Operation Petticoat
A submarine newly commissioned is damaged in the opening days of WW II. A captain, looking for a command insists he can get it to a dockyard and captain it. Going slowly to this site, they find a stranded group of Army nurses and must take them aboard. How bad can it get? Trying to get a primer coat on the sub, they have to mix white and red in order to have enough. When forced to flee the dock during an air attack, they find themselves with the world's only Pink submarine, still with 5 women in the tight quarters of a submarine.
The film earned $6.8M at the global box office.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 win & 5 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Operation Petticoat (1959) exemplifies precise narrative design, characteristic of Blake Edwards's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 4 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Captain Sherman returns to the USS Sea Tiger in 1959, now a Rear Admiral, finding his submarine about to be decommissioned. He opens his wartime logbook, establishing the framing device and his nostalgic relationship with the damaged vessel.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Lt. Nick Holden arrives as the new supply officer - a smooth-talking, rule-bending officer who Sherman desperately needs despite his unconventional methods. Sherman receives orders that the Sea Tiger must make herself useful or be scuttled, creating urgent stakes.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Sherman makes the active choice to leave Manila against direct orders, taking the barely functional Sea Tiger to sea before the Japanese invasion. This irreversible decision commits them to surviving on their own with limited resources., moving from reaction to action.
At 61 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False victory: The Sea Tiger successfully sinks a Japanese truck (on a barge) in an absurd attack. Sherman receives commendation, and the crew celebrates their "combat success," but the pink submarine has made them a highly visible target and their unorthodox operation is drawing attention., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 92 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The Sea Tiger is depth-charged by American destroyers who believe she's an enemy submarine. The boat takes severe damage, systems fail, and they face death by their own forces. This represents the "death" of Sherman's hope to prove the Sea Tiger worthy and restore her to combat duty., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 99 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Sherman synthesizes both approaches: he decides to surface and use proper Navy communication protocols (his strength) while relying on Holden's quick thinking to improvise their identification (Holden's strength). This combination of regulation and resourcefulness creates a new path forward., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Operation Petticoat's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Operation Petticoat against these established plot points, we can identify how Blake Edwards utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Operation Petticoat within the comedy genre.
Blake Edwards's Structural Approach
Among the 15 Blake Edwards films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Operation Petticoat takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Blake Edwards filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Blake Edwards analyses, see Curse of the Pink Panther, 10 and Victor/Victoria.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Captain Sherman returns to the USS Sea Tiger in 1959, now a Rear Admiral, finding his submarine about to be decommissioned. He opens his wartime logbook, establishing the framing device and his nostalgic relationship with the damaged vessel.
Theme
Lieutenant Holden remarks: "There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Navy way." This encapsulates the film's central theme about resourcefulness versus regulation, and how unconventional methods can achieve success within rigid systems.
Worldbuilding
Flashback to December 1941: The Sea Tiger is heavily damaged during a Japanese air raid on the Philippines. Commander Sherman takes command of the crippled submarine and assembles a ragtag crew. The boat is barely functional, lacking critical parts and supplies.
Disruption
Lt. Nick Holden arrives as the new supply officer - a smooth-talking, rule-bending officer who Sherman desperately needs despite his unconventional methods. Sherman receives orders that the Sea Tiger must make herself useful or be scuttled, creating urgent stakes.
Resistance
Holden uses creative "requisitioning" (theft and trading) to obtain parts. Sherman debates tolerating Holden's questionable methods. They work to make the submarine seaworthy through increasingly outrageous schemes, including stealing parts from other vessels and the base commander's car.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Sherman makes the active choice to leave Manila against direct orders, taking the barely functional Sea Tiger to sea before the Japanese invasion. This irreversible decision commits them to surviving on their own with limited resources.
Mirror World
The submarine rescues five stranded Army nurses from a bombed-out island, including Major Crandall. Their presence represents a complete disruption of military order and introduces the romantic subplot that will force both Sherman and Holden to examine what matters beyond regulations.
Premise
The "fun and games" of women aboard a submarine: chaos ensues with laundry strung everywhere, privacy issues, the crew's romantic pursuits, and comically improvised solutions. The pink submarine incident occurs when red primer and white paint mix, making them highly visible to enemy forces.
Midpoint
False victory: The Sea Tiger successfully sinks a Japanese truck (on a barge) in an absurd attack. Sherman receives commendation, and the crew celebrates their "combat success," but the pink submarine has made them a highly visible target and their unorthodox operation is drawing attention.
Opposition
American forces mistake the pink submarine for an enemy vessel and attack. Sherman faces increasing pressure from Navy brass questioning his methods. The women's presence becomes harder to hide. Holden's schemes catch up with him as stolen property accusations mount.
Collapse
The Sea Tiger is depth-charged by American destroyers who believe she's an enemy submarine. The boat takes severe damage, systems fail, and they face death by their own forces. This represents the "death" of Sherman's hope to prove the Sea Tiger worthy and restore her to combat duty.
Crisis
In the dark night aftermath, Sherman contemplates scuttling the boat himself. He processes that his by-the-book approach combined with Holden's rule-breaking has created an impossible situation. The crew awaits his decision on whether to surface and surrender or continue fighting.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Sherman synthesizes both approaches: he decides to surface and use proper Navy communication protocols (his strength) while relying on Holden's quick thinking to improvise their identification (Holden's strength). This combination of regulation and resourcefulness creates a new path forward.
Synthesis
The finale resolves multiple threads: the Sea Tiger successfully identifies herself and survives; the nurses are safely delivered to port; Sherman completes his mission despite unconventional means; Holden accepts responsibility and military discipline; romantic relationships are resolved.
Transformation
Back in 1959, Admiral Sherman (transformed from rigid commander to appreciative veteran) reads the final log entry and smiles at the memories. He has learned that success sometimes requires bending rules and that the "wrong" people in the right circumstances can achieve the impossible. He closes the log with pride, not regret.