactions-label"><span>More</span></h3>
<div class="menu">
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="p-search" role="search">
<h3>
<label for="searchInput">Search</label>
</h3>
<form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform">
<div id="simpleSearch">
<input type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search All The Tropes" title="Search All The Tropes [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput"/><input type="hidden" value="Special:Search" name="title"/><input type="submit" name="fulltext" value="Search" title="Search the pages for this text" id="mw-searchButton" class="searchButton mw-fallbackSearchButton"/><input type="submit" name="go" value="Go" title="Go to a page with this exact name if it exists" id="searchButton" class="searchButton"/> </div>
</form>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mw-panel">
<div id="p-logo" role="banner"><a class="mw-wiki-logo" href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page"></a></div>
<div class="portal" role="navigation" id="p-navigation" aria-labelledby="p-navigation-label">
<h3 id="p-navigation-label">Navigation</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul>
<li id="n-Home-Page"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page">Home Page</a></li><li id="n-ATT-Community-Portal"><a href="/wiki/All_The_Tropes:Community_Portal">ATT Community Portal</a></li><li id="n-recentchanges"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes in the wiki [r]" accesskey="r">Recent changes</a></li><li id="n-randompage"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Load a random page [x]" accesskey="x">Random page</a></li><li id="n-MediaWiki-Help"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents">MediaWiki Help</a></li><li id="n-Upload-file"><a href="/wiki/Special:Upload">Upload file</a></li> </ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="portal" role="navigation" id="p-Troper_Tools" aria-labelledby="p-Troper_Tools-label">
<h3 id="p-Troper_Tools-label">Troper Tools</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul>
<li id="n-User-Blogs"><a href="/wiki/Special:ArticlesHome">User Blogs</a></li><li id="n-Newest-Blog-Posts"><a href="/wiki/Special:ArticleLists">Newest Blog Posts</a></li><li id="n-Write-a-Blog-Post"><a href="/wiki/Special:CreateBlogPost">Write a Blog Post</a></li><li id="n-Follow-Your-Friends"><a href="/wiki/Special:UserActivity">Follow Your Friends</a></li><li id="n-See-Friends.2FFoes"><a href="/wiki/Special:ViewRelationshipRequests">See Friends/Foes</a></li><li id="n-View-Your-Messages"><a href="/wiki/Special:UserBoard">View Your Messages</a></li><li id="n-See-Your-Gifts"><a href="/wiki/Special:ViewGifts">See Your Gifts</a></li><li id="n-Gift-a-Friend"><a href="/wiki/Special:GiveGift">Gift a Friend</a></li> </ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="portal" role="navigation" id="p-Troping_Utilities" aria-labelledby="p-Troping_Utilities-label">
<h3 id="p-Troping_Utilities-label">Troping Utilities</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul>
<li id="n-ATT-Page-Creator"><a href="/wiki/All_The_Tropes:ATT_Page_Creator">ATT Page Creator</a></li><li id="n-Trope-Workshop"><a href="/wiki/Category:Trope_Workshop">Trope Workshop</a></li><li id="n-ATT-Forums"><a href="/wiki/Special:WikiForum">ATT Forums</a></li><li id="n-ATT-Forums-.28old.29"><a href="/wiki/Forum:All_The_Tropes">ATT Forums (old)</a></li><li id="n-ATT-WebChat-.28IRC.29"><a href="/wiki/Special:WebChat">ATT WebChat (IRC)</a></li><li id="n-ATT-WebChat-.28onwiki.29"><a href="/wiki/Special:Chat">ATT WebChat (onwiki)</a></li><li id="n-Troper-Userboxes"><a href="/wiki/All_The_Tropes:Userboxes">Troper Userboxes</a></li><li id="n-Mechanics-of-Writing"><a href="/wiki/Mechanics_of_Writing">Mechanics of Writing</a></li> </ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="portal" role="navigation" id="p-Troper_Social_Networks" aria-labelledby="p-Troper_Social_Networks-label">
<h3 id="p-Troper_Social_Networks-label">Troper Social Networks</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul>
