Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A World War II submarine commander finds himself stuck with a damaged sub, a con-man executive officer, and a group of army nurses.
Operation Petticoat is a genial service comedy carried largely by the effortless chemistry between Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. Grant's authoritative charm and Curtis's fast-talking con-artistry elevate material that is otherwise light situational farce — the acting is genuinely the film's strongest asset. The plot is episodic and amiable rather than tightly constructed, hitting familiar WWII comedy beats without much dramatic tension. Cinematography is functional studio-era work without notable visual ambition. The novelty lies mostly in its absurdist premise (a pink submarine, nurses aboard a warship) which gives it a distinctive comic flavour, though the underlying formula is well-worn screwball territory. The ending is cheerful but rather abrupt and anticlimactic, resolving things neatly without particular wit.