I should have rather known how good this was going to be with Tony Curtis and especially Cary Grant involved, nevermind Blake Edwards, though the simple truth of the matter is that films from the 50s or so seem to be a crapshoot in terms of quality. Yet it's not for nothing that Paul King, Joseph Stone, Stanley Shapiro, and Maurice Richlin earned an Academy Award nomination for their screenplay, for simply put this is an utter delight. There are scattered points throughout where a little earnest storytelling and action violence are injected into the proceedings, offering balance and grounding the proceedings so they don't become a total farce. By and large, however, this is a fabulously irreverent, silly frivolity that is built purely to entertain, and that it does with one hearty laugh after another - and where one isn't laughing, the picture keeps us smiling. From start to finish 'Operation Petticoat' is a blast!
Curtis and Grant are tremendous, bringing two very different energies to the film that complement each other marvelously well. Where Grant plays Sherman straight, the commander who is trying with all due patience and good humor to keep the vessel war-ready, Curtis portrays Holden with a terrifically underhanded wry levity befitting the consummate con man. These dynamics quite inform the feature overall, varying between gentler hues of warm comedy and nonsense of a more outrageous nature, and all throughout one can be assuredly of highly enjoying themselves. The supporting cast is just as splendid, wholly embracing the spirit of the movie, and for as light on its feet as this is I can only imagine that each day of shooting was more fun than work. The production design is outstanding, benefiting from strong resources that allowed the feature to be its best self; between the sets, the vehicles and filming locations that the producers had access to, and the stunts and effects, the writers' script is brought to vivid life with a joyful vibrancy that's all but infectious.
There are but faint shreds of realistic threads providing a foundation for this lighthearted romp, and from there the title just goes all out to make itself as ridiculous and merry as it can. With so pure an intent, however, and excellent contributions from all involved - writers, director, cast, and crew - the result an unfailingly good time. If anything, this is even better than I had hoped when I first sat to watch, and that's no small feat. More than sixty years later it seems to me that this isn't especially well known; it was only by chance that I came across it. The fact remains that 'Operation Petticoat' holds up superbly, a fantastic, funny treasure of a film that deserves more recognition. I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone who wouldn't appreciate it, and as far as I'm concerned this is well worth seeking out wherever you have the chance!
Curtis and Grant are tremendous, bringing two very different energies to the film that complement each other marvelously well. Where Grant plays Sherman straight, the commander who is trying with all due patience and good humor to keep the vessel war-ready, Curtis portrays Holden with a terrifically underhanded wry levity befitting the consummate con man. These dynamics quite inform the feature overall, varying between gentler hues of warm comedy and nonsense of a more outrageous nature, and all throughout one can be assuredly of highly enjoying themselves. The supporting cast is just as splendid, wholly embracing the spirit of the movie, and for as light on its feet as this is I can only imagine that each day of shooting was more fun than work. The production design is outstanding, benefiting from strong resources that allowed the feature to be its best self; between the sets, the vehicles and filming locations that the producers had access to, and the stunts and effects, the writers' script is brought to vivid life with a joyful vibrancy that's all but infectious.
There are but faint shreds of realistic threads providing a foundation for this lighthearted romp, and from there the title just goes all out to make itself as ridiculous and merry as it can. With so pure an intent, however, and excellent contributions from all involved - writers, director, cast, and crew - the result an unfailingly good time. If anything, this is even better than I had hoped when I first sat to watch, and that's no small feat. More than sixty years later it seems to me that this isn't especially well known; it was only by chance that I came across it. The fact remains that 'Operation Petticoat' holds up superbly, a fantastic, funny treasure of a film that deserves more recognition. I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone who wouldn't appreciate it, and as far as I'm concerned this is well worth seeking out wherever you have the chance!