The Iron Petticoat

In the 1950s, Hollywood tried making a couple films about Soviet female pilots who defect to the West. Both films starred big stars and both films are absolutely god-awful!! "Jet Pilot" was a thorough embarrassment for John Wayne and Janet Leigh and "The Iron Petticoat" was an embarrassment for Katharine Hepburn. As for Hepburn's co- star, Bob Hope, he essentially plays the same snappy sort of character he did in all his films and so the film was less of an embarrassment. Regardless, neither film should have ever been made and are absolutely terrible. This misguided and embarrassing film begins with a Russian jet (actually, an American F-84) arriving unannounced at a US airbase. Inside the plane is Major Kovelenko (Hepburn)--a pilot who claims to be defecting because she's sick of sexism in Russia. So, a dim- witted Colonel decides the best thing to do is assign her to a sexist American, Major Lockwood (Hope)...a guy who CONSTANTLY spouts one-liners as if he's standing up on stage. In fact, he almost NEVER talks like a human being. While this is dumb, Hope's inappropriateness is hardly noticeable since Hepburn is simply terrible. Her impression of a Russian officer is like one done in a high school play--with her shouting her lines and sounding, often, like a stilted version of Natasha from "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle"---though here in "The Iron Petticoat" she's a bit more cartoon-like! Sadly, it's not Hepburn's most inappropriate role-- that would probably be her playing a Chinese peasant in "The Dragon Seed". Nor is it her worst, as that would be "Spitfire"--a terrible film so awful you have to see it to believe it. A great actress, certainly, but clearly one who had a few misfires during her illustrious career. So is there anything good about the film? No. Hepburn is loud and shrill and ridiculous. Hope is simply going through the motions and offers nothing in his role that would make you think he's anything other than a vaudevillian. Neither are right for the film and the writing doesn't do anything to improve upon this. By the way, although this film is very bad, "Jet Pilot" actually manages to be worse! However, it is much, much funnier--which is sad, as "Jet Pilot" is not supposed to be a comedy and "The Iron Petticoat" is!

The late Hepburn and Hope were an odd coupling, but they did manage to generate a certain amount of chemistry. Hepburn's interpretation of a Russian aviatrix is nothing more than a caricature, and the script presents a view of Russia and its people in line with the anti-Soviet sentiments of the McCarthy fifties. However, Kate does look great in her military uniform, and she is also woman enough to make you believe that Hope would fall for her. There was always something about the way Hepburn looked at a man that led you to believe he was in for a truly joyous experience. This isn't a great film, but it passes the time.

This film had the potential to be much better. The charm and talent of Hepburn and Hope, the conflict of attitudes between East/West, Democracy/Communism, male/female. However, none of these elements work quite as well as they might have done. Despite being rather over the top at the start, Hepburn is very good sporadically (the Russian accents and characters in general are stereotypical caricatures). Her androgynous persona is well cast, although used rather crudely at times - the film has a nervously defencive and jokey treatment of burgeoning feminist ideas, probably typical of the era. Unfortunately, Hepburn's character is often relegated to be the foil for Hope's one liners. These are sometimes funny, but tend to predominate over characterisation, narrative, and the film in general, giving the whole piece an oddly disjointed, flat feel. With a more pacey and intelligent script, the likable charm of Hope and the feisty emotion of Hepburn could have made a quirky, witty film. Instead, this rather dated film remains an interesting, although sometimes uncomfortable watch, as a snapshot of attitudes in the 1950s, and the unusual pairing of these two stars.

source: The Iron Petticoat

Trailer—The Iron Petticoat

The Iron Petticoat

Abysmal Bob Hope-Katharine Hepburn film of 1956 that fails to achieve its takeoff on "Ninotchka." Why does it fail so badly? It essentially becomes a Bob Hope vehicle with many of his corny one-liners. He even brings in the Democrats to lighten things up. This is a story of a Soviet military lady who flies to the west when she is passed over for a promotion. What follows is sheer lunacy where our government brings military man Hope into the picture to soothe the lady. The scene of trying to get Hepburn back to the Soviet Union by utter duplicity becomes tiresome at best. The ending tries to depict a change for moderation at the Soviet government. No wonder writer Ben Hecht was disillusioned by this farce and wanted his name removed from the credits. A colossal bomb.

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".

Bland cold war comedy was a rare British effort for Hope who was teamed for the first (and last) time with Hepburn. Hope was coming off his best film ever (THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS) so he was in his prime as an actor, but poor dialogue and little happening on screen gave him and his co-star little to do except react to each other. These two pros acted very well together but too fews laughs and no big ones (I begged for even the lamest of pratfalls) made for a murky and unrewarding effort. For die-hard fans of the stars only.

Very minor reworking of Ninotchka with Hope and Kate, whose accent is all over the place, sharing little to no chemistry. The script is weak but if Cary Grant, her best costar, had appeared in this as originally planned it might not have been a classic but because of their rapport a much better film than it is. A product of much backstage enmity. Hope and Hepburn disdained each other and Hope and the film's writer Ben Hecht fought to the point they took the battle public in printed ads denouncing each other, the resulting picture hardly seems worth it. A flat, inert misfire necessary only to completist of the starring duos work.