After managing to get the submarine underway, they soon discover that minor repairs are needed right away when the sub springs some leaks after trying to submerge. They briefly stop by on an island to make the necessary repairs, but can't stay long, due to threat of attack. However, thanks to Lt. Holden, a group of Army nurses, who were stranded there, soon join the crew causing unforeseen consequences, with hilarious results. On their way to the next big port, Cdr. Sherman finds that having women on a submarine built for men causes some interesting problems and revealing situations, as they all get to know each other in surprising ways in such a cramped living / working space.
Cdr. Sherman is forced to depend on his supply officer to get the needed supplies. Cdr. Sherman descries Holdens activites in his journal: "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." Lieut. Holden comes up with unique ways to get most of the supplies they need.
The opening sceen of Operation Petticoat opens with Rear Admiral Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) visiting the submarine SEA TIGER on the morning of its decommissioning and reminisces about his time as the first commander of the boat, in 1941. Three days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the submarine is damaged during an enemy air-raid in the Philippines; rather than abandoning her, her commanding officer, Cdr. Sherman, and his chiefs decide to refloat the boat. Cdr Sherman is now confronted with his biggest problem --supplies. If anything, Blake Edward's classic comedy Operation Petticoat proves that war is hell. Forced to deal with the U.S. Navy's supply system, and with his submarine, USS SEA TIGER, severely damaged, he is forced to call upon the services of a newly transferred Admiral's Aide as the newly appointed supply officer. With a lot of illegal scavenging headed up by Lieutenant (junior grade) Nicholas Holden (Tony Curtis), and a little luck, Cdr. Sherman will limp their damaged submarine into another port, hopefully to get the parts needed to continue to transform this ailing submarine back into operational condition. The first of many supply problems confronting Sherman and Holden can be best summed up from a passage in the ship's log: "Repairs progressing. Crew morale high, except for their concern that our supply officer might be caught and shot." At a time when materials are in very short supply it becomes crystal clear that they have a long way to go!
Despite Lt. Holden's ingenious scavenging and other shenanigans, they can only get enough paint for the primer coat for the sub by using a combination of red and white paint, making this sub a pink one, instead of traditional battleship gray. True to form, When they are forced to go out to sea in a pink-colored submarine with no working radio, with stranded army nurses on board, some Filipino women and children, a goat and with an engine barely running. Their adventures begin anew, as not only is the enemy is aware of their very pink presence, but their own Navy is suspicious of them, with orders to shoot them out of the water, not to mention the fact that it is a bit uncomfortable with all their new and old guests on board as well. All these factors cause amusing situations that normally don't happen on a regular Navy submarine on patrol. The movie ends 18 years later, with Holden a serious career navy man and responsible father, married to one of the nurses, Lieut. Duran, and Sherman married to another, Lieut. Crandall. The marvelous, clever screenplay was by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin, based on the story by Paul King and Joseph Stone, has many funny lines and situations, which are brought to their full humorous potential, without going over the top by a skilled comedic director, Blake Edwards and a dynamite cast.
Hollywood will often include true events in movies. Such was the case in the movie Operation Petticoat (1959). The underlying story behind the opening sceens and other key spots in the movie, as well as this sound bite of Cary Grant are based on the following real message:
CDR Matt Sherman (Cary Grant)
Commanding Officer, USS SEA TIGER
Lieut. (j.g.) Nicholas Holden (Tony Curtis)
Supply Officer, USS SEA TIGER
The story being the sound bite and the above letter deals with real facts. After dictating the letter, Lt. Cdr J. W. Coe, Commanding Officer of the USS SKIPJACK (SS-184) handed the letter to the Yeoman, telling him to type it up. Once typed and upon reflection, the Yeoman took it to the Executive Officer (XO), who sshared it with the OD. The two proceeded to the CO's cabin and asked if he really wanted it sent. His reply, "I wrote it, didn't I?" The infamous "toilet paper" letter reached Mare Island Supply Depot. According to another source, a member of that office recalls the letter and said that all the officers in the Supply Department "had to stand at attention for three days because of that letter." By then, the letter had been copied and was spreading throughout the fleet. As the boat came in from her next patrol, SKIPJACK's crew saw toilet-paper streamers blowing from the lights along the pier and pyramids of toilet paper stacked seven feet high on the dock. Two men were carrying a long dowel with toilet paper rolls on it with yards of paper streaming behind them as a band played coming up after the roll holders. Band members wore toilet paper neckties in place of their Navy neckerchiefs. The wind-section had toilet paper pushed up inside their instruments and when they blew, white streamers unfurled from trumpets and horns. As was the custom for returning boats to be greeted at the pier with cases of fresh fruit/veggies and ice cream, the SKIPJACK was first greeted thereafter with her own distinctive tribute-cartons and cartons of toilet paper. This letter became famous in submarine history books and ultimately found its way to the movie Operation Petticoat, and eventually coming to rest (copy) at the Navy Supply School at Pensacola, Florida. There, it still hangs on the wall under a banner that reads, "Don't let this happen to you!"
