On the lighter and goofier side of things, Petticoat is a World War 2 comedy about Lt. Commander Matt T. Sherman (Grant) – a man who is determined to raise his sunken sub after an attack by Japanese forces in the Philippines. Although parts and men are scarce, he succeeds in raising the submarine from the harbour and slowly bringing it back to life with the sneaky, stealing habits of a prissy lieutenant called Nicholas Holden (Tony Curtis). With a puff of black smoke, they’re off to Australia to escape the next air raid. But this is only the beginning of the quirkiness – they get some trouble-raising female passengers, have to paint the sub pink, and also become a safe haven for some pregnant women and children.

 While a huge hit of its time, this is the sort of comedy that hasn’t transcended time. This is probably, in large part, due to society’s changing attitudes. There are only so many times you can watch the women be demure and meddling all at once, or see the one klutz continually muck things up. Oh, those pesky ladies.

Again, there are no special features – a shame since co-star Tony Curtis is still around and working. The film also had a poorly-received television spin-off, which could have made for a nice addition. (John Astin took Grant’s role, and Jamie Lee Curtis took on the role of the klutzy Lt. Duran.)

In this tale, Grant is, surprisingly, not the main focus of attention. The film centers on two members of British aristocracy – Victor (Grant) and Hilary (Deborah Kerr), who live in a great house, but only live in part of it – most of it is roped off for guided tours to help pay the bills. An oil tycoon (Robert Mitchum) takes a liking to Hilary, and the two begin an affair. Meanwhile, Victor’s ex-girlfriend Hattie (Jean Simmons), wants to rekindle their spark while his wife is out and about with her new, oily paramour. When the four then stay in the house together for a period, the secrets come out and life gets increasingly complicated.

This is a strange little film, and not because of the time that has passed. (The film wasn’t a big hit for Grant, and certainly not close to Petticoat standards.) Its superficiality kills any chance to sympathize, and what results is just confusion and disinterest.

Again, this film is free of extras. 

That Touch of Mink

 

Finally, there’s That Touch of Mink – a film I’d consider a goofy, Grant, guilty pleasure. That isn’t to say that it is better than the others, but this film holds enough mirth to make it moderately enjoyable, if you just sit back and enjoy all of its ridiculousness. Grant plays Philip Shayne, a rich businessman whose driver mistakenly splashes Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) as he drives by. She’s infuriated and ranting, while trying to find herself work and ward off the advances of the creepy Beasley (John Astin), who hits on her while she tries to get her unemployment money. 

 

Things change for Cathy when Philip’s mentally-unstable assistant Roger (Gig Young) is sent by Philip to make amends. She falls for Philip, thinking she’s snagged the perfect man, while he just wants a companion free of the commitment of marriage. She tries to oblige, fails humorously, and as a last-ditch effort (reminiscent of Indiscreet), she tries to make him jealous to ultimately win his hand.

Finally, there is something in the way of bonus features. For That Touch of Mink, you get the Theatrical Trailer and a Cast & Crew text feature. The latter, however, is a bit creepy, as Gig Young’s bio mentions some of his work, and then ends so briefly and ominously with: “Once married to Elizabeth Montgomery, Young’s fifth and final wife was Karen Schmidt whom he allegedly shot three weeks before committing suicide.” What a way to wrap up the film!

Final Thoughts

Mediocre movies topped with a disappointing, non-anamorphic transfer that captures none of the films’ original beauty, this collection is alright if you happen to be a fan of these four films, but it is no sort of real collector’s edition for Grant enthusiasts. You’d be better served with some of the other Cary Grant collections out there, or picking up some of his better films one by one, like Bringing Up Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Philadelphia Story, or his work with Alfred Hitchcock.