Operation Petticoat

Operation Petticoat is a charming little comedy that runs a bit too long.

The plot sees captain Cary Grant contends with unconventional executive officer Tony Curtis and a group of stranded army nurses while trying to navigate dangerous waters in a beat-up submarine.

Grant and Curtis are a joy. They exude charisma, and their early interactions are the film’s highlight. Their performances, combined with the breezy plot make this a very easy movie to like. Toss in some great one-liners and you’ve got the makings of a classic.

Which is exactly what this movie would have been, were it 30 minutes shorter.

Comedies like this don’t exactly have a lot of substance; they’re more about charm then depth. That’s not a bad thing per-se, as a lighthearted comedy can be every bit the equal of an epic drama, just not in running time, and, at over two hours, Operation Petticoat’s humor is stretched too thin.

Compounding the length problem, the script favors the plot revolving around a group of army nurses, and how their presences disrupts the crew’s daily routine. The humor here is telegraphed and trite, and detracts from the film’s strong suit, namely Grant and Curtis’s interactions.