Cary Grant – Tony Curtis – “Operation Petticoat!”

OPERATION PETTICOAT;  1959;  Studio:  Universal Pictures;  Director:  Blake Edwards;  Cast:  Cary Grant,  Tony Curtis,  Joan O’Brien,  Dina Merrill

In this World War II comedy set on a pink submarine called the USS Sea Tiger,  a hapless captain and his crew take five stranded Army nurses aboard and predictable hijinks ensue.  Much of the film’s plot was inspired by a number of real incidents that happened to several different submarine crews during the course of the war.  Curtis was delighted to work with Grant,  who had previously starred in Destination Tokyo (1943), the film that partly inspired Curtis to try to join the submarine service in order to emulate his hero.

The film was later followed by a 1977 television series that lasted two seasons,  with John Astin taking on Grant’s role.  The film itself had also featured a few actors that went on to TV fame,  including Marion Ross (Happy Days),  Dick Sargent (Bewitched),  and Gavin MacLeod (The Love Boat).   “Excuse me, sir, is this normal, or should I be nervous again?”

Appreciation for the expert commentary on “Operation Petticoat” above goes to Dr. Arnold Blumberg.  THANKS DOC!!  Doc is an educator, publisher, author, comic and pop culture historian, and former museum curator.  He was the editor of The Overstreet Comic Book Price guide and teaches courses in everything from comics to zombies to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Find him on Twitter @DoctoroftheDead.