Operation Petticoat-Never have so few stolen so much from so many
What made him stand up among other male actors was his sense of humor. And I have never seen him so relaxed playing like in 'Operation Petticoat'. I normally do not enjoy war movies. There is too much drama and destruction, as it should be. 'Operation Petticoat' may take place in the second world war but it is very lax and it is centered upon one navy captain's struggle to keep his submarine afloat. After being used as target practice by the Japanese, USS Sea Tiger is 'just a periscope staying on top of a ton of scrap metal' but Lt.Commander Matt T.Sherman is determined not to let it die without ever firing a shot so with a skeleton crew (most of his men got transferred to other ships) he starts on repairs. He asks for help but all he gets is Lieutenant Nick Holden, a former admiral's aide and recreation officer with zero experience on submarines.
What Lt.Holden lacks in submarine experience, he compensates in other areas. Seeing the ship's struggle with repairs and being super anxious to get out of there and find better assignment opportunities, he offers to become the ship's Supply Officer. And he does a marvelous job. He teams up with Marine Sergeant Ramon Gallardo (a former prisoner) and a few handpicked men from the ship. What Holden and his men cannot acquire from base warehouses, they "midnight requisition" from various military and civilian sources. In the words of Mr. Churchill, 'Never have so few stolen so much from so many....' He is being extremely creative in purchasing materials and gets his commander a tad worried: 'Lt. Holden has reached new heights in the art of scavenging. Like a spider in a web, he sits there and his victims come to him like flies bearing gifts. He's the only man I know who will probably be presented the Navy Cross at his court martial.'
With Holden as his supply officer, USS Sea Tiger continues its precarious journey towards Darwin, Australia where it can get better repairs. Their trip is anything but boring. At their first stop, Holden rescues five stranded female Army nurses much to his colleagues happiness and Matt Sherman's despair. Men and women in close quarters equal awkward moments especially when the men are more than willing to share their uniforms with the 'poor women who lost everything'. On the ship's second stop Sherman tries to disembark the female population but the Japanese are closing in so they have to get what supplies they can put their hands on and leave.
This is where Holden is being reinstalled in function and proves his skills once more. He even manages to get some red and white paint for the submarine but does not have enough of either to prime the entire hull. The two are mixed together and applied, resulting in a pale pink submarine who, under a great duress manages to continue its journey towards Darwin and arrive there in one piece.
The morale of this movies applies to our day-to-day lives. You want exceptional results, you hire the best there is. You hire cheap, slightly qualified employees, do not expect anything above average.
The funny thing is, many of the events depicted in the movie are real, including Sherman's struggle with toilet paper requisition, the pink submarine and the truck sinking.
A very funny relaxing movie, a rare opportunity for Tony Curtis to play along his idol Cary Grant who was close to the end of his career.
Enjoy!
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