dragging his car with it, Sherman reassures his wife that it will be stopped at the main gate. Commander Holden takes Sea Tiger out on her final voyage, her departure punctuated by a backfire from the No. 1 diesel, still troublesome after all these years. Cast Cary Grant as Lieutenant Commander (later Rear Admiral) Matthew T. "Matt" Sherman, USN Tony Curtis as Lieutenant, Junior Grade (later Commander) Nicholas "Nick" Holden, USNR (later USN) Virginia Gregg as Major Edna Heywood, NC, US Army Joan O'Brien as Second Lieutenant Dolores Crandall, NC, USAR Dina Merrill as Second Lieutenant Barbara Duran, NC, USAR Madlyn Rhue as Second Lieutenant Reid, NC, USAR Marion Ross as Second Lieutenant Colfax, NC, USAR Robert F. Simon as Captain J.B. Henderson, USN Robert Gist as Lieutenant Watson, USN, Sherman's Executive Officer (XO) Dick Sargent as Ensign Stovall, USN (billed as Richard Sargent) Arthur O'Connell as Chief Motor Machinist's Mate Sam Tostin, USN Gene Evans as Chief Torpedoman "Mo" Molumphry, USN, Chief of the Boat of the Sea Tiger Frankie Darro as Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class Dooley, USN Gavin MacLeod as Yeoman Ernest Hunkle, USN Nicky Blair as Seaman Kraus, USN Ray Austin as Seaman Austin, USN George Dunn as The Prophet (of Doom) Dick Crockett as Petty Officer Harmon, USN Clarence Lung as Sergeant Ramon Gallardo, USMC (billed as Clarence E. Lung) Tony Pastor, Jr. as Fox Robert F. Hoy as Reiner John W. Morley as Williams Production Curtis took credit for the inception of Operation Petticoat. He had joined the U.S. Navy during World War II intending to enter the submarine service in part because his hero, Cary Grant, had appeared in Destination Tokyo (1943). After he became a star, Curtis suggested making a film in which Grant would stare into a periscope as he did in Destination Tokyo. Curtis very much enjoyed working with Grant. Former Universal-International contract star Jeff Chandler was originally set to have played Matt Sherman, but pulled out to film The Jayhawkers (1959) instead. Tina Louise turned down the role of one of the nurses as she felt the film had too many sex jokes. Operation Petticoat was produced with extensive support of the Department of Defense and the US Navy. Most of the filming was done in and around Naval Station Key West, now the Truman Annex of Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, which substituted for the Philippines and Australia.