She contacted a small convoy on 14 May but was unable to close for attack because of the diligence of the Japanese escorts. Shortly after midnight, Balao went to battle stations and closed for attack. 7. Balao (SS-285), which was still in commission at the time. So was USS QUEENFISH (SS-393), which was used in the opening and closing scenes and for seagoing shots filmed off the coast of San Diego. The submarine used was the U.S.S. In March 1942, Lieutenant Commander James Coe took command of the Skipjack. When the Skipjackreturned to Australia after her patrol, she was greeted by quite a sight. Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick Holden, an admiral's aide, is reassigned to Sea Tiger despite a total lack of submarine training or experience. 1551- Moored starboard side to port 1710- USS - Marion (Ernie) Crowl, "A German-American naval officer takes revenge against the German submarine commander Please note this figure is rentals accruing to film distributors, not total money earned at the box office. Some of the plot points of Operation Petticoat were based on real-life incidents, such as: Operation Petticoat was a hit with audiences and critics. (2) Sample of material requested. There, she served primarily as a training ship for antisubmarine and Special Development Forces in the Key West and Guantnamo Bay operating areas. discovers that Sally, the woman he's been falling in love with, has actually been On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 81% based on 21 reviews, with an average score of 6.60/10. some time. She ended up sinking three Japanese ships during the time her paint was peeling, leading Tokyo Rose to make broadcasts about "Red pirate submarines.". Balao completed refit and training on 24 April and the next day began her voyage back to action. Key Wests former US Naval Base was allowed to remain. (Warner Bros., 1951) Under John Wayne's leadership, the submarine Thunderfish 2000 Custom semi submarine USCG Inspected 49 Passenger Semi Submarine. The USS Balao SS-285 was painted pink and used for exterior shots in and around Key West, FL. in the dry dock scenes, making sparks - used all of the freezer grate there was Firing 10torpedoes at three of the targets, Balao heard four hits and the explosion on one of the transports nearly blinded her lookouts. STORYLINE: The Philippines, December 1941. 0951- Submerged. Perhaps youve heard of the movie Operation Petticoat, which starred Cary Grant and Tony Curtis in 1959. Cliff Robertson was the skipper in the movie. Enclosure: (1) Copy of cancelled Invoice 6. Born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1913, William Fournier was raised in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Petticoat. On July 1, 1941, a requisition was submitted for 150 rolls of toilet paper by an officer aboard the submarine USS Skipjack (SS-184). Operation Petticoat is the 1959 World War II submarine comedy directed by Blake Edwards. ]]>*/ Holden demonstrates great skill as a scrounger after Sherman makes him the supply officer. courses at various speeds while shooting various scenes for the movie Operiation The Little Mermaid features a pink submarine that is used by Ariel and her friends to explore the surface world. After he became a star, Curtis suggested making a film in which Grant would stare into a periscope as he did in Destination Tokyo. Sea Tiger, still painted pink, arrives at Darwin battered but under her own power. NHHC Photograph Collection. Although pursued by the escorts, Balao again managed to close the convoy, now with only two ships visible. Balao was decommissioned on 20 August 1946, and she was berthed in New London, Conn., as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. When Balao surfaced the next morning, the convoy had disappeared. It was filmed Balao made radar contact with a four-ship convoy and tracked it to an excellent position for attack. "Pig" Henry: February 18, 1959- 0825- Moored starboard side Does anyone know the name of the actual submarine used in the 1959 movie "Operation Petticoat"? 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. saved by a sinking submarine. USS Balao scenes. For season two, it was moved to Friday nights where it went up against Different Strokes on NBC and The Incredible Hulk on CBS. Because there wasnt enough red or white primer on the ship, the sub USS Sea Tiger was painted pink in the film. Naval Institute: 19K views, 730 likes, 88 loves, 52 comments, 189 shares . They actually did paint a submarine pink. on board dying. Their task is to attack an abandoned Japanese ammo dump to take explosives that the US desperately needs. Until 2 January 1945, their only contacts were fishing craft and floating mines. It also honors the sacrifices their families have made during deployments. Somehow or another, the sub gets painted pink in the process. While Balao was maneuvering into position for a second attack, the convoy's escorts fired on her, forcing the submarine to dive. I'm not going to say it was a bad movie BUT, I dont think In 1959, Operation Petticoat hit the big screen. in SD to replace all the deck plates on Blueback and mounting rails in the bilge Sherman's letter to the supply department on the inexplicable lack of toilet paper, based on an actual letter to the supply department of Mare Island Naval Shipyard by Lt. Cmdr. In 1959, she starred as the "pink