Herbert Carlson story, adapted by Herbert Margolis and William Raynor and screenwritten by the director. Murphy was a writer of thrillers such as Boomerang!, House on Telegraph Hill and Compulsion, and directing not his strong suit. This is one of that category of WWII hybrids which isn't quite sure whether to be a hi-jinks comedy or a drama, a balancing act which Operation Petticoat probably pulls off better than most. Of main interest for Jack Lemmon, who is as usual totally credible as a put-upon ex yachtsman / skipper.
With Ricky Nelson, fresh from Rio Bravo, and lots of other actors we didn't recognise, though that Alvy Moore is in it again - since the end of Susan Slept Here his naval career isn't going very well (he can't even make a decent cup of coffee). Patricia Driscoll wins Worst Accent of the Year (we assume she was supposed to be Australian but it's a kind of mangled Dick Van Dyke).
It's shot mainly on location (Kauai, which is why the skies look so stormy) by Charles Lawton in CinemaScope (an aspect ratio which isn't used very well), scored by Charles Duning, for Columbia.
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