The opening sceen depicts the submarine SEA TIGER being bombed during an air-raid in the Philippine Islands. The first attack on the Philippine Islands by the Japanese took place on December 8, 1941. Two days later, at 1:00 p.m. on December 10, 1941, 54 Japanese twin-engined bombers and 52 escorting Zero fighters brushed aside the few available U.S. fighter planes and attacked the Submarine Base at Cavite. Two bombs hit and sunk the submarine USS SEALION (SS-195) and damaged the adjacent submarine USS SEADRAGON (SS-194). The blasts killed five sailors, the first fatalities for American submarines in World War II. Heroic salvage efforts were made to salvage SEADRAGON, howere SEALION was a total loss. And, there really was a pink submarine that was caught while being repaired. That's right, SEADRAGRON was actually painted pink and had to sail out of the Philippines before being painted the traditional gray and black. An incredible amount of detail in the film really happened. The evacuation of nurses from Corregidor by U.S. submarines also took place. However, these women where Navy nurses, not Army nurses as depicted in the story.
It should also be noted that three boats were used in the making of the movie: USS BALAO (SS-285), was painted pink and was used for exterior shots in and around Key West, Florida. USS ARCHERFISH (SS-311) wore the standard colors of grey and black, and was used for interior and exterior shots. USS QUEENFISH (SS-393) was used in opening and closing scenes, as well as for at sea shots and was filmed in and around San Diego.
Photo Credits: Universal / Republic Pictures
USS SKIPJACK
June 11, 1942
From: Commanding Officer
To: Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, California
Via: Commander Submarines, Southwest Pacific
Subject: Toilet Paper
Reference: (a) USS HOLLAND (5148) USS SKIPJACK req. 70-42 of 30 July 1941.
(b) SO NYMI Canceled invoice No. 272836
Enclosure: (1) Copy of cancelled Invoice
(2) Sample of material requested.
1. This vessel submitted a requisition for 150 rolls of toilet paper on July 30, 1941, to USS HOLLAND. The material was ordered by HOLLAND from the Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, for delivery to USS SKIPJACK.
2. The Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, on November 26, 1941, cancelled Mare Island Invoice No. 272836 with the stamped notation "Cancelled---cannot identify." This cancelled invoice was received by SKIPJACK on June 10, 1942.
3. During the 11 ¾ months elapsing from the time of ordering the toilet paper and the present date, the SKIPJACK personnel, despite their best efforts to await delivery of subject material, have been unable to wait on numerous occasions, and the situation is now quite acute, especially during depth charge attack by the "back-stabbers."
4. Enclosure (2) is a sample of the desired material provided for the information of the Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island. The Commanding Officer, USS SKIPJACK cannot help but wonder what is being used in Mare Island in place of this unidentifiable material, once well known to this command.
5. SKIPJACK personnel during this period have become accustomed to use of "ersatz," i.e., the vast amount of incoming non-essential paper work, and in so doing feel that the wish of the Bureau of Ships for the reduction of paper work is being complied with, thus effectively killing two birds with one stone.
6. It is believed by this command that the stamped notation "cannot identify" was possible error, and that this is simply a case of shortage of strategic war material, the SKIPJACK probably being low on the priority list.
7. In order to cooperate in our war effort at a small local sacrifice, the SKIPJACK desires no further action be taken until the end of the current war, which has created a situation aptly described as "war is hell."
