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USS Corporal SS346
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- Interesting Info on movie Operation Petticoat
Written by unknown Corporal vet named Dale........
Regarding the movie "Operation Petticoat". I was on the USS Corporal (SS346) in Key West in 1959 where they made the film. They used the USS Balao (SS285)(now a fish reef). We were tied up across the pier and got to know a lot of the crew and some of the actors. Tony Curtis was a torpedoman in the Navy and made a couple of WWII war patrols. Janet Leigh wasn't in the flick but was wandering around with her husband. The Balao had problems with that pink paint for years. The regular Navy grey paint would never stick to it and the pink would keep showing through. They finally had to put her in dock and sand blast the stuff off. Luck. Dale
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- click on photos to enlarge -
Operation Petticoat was filmed in various locales in Florida and San Diego in February 1959, released in late 1959. A great controversy has arisen among sub vets, as to what boats were used in the film. Three boats were used in the making of the movie:
- USS Balao SS285, was painted pink and was used for exterior shots in and around Key West.
- USS Archerfish SS311 wore the standard colors of grey and black, and was used for interior and exterior shots in and around Key West.
- USS Queenfish SS393 was used in opening and closing scenes and was used for at sea shots filmed in and around San Diego.
Pier side Line handlers, seen in the Key West shots, were from US Naval Station, Key West (Balao) and USN Sonar Operators School, Key West (Archerfish). Ship board line handlers where from ship's company
Additional information re:Tony Curtis & submarines......
Hey Tom: Regarding your "articles of interest" on the website. Tony Curtis may have been in the Navy, and he may have been a Torpedoman, But he was never qualified and never made a war patrol. He admitted to all the claims that he was entitiled to wear 'dolphins' and made several war patrols to a WW II veteran and it was all published in the Polaris (WW II Magazine). Just thought I would pass this along. Ralph Zane
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