Product Details

• Actors: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O'Brien, Dina Merrill, Gene Evans
• Directors: Blake Edwards
• Writers: Joseph Stone, Maurice Richlin, Paul King, Stanley Shapiro
• Producers: Robert Arthur
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Republic Pictures
• DVD Release Date: September 18, 2001
• Run Time: 124 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005N90X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,568 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Operation Petticoat" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Blake Edwards's delightful 1959 comedy stars Cary Grant as a World War II submarine captain whose preference for a by-the-book command reluctantly yields to certain realities. Chief among those is that Grant's first officer (Tony Curtis, who impersonated Grant that same year in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot), a shameless hustler, is better than the navy at delivering whatever supplies the ship and crew need to keep going. But when Curtis sneaks a handful of Philippine refugees and several gorgeous nurses onto the all-male sub, the skipper not only has to cool down his crew but deal with an unexpected feminine influence on ship protocol. The film is a great deal of fun, sprinkled with the director's trademark sight gags (including one of Edwards's best, involving a torpedo and jeep), and graced with his unmistakable lilt. Grant is in great form, his comic brilliance almost impossibly effortless. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Cary Grant and Tony Curtis ship out for laughs and adventure in one of the most hilarious comedies to ever hit the high seas. Commander Matt Sherman (Grant) has his toughest assignment yet - to put a broken sardine can of a submarine back into action. Enter supply officer Nick Holden (Curtis), a master scavenger with the (illegal) means to get the Sea Tiger purring - or at least afloat. But after the rescue of five stranded (and beautiful) nurses, the grey, battle-scarred sub has suddenly transformed into a pink, party-ready hot tub. Now there's only one course of action Sherman and his men can take - surrender!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Operation Petticoat April 5, 2008

By Kelly VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Cary Grant is cast as the commander of the Sea Tiger, a sub held together by a lick and a promise. Tony Curtis is cast as Lt Nick Holden. He was assigned sea duty as a punishment, and is very outside of his element. Since the country is at war, supplies are very scarce, and Holden discovers that he does have a talent in being a thief. If they can't get a requisition filled, Mr. Holden can find it. This crew has one catastrophe after another, and then they get stuck with team of nurses that are stranded. This is a hilarious movie that will make you laugh out loud. The cast is superb, and not just the talent of Grant and Curtis, but all the supporting players.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best June 3, 2002

By David Rasquinha

Format:DVD

Operation Petticoat is one of those movies that makes you laugh no matter how many times you see it. The cast is led by none other than Cary Grant as the commander of a decrepit submarine, caught behind the Japanese advance in the Pacific, trying hard to sail her back to safety and repair at a US base. Grant makes a fine picture as a tough yet sentimental commanding officer. In counterpoint is Tony Curtis as a totally amoral rascal with a talent for getting things done, usually by breaking all rules. Despite their mutual dislike, the two have to work together to get the sub home and the result is a truly bizarre voyage. Curtis' expertise in scrounging supplies for the damaged sub extends to a group of stranded army nurses, who predictably create havoc on the submarine. And as the sub approaches safety, it improbably ends up as a maternity ward to the consternation of Grant and the delight of the crew. I would hate to spoil the surprises but let me say the manner of the sub reaching safety is simply hilarious. Of course, all ends well - this is a movie after all - and the right lessons are learned by all. A great movie to laugh over with some superb dialog lines for Grant in particular and a string of great one-liners all around. Highly recommended.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love to laugh, you will love this DVD. July 13, 2001

By J. Gibson

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tony Curtis and Cary Grant are perfect in this movie.

Cary Grant is the Commander of the Sea Tiger, a submarine with more problems than crew members.

His troubles begin when the sub sinks before even leaving the harbor during a Japanese raid. Commander Sherman (Grant) and his men begin working to repair and bring up their beloved sub despite the fact that their requisition orders rarely are filled.

Due to the fact that some of his men were reassigned to other duties after the raid, Sherman is granted some "replacement's"--enter Lt. Nicholas Holden (Tony Curtis).

Holden is in the Navy not for the purpose of country but for the uniform so he can impress his rich girlfriend back home. Since he is no longer winning the rumba championships with the Admiral's wife he must settle into a role on the Sea Tiger--scavenging for items to repair the sub.

With new and inventive ways of obtaining supplies (taking the wall from headquarters and stealing supplies from beneath the noses of MP's) the Sea Tiger once again becomes sea worthy--barely.

None of the scavenging trouble Nick Holden causes Commander Sherman can even compare to the new passengers he brings aboard: a crew of female doctors, pregnant women and goats.

Cary Grant is charming as ever and deals with the many, many problems and situations thrown at him in such funny ways. Tony Curtis is equally charming and lends very much to this film.

The supporting cast can be likened to the "Down Periscope" crew of 1959. Each character brings something new and unusual to the storyline.

You definitely will not be disappointed if you buy this DVD. I recommend it highly.