submarine" in the motion picture "Operation Petticoat". About 1956. Officers' toilets were near the stern, or back, of the ship within the "quarter gallery", the part of the stern that hung over the water on either side. We carried HFRO (Hunt for Red October) Ops Stars Melinda Naud Jim Varney Richard Brestoff See production, box office & company info Her original black paint was damaged by fire in the air raid, and ended up peeling off while she was on patrol. When the show came back in season two, 15 of the 18 actors were gone, including the three main characters. Word of Japan's capitulation came on 15 August along with orders to cease fire. - Joe Aligood. Connections Balao began the year 1944 with a contact that turned out to be a very large steamer and two escorts. Chief Torpedoman Molumphry, the Chief of the Boat, has been asking for paint. Submarine - A Mighty Lockwood, the commander of submarine operations in the Pacific, served as technical The truck "sinking scene" was also used in. Here are a couple of the Deck Log entries from Archerfish The "sinking" of a truck was inspired by a real incident that happened in 1944. As noted above, the fictional Sea Tiger is played by three different Balao-class submarines. Visible is 37, the first two digits of 373, which was the hull number of the USS Peregrine, AM-373, a fleet minesweeper. A veteran naval commander is given command of a pink colored submarine full of misfits, miscreants and with a . The nurses wonder why the toilet is called "the head." on the tenders night work sheet for well over 2 months during the filming - participating Your email address will not be published. Balao fired six torpedoes at the larger of the two freighters, scoring three hits. Radar and lookouts failed to locate the merchantman, so Balao returned to patrol the shipping lanes after a very successful attack. The submarine closed in on the badly damaged tanker and fired another trio of fish, one of which struck the final blow. uses an oil rig's crew, already underwater, to find it. Free shipping for many products! I thought my career was over. "And that is the obvious complication upon which are pointedly based at least 60 per cent of the witticisms and sight gags in the film. In 1959, she starred as the "pink. speed 16 knots, station the maneuvering watch. Quotes Decommissioned on July 11, 1963, her hulk was sunk off northern Florida on September 6. New National Museum of the U.S. Navy-October 2020, New National Museum of the U.S. Navy - October 2022, Exhibits: New National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Exhibits: New National Museum of the U.S. Navy - Main, The American Revolution and the French Alliance, The Forgotten Wars of the Nineteenth Century, Civil War: Securing the Seas for Union Victory, Education Resources (Lesson Plans and Class Activities), Education Resources (Lesson Plans and Class Activities) - Main, Sailor's Life at Sea & Poetry (Grades 4-6), DIVE! Most of the cast was replaced for the show's second season, a decision that led to low ratings and cancellation. That day proved to be lucky for Balao because, later that night, she picked up a larger ship on radar and successfully moved into position. She later sighted a convoy of a damaged freighter and two escorts and moved in for an attack only to discover that the freighter was her target of 1 January. In March 1942, Lieutenant Commander James Coe took command of the Skipjack. With a skeleton crew . 1009- Surfaced. She said: The show did not do well. The name Sonar School comes from the fact that it is a place for scientists to work. A fuel shortage forced Balao to enter Majuro Atoll on 12 June to begin refit alongside submarine tender Sperry. THE assertion of those "South Pacific" Seabees that there is "nothing like a dame" to occupy the interests of men plagued by the tediousness of war is frantically illustrated in the Music Hall's . It's hijinks on the high seas when a U.S. submarine has to take on a collection of female nurses. It was a black-tie comedy starring Blake Edwards directed by Blake for the World War II submarine. life behind him after being assigned to be smuggled into a Japanese-held island The sail of the USS Balao is currently on display at the Washington Navy Yard, but it has been painted in Navy gray. I agree. She can still hold her head up high and Mary. It had been sunk earlier in the war and only somewhat restored, so it was a constant struggle to keep it working. Sherman promises Holden command of a new nuclear-powered submarine, also named Sea Tiger. Danny Kaye was the Star. Seeking to make sail . Director Thomas Vinterberg has pulled off a fantastic job with this play, and the cast, particularly Tony Curtis and Cary Grant, are fantastic. Well most of the crew has probably forgotten all about As General Douglas MacArthurs campaign on Luzon was underway, news of the Palawan massacre produced a call to action to save thousands of Allied POWs and civilian internees from a similar fate. Movie Info. Only minutes before Balao reached firing position, one of the escorts unwittingly moved to a spot on Balao's beam and stayed there, thwarting the submarine's second attempt. | folks defeat the bad guys. The show had a cast of 18 members, including five nurses. berths 5 and 6, North Quay Wall, US Naval Station, Key West, Florida. 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