 operation petticoat is a 1959 comedy film directed by blake edwards, and starring cary grant and tony curtis. it was the basis for a television series in 1977 starring john astin in grant's role. other members of the cast include several actors who went on to become television stars in the 1960s and 1970s: gavin macleod of the love boat and mchale's navy, marion ross of happy days, and dick sargent of bewitched. the film tells, in flashback form, the misadventures of a fictional american submarine, the uss sea tiger, during the opening days of world war ii with some elements of the screenplay taken from actual incidents. paul king, joseph stone, stanley shapiro, and maurice richlin were nominated for the academy award for best writing. ==plot== in 1959, united states navy rear admiral matt sherman (cary grant), comsubpac, boards the obsolete submarine uss sea tiger prior to her departure for the scrapyard. the first commanding officer of the sea tiger, sherman begins reading his wartime personal logbook, starting a flashback. a japanese air raid sinks the sea tiger while she is docked at the cavite navy yard in the philippines on 10 december 1941. lieutenant commander sherman and his crew begin repairs, hoping to sail for darwin, australia, before the japanese overrun the port. believing there is no chance of repairing the sea tiger, the commodore of the squadron transfers most of sherman's crew to other boats, but promises him that he will have first pick of replacements. lieutenant (junior grade) nick holden (tony curtis), an admiral's aide, is reassigned to the '
1959_films 1970s_American_television_series 1977_American_television_series_debuts 1979_American_television_series_endings American_Broadcasting_Company_network_shows American_films English-language_films Films_directed_by_Blake_Edwards Military_comedy_television_series Military_humor_in_film Television_programs_based_on_films Television_series_by_Universal_Television United_States_Navy_in_World_War_II_films Universal_Pictures_films World_War_II_submarine_films World_War_II_television_comedy_series