Set in 1941 (and made in 1959), this comedy is about the Captain (Cary Grant) of a newly commissioned submarine, which gets damaged. The Captain insists that he can get it to a dockyard, despite the damage, but as most of his crew are sent elsewhere, he finds himself with a con-man Supplies Officer (Tony Curtis) and a group of army nurses, who prove to be a distraction to the crew. And how on earth is he supposed to cope when the submarine is painted bright pink?!
Prior to watching this film, I had read various reviews which suggested that it was very sexist, and would probably offend many females viewing it nowadays. Maybe because of this, I was expecting to find it offensive, but actually there was nothing here that I could imagine really bothering viewers, male or female. Sure, there is the odd gag that could have come out of a Carry On film, but the jokes were all pretty harmless and played for laughs, not insults.
The film was very funny, with lots of visual and verbal jokes. Cary Grant was perfect as the frustrated Captain Matt Sherman, who just wanted to get his vessel fixed so that he could continue his role in the war. And had Tony Curtis not been playing opposite such a genuine professional, he would have stolen the entire movie, with his pitch-perfect portrayal of the loveable but incorrigible Lieutenant Nick Holden. This film also reminds viewers of what a beautiful looking man Tony Curtis was. The two lead actors have huge amounts of charisma. Able support is provided by Dina Merrill, Joan O’Brien and Gavin MacLeod.
All in all, a very funny and entertaining movie, and one that is well worth watching, especially for fans of Cary Grant and/or Tony Curtis.
Year of release: 1959
Director: Blake Edwards
Writers: Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin, Paul King, Joseph Stone
Main cast: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Dina Merrill, Joan O’Brien, Gavin MacLeod
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