<li id="n-ATT-Twitter"><a href="https://twitter.com/ATTropes" rel="nofollow">ATT Twitter</a></li><li id="n-ATT-subreddit"><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AllTheTropes/" rel="nofollow">ATT subreddit</a></li> </ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="portal" role="navigation" id="p-tb" aria-labelledby="p-tb-label">
<h3 id="p-tb-label">Tools</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul>
<li id="t-specialpages"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q">Special pages</a></li><li id="t-print"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:Badtitle&amp;action=raw&amp;printable=yes" rel="alternate" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p">Printable version</a></li><li id="t-urlshortener"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fallthetropes.org%2Fw%2Findex.php%3Ftitle%3DSpecial%3ABadtitle%26action%3Draw">Get shortened URL</a></li> </ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer" role="contentinfo">
<ul id="footer-places">
<li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="//meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy" class="extiw" title="m:Privacy Policy">Privacy policy</a></li>
<li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/All_The_Tropes:About" title="All The Tropes:About">About All The Tropes</a></li>
<li id="footer-places-disclaimer"><a href="/wiki/All_The_Tropes:General_disclaimer" title="All The Tropes:General disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li>
<li id="footer-places-termsofservice"><a href="//meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="m:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a></li>
<li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="https://allthetropes.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Badtitle&amp;action=raw&amp;mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile{{Dead link}}" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li>
</ul>
<ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint">
<li id="footer-copyrightico">
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"><img src="https://meta.miraheze.org/w/resources/assets/licenses/cc-by-sa.png" alt="Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)" width="88" height="31"/></a> </li>
<li id="footer-poweredbyico">
<a href="//www.mediawiki.org/"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_88x31.png" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" srcset="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x" width="88" height="31"/></a><a href="https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/"><img src="https://static.miraheze.org/metawiki/7/7e/Powered_by_Miraheze.png" alt="Miraheze Wiki Hosting" width="88" height="31"/></a> </li>
</ul>
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
</div>
<!-- Matomo -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var _paq = _paq || [];
_paq.push(["trackPageView"]);
_paq.push(["enableLinkTracking"]);
(function() {
var u = "https://matomo.miraheze.org/";
var globalId = 1;
_paq.push(["setTrackerUrl", u + "piwik.php"]);
_paq.push(['setDocumentTitle', "allthetropeswiki" + " - " + "Special:Badtitle"]);
_paq.push(["setSiteId", "2"]);
_paq.push(["setCustomVariable", 1, "userType", "Anonymous", "visit"]);
if ( globalId ) {
_paq.push(['addTracker', u + "piwik.php", globalId]);
}
var d=document, g=d.createElement("script"), s=d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; g.type="text/javascript";
g.defer=true; g.async=true; g.src=u+"piwik.js"; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s);
})();
</script>
<!-- End Matomo Code -->
<!-- Matomo Image Tracker -->
<noscript><p><img src="https://matomo.miraheze.org/piwik.php?idsite=2&amp;rec=1&amp;action_name=Special:Badtitle" style="border:0;" alt="" /></p></noscript>
<!-- End Matomo --><script>(window.RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgBackendResponseTime":178,"wgHostname":"mw2"});});</script>
</body>
</html>

