Operation Petticoat (1959)

Revealing mistake: During the opening credits, as a crab descends past the periscope, the string attached to the crab is visible.

mdwalker

Continuity mistake: A sailor goes out on the luau covered deck to get his guitar, during an air raid. He lays down while a Zero strafes the deck hitting his guitar, which goes flying into the air toward the camera and lands about 10 feet from the sailor. In the next shot, the sailor kneels up and grabs his guitar which has appeared right next to him.

Other mistake: Close to when Tony Curtis and the nurse are going back to the pink sub, there is one scene where in the far background there are two objects moving on the water each creating a wake. It looks like someone is water skiing. A DVD will likely show this clearer.

Trivia: Operation Petticoat was filmed at the US Naval Base in Key West Fla. They actually did paint a submarine pink. I was attending the Fleet Sonar School on the base at the time and watched with great interest. The submarine used was the U.S.S. Balao (SS-285), which was still in commission at the time.

Trivia: The initial premise of the movie, that the nearly-new U.S.S. Sea Tiger was sunk pierside at Cavite on 10 December 1941, then hastily repaired, is based on fact. A nearly-new American submarine was indeed sunk pierside at Cavite on 10 December 1941. Unfortunately, the real-life submarine could not be repaired in time, and had to be blown up. Her name was U.S.S. Sea Lion (SS-195).

Lt. Cmdr Matt T. Serman: Sir, Sea Tiger was built to fight. She deserves a better epitaph than 'Commissioned 1940, sunk 1941, engagements none, shots fired none.' Now, you can't let it go that way. That's like a beautiful woman dying an old maid, if you know what I mean by old maid.
Capt. J.B. Henderson: Did you ever sell used cars?
Lt. Cmdr. Matt T.Sherman: No, Sir.
Capt. J.B. Henderson: I've got a hunch you missed your calling.

Chief Mechanic's Mate Sam Tostin: I'm a religious man, Captain, and I believe we'll get through if the Good Lord puts His mind to it. Of course, He'll have to give us His undivided attention.

Lt. Nicholas Holden: When I was a kid, I was the victim of the most vicious propaganda. People told me that money wasn't everything and I believed it. Then I found out that the people that were telling me that money wasn't everything were the people who had a lot of money. Now there are two ways you can get money. You can steal it, or you can marry it.