Tony Curtis has been mentioned before in my posts about Jack Lemmon and Sidney Poitier. Curtis is a great comedic and dramatic actor. Besides his famous roles in Some Like it Hot and The Defiant Ones he has been in many more movies such as Operation Petticoat and Sex and the Single Girl.
The last two films I will talk about today. These two films are funny yet show, Curtis's charisma and good looks.
Operation Petticoat was released in 1959. Curtis plays a Lieutenant in the Navy whose trying to make the most out of any situation. Alongside Curtis is Cary Grant. You all know Cary Grant by now right? You should, I've talked about him enough. These two work well together. Curtis plays the funny man and Grant is the straight man.
This film is set in the pre World War II era. Operation Petticoat is about the back story of an American sub, the USS Sea Tiger before its goes to the scrapyard. The first commanding officer of Sea Tiger, Captain Sherman, played by Grant sits and reads over his captains logbook and flashbacks ensue.
After the Sea Tiger gets hit and it's experienced crew is transferred, the captain must make do with the people he can get. Enter Lieutenant Nick Holden played by Curtis. The first time the audience sees him is through a periscope and he's all dressed in white.
Once Holden gets on board, he realizes Hunckle, in charge of requisition orders can't make any head way. (Side note: does Ernest Hunkle look familiar? He is Gavin MacLeod, Captain Stubing of the Love Boat.) Holden volunteers to be the supply officer, "I was born & raised in a neighborhood called Noah's Arc, if you didn't travel in pairs you just didn't travel." Holden turns out to be quite the resourceful supply officer. If it was nailed down, chances are good that Holden stole it for the Sea Tiger.
One of the best finds Holden ever found was a pig for the crew's New Year's Eve dinner. Holden and Hunkle steel a pig from a local and must get the pig on ship without the MPs catch on to them. Holden thinks fast and dresses the pig up as Seaman Hornsby who's not feeling well. Later on, MPs board with a complaint from the local that Holden stole his pig. To make up for the lose of the pig, the captain gives away some of Holden's personal items in a trade for the pig. The captain gives away a golf bag, a back massager, tennis rackets, a silver lighter, a pair of long socks, Cologne, dancing shoes, and a grille fork.
With all of Holden's shenanigans, it's hard to believe by the end of the movie, Holden becomes a captain and a married man with two small boys.
My next film I like to talk about is Sex and the Single Girl that was released in 1964 starring Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Henry Fonda, and Lauren Bacall. What a cast and one of the funniest films I've ever seen. What a riot. The last 20 minutes makes the entire movie. This is a battle of the sexes, guys versus girls.
Curtis's character Bob Weston works for STOP magazine. A magazine that prides it's self on being the most offensive and disgusting magazine. Weston writes a story about Dr. Helen Brown played by Wood. This article calls the Doctor a hypocrite for being a 23 year old virgin who wrote a book about woman called Sex and the Single Girl.
To get an interview with Helen, Weston pretends to be his friend Frank seeking treatment. Frank is a women's stockings salesman who's been married for 10 years to Sylvia, played by Bacall. Sylvia is constantly accusing him of cheating. So Bob uses their story to get to know Helen. During the course of treatment Bob really falls for Helen.
Check this clip out of Bob and Helen in treatment: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/411752/Sex-And-The-Single-Girl-Movie-Clip-You-re-Not-Mad-.html
To try and help Frank's marriage, Helen offers to meet with Sylvia to talk about Frank. Bob asks both his girlfriend and secretary after being turned down by his girlfriend to pretend to be Sylvia. So Sylvia shows up then Gretchen and then Bob's secretary Susan. Once Sylvia finds out Frank is not who he says he is, she has him arrested for Bigamy. Finally Helen understands Frank is a fraud and really her enemy Bob Weston.
The last 20 minutes of Sex and the Single Girl is the funniest scenes I've ever scene. These last minutes take places on the highway with everyone trying to catch up with each other. By the end, Larry Storch who plays a highway patrolmen is taken away by the state asylum.
Please everyone take the time to see this hilarious movie:
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