The Iron Petticoat (1956)

Director:

Ralph Thomas

Writer:

Ben Hecht (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

7 January 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Bob and Kate...Simply Great

Plot:

Captain Vinka Kovelenko defects from Russia, but not for political reasons. She defects because she feels discriminated against as a woman...

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Capitalism | Female Spy | Kidnapping | Barnstorming

Cast

Bob Hope	...	Major Charles "Chuck" Lockwood
Katharine Hepburn	...	Captain Vinka Kovelenko
Noelle Middleton	...	Lady Connie Warburton-Watts
James Robertson Justice	...	Colonel Sklarnoff
Robert Helpmann	...	Ivan Kropotkin
David Kossoff	...	Dr. Anton Dubratz
Alan Gifford	...	Colonel Newt Tarbell
Nicholas Phipps	...	Tony Mallard
Paul Carpenter	...	Major Lewis
Sid James	...	Paul (as Sidney James)
Alexander Gauge	...	Senator Howley
Sandra Dorne	...	Tityana
Richard Wattis	...	Lingerie Clerk
Tutte Lemkow	...	Sutsiyawa
Olaf Pooley
Martin Boddey	...	Grisha
Richard Leech
Eugene Deckers	...	Bartender
Stanley Zevic
Alexis Chesnakov
André Mikhelson		(as Andre Mikhelson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maria Antippas	...	Sklarnoff's Secretary (uncredited)
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Hotel Doorman (uncredited)
Alf Dean	...	Russian Strongarm Man (uncredited)
Doris Goddard	...	Maria (uncredited)
Les Tremayne	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Ralph Thomas

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ben Hecht		screenplay
Harry Saltzman		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Betty E. Box	....	producer
Harry Saltzman	....	producer

Original Music by
Benjamin Frankel

Cinematography by
Ernest Steward		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frederick Wilson

Art Direction by
Carmen Dillon

Makeup Department
W.T. Partleton	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Denis Holt	....	production manager (as R. Denis Holt)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James H. Ware	....	assistant director

Art Department
Vernon Dixon	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Roger Cherrill	....	sound editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist
Danny Daniel	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
H.A.R. Thomson	....	camera operator
Norman Gryspeerdt	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvonne Caffin	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Benjamin Frankel	....	musical director

Other crew
Arthur Alcott	....	production controller: Pinewood Studios
Joan Davis	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Hope Enterprises
• London Film Productions
• Remus (as A Remus Film)
• Romulus Films

Distributors

• Independent Film Distributors (IFD) (1956) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Carlton Video (2001) (UK) (VHS)
• Fabulous Films (1994) (UK) (VHS)
• Hope Enterprises (1956-) (USA) (all media)
• PolyGram Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Romulus Films (1956) (Non-USA) (all media)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2012) (USA) (video)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

87 min | UK:96 min | USA:94 min (TCM print) (restored)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U | Italy:T | Australia:G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

Hope Enterprises

Trivia:

The "MIG" shown at the beginning of the movie is not an F86 Saberjet it is an F84 Thunderstreak. Note the wings are higher on the body and the cockpit is further aft on an F84 than an F86.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the "MiG" is shown at the beginning of the film it's not an actual MiG, but a US-built Republic F-84F. The U.S. aircraft sent out to intercept it are North American F-86Ds

Quotes:

[Chuck tells Vinka how he plans to talk Colonel Tarbell into letting Vinka go to London]
Vinka Kovelenko:Do you think the Colonel would be fooled by such a ridiculous statement?
Major Chuck Lockwood:If he'll eat Army food, he'll swallow anything!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harry Saltzman: Showman (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Knightsbridge March

Bad for Hepburn

Saw this movie for the first and I hope the last time today. It was presented on TCM movie channel for the first time in 40 years, so we were told. It was hidden in England all these years. And no wonder. This has got to be the worst film ever Kate. Her accent of a Russian was terrible. Bob,s performance was his normal stupidity. And using classic English actors as Russians does not help the film. The story line has been used many times in films. Some with success. It just does not work in this one. Maybe they made the film just for the money. It,s missing the artistic talent that is available with these stars. This is truly a "bomb".