Revision as of 00:00, 27 October 2018

A 1959 comedy starring Cary Grant and Tony Curtis and directed by Blake Edwards concerning the manic maiden voyage of the submarine Sea Tiger in the early days of World War II.

The movie begins with Rear Admiral Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) making a sentimental visit to his first command, which is due to be scrapped. He goes down to the empty Captain's cabin, opens the old log book and begins to read. Cue flashback to December 10th 1941. The Sea Tiger is sunk at dock and the crew works frantically to jury-rig sufficient repairs to make the run from the Philippines to Darwin where American forces are regrouping. Lt. Nick Holden (Tony Curtis) is a reassigned Admiral's Aide with no sea experience who proves unexpectedly useful as the new 'Supply Officer' getting Sherman the parts he needs by humorously unscrupulous means.

Repairs are finally complete and they are ready to get under way, but the No. 1 engine keeps blowing up and sending out black smoke. As the engineers try to fix it, a local witch doctor comes up and starts doing some kind of ritual dance to ward off evil spirits. Sherman tries to get him to leave, when suddenly the engine starts and they are finally able to shove off. Once the sub is headed out to sea, the witch doctor stops dancing and shakes his head, remarking, "They'll never make it."

The Sea Tiger set sail under strict order to avoid engaging any enemy craft - including lifeboats. Forced to drop anchor at Marinduque for still more repairs Mr. Holden goes ashore and discovers five stranded Army Nurses. A submarine isn't intended to be co-educational but obviously the women cannot be left where they are. Cue sexual tension between a predatory (and engaged) Lt. Holden and Lt. Duran; Captain Sherman and the buxom - and clumsy - Lt. Crandall; and the misogynistic Chief Masters Mate Tostin and Major Heywood.

Sherman intends to unload the nurses at Cebu but the Army Officer in Command refuses to take responsibility for them as he is expecting to be overrun and engage in guerilla operations, possibly for years. Nor can he help Sherman obtain the parts he needs as everything has been taken up into the hills. Lt. Holden comes up with a solution; he establishes a 'casino' up in the hills which accepts machine parts in exchange for chips leading Sherman to write that Mr. Holden is the only man he knows who will be awarded the Navy Cross at his court-martial.

One of the items Holden obtains is lead paint for the submarine's undercoat. Unfortunately they have to mix red and white lead resulting in a bright pink submarine. They have regulation gray paint to go over it but predictably are forced to make a quick departure under fire before this can be done. They also have a dozen or so more passengers, the wives and children of the dealers at Mr. Holden's casino and a goat to provide milk for the children. Even better two of the women are in the last stages of pregnancy.

Sherman naturally assumes that things can't possibly get worse - then they do. Tokyo Rose mocks the bright pink submarine cruising the Celebes Sea and U.S. Naval Intelligence assumes it's deliberate disinformation leading to orders to fire on the Sea Tiger when she attempts to make contact with a destroyer group. Sherman is forced to resort to most unconventional means to prove that he is 'friend' not 'foe'.

The flashback ends with a color photo of the pink Sea Tiger steaming into Darwin Harbor. Smiling Admiral Sherman closes the log book and goes on deck to encounter Commander Nick Holden, now captain of the Sea Tiger who has just said good-bye to his wife, the former Lt. Duran, and their two sons. A few moments later the Admiral's wife, the former Lt. Crandall, arrives with their four lovely daughters rear ending his staff car and sending it into a bus which then pulls out dragging the Admiral's car behind it by the locked fenders.

He assures her it won't go far, then turn to watch as Sea Tiger shoves off for the last time, punctuated by an explosion from the No. 1 engine. Sherman shakes his head, remarking, "I guess we never did get that fixed."

Tropes used in Operation Petticoat include:
  • Armed Farces
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Most notably between Tostin and Heywood.
  • Brick Joke: As they are trying to get under way, the engine keeps making sounds like explosions accompanied by thick, black smoke. The problem does not occur again while they are at sea. At the end, as Sea Tiger is getting under way, there is a sudden sound like an explosion and black smoke, causing Sherman to remark that they never did get that engine fixed.
  • The Captain: The bemused and put upon Matt Sherman.
  • The Casanova: Lt. Holden.
  • Deal with the Devil: Sherman describes it this way when he orders Holden to get the parts he needs to get Sea Tiger moving before the Japanese overrun the port.
  • The Determinator: Sherman will stop at nothing to get Sea Tiger back out to sea, including allowing Holden to clean out the Admiral's office.

"I think we've been victims of Sherman's march to the sea."

  • The Eeyore: Seaman Broom; 'You can't win, my friend...'
  • Embarrassing Tattoo: Poor Seaman Hunkle, he's got a female nude tattooed on his chest and feels he can never go home and marry his fiancee.
  • Hello, Nurse!: Lt. Crandall, very much so.
  • Ladykiller in Love: Lt. Holden becomes this after meeting Lt. Duran. Unfortunately he's engaged....
  • Poor Communication Kills: Sea Tiger is nearly sunk by their own navy because they think the bright pink sub couldn't possibly be one of their own.
  • Sub Story
  • Witch Doctor: Lt. Holden hires one of these to see the Sea Tiger off, on the theory they need all the help they can get.
  • World War II
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Operation_Petticoat?oldid=1655687"