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11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Chemistry of Hepburn and Hope boosts dated cold-war comedy, 2 August 2003
Author: Glyn Treharne from Irlam, England

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.

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8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
The viewing of "Iron Petticoat" : 5 years in the quest., 17 May 2006
8/10
Author: happipuppi13 from Phx. Arizona ("Arizona Smells Funny"!- Homer Simpson)

(5/17/2006) 5 days ago would have been Katharine Hepburn's 99th birthday. 5 years ago on her birthday,I found out how old she was and realized I had seen less than 10 of her films. So,I set out to actually see every Hepburn film she ever made,including TV movies.

Iron Petticoat turned out to be the most difficult one to get. As others have stated,it's very obscure,only on DVD in other countries/regions. It may have never even been on TV here as far as any of us know.

Well,on April 25th I waged a bidding war on Ebay to acquire an American VHS copy of this. I was nearly out-bidded but won in the end. (I wont say how much I paid!) Anyhow,it arrived today and I took it straight from my mailbox to the VCR.

Here's a fresh opinion:I'd say first off,that the opening music in the credits is annoying,so turn down your TV at this point.

The film itself overall? It's just so-so and very standard fare as far as a Hollywood "male meets female" film goes. In fact it "goes" just a little too fast for the two leads falling for each other. Hope's character Chuck Lockwood is supposed to have a steady girlfriend in London named Connie but doesn't seem too devastated at losing her for Hepburn.

The funniest exchange between Chuck and Vinka:

Vinka:What's the fastest you've ever flown?

Chuck: 500 miles an hour!

Vinka: I have flown 750!

Chuck: With or without a plane?! Quite funny.

When Hepburn appears on screen at first,she comes off a little stoic (unless she's just trying to be so to the American officers in her wake).

She really seems to be a Russian/Communist stereotype but as the film goes along her character at least becomes a lot more fun to watch.

Especially when she goes with Chuck to The Russian Bear Room restaurant and tries to do a fast Russian dance to a slow song! There's also when she buys black leingerie and the clerk shows her a 1950s version of a push up bra,which he inflates by blowing it up.

She asks,"It is for swimming?" That was actually funny but a lot of her lines aren't. It's her "actions" in the playing of her character that are the funniest.

It's too bad her lines weren't better because,in her films with Spencer Tracy she has great comic flair and great sarcasm. Bob Hope seems to get what few laughs there are to be had but also he misses chances at finding more. A Russian man starts a fight to detain Hope while his comrades attempt to kidnap Vinka.

He calls Chuck/Hope a "Dog nose" and Hope snarls,"Oh got a little (Bing)Crosby blood in ya huh?" Very funny line.

When he's later captured by the Russians he talks the two men guarding him into joining up on the American side in the army. This could have been very funny too. Hope swears them into the military with a phony oath,ending in (paraphrase) "I now pronounce you American soldiers". I was "so" waiting for him to say,"You may kiss the guard" or something!

Near the end,Vinka is going to be flown back to Russia to be executed and the pilot has to get off the plane for engineering trouble,he asks Hope where he can find the office. "Go that way to the Main Entrance (of the) Navigators office (again paraphrase) and it's abbreviated on the door M.E.N." In other words the pilot's been sent to the bathroom. Most of Hope's one-liners are flat though and I either rolled my eyes or smirked at some of them.

The rest of the supporting cast really are just walking through this,they're credible enough but not to where they boost the pace or tone of the film. The Russian accents don't help either (made me wish it had come with closed captioning) but at least the actors playing Russians are a little more animated than those playing Americans.

As with most of Hope's comedies,it all works out in the end (wont say how) but that seems somewhat contrived as well. As for Hepburn,she really is the brightest spot in the film with Hope in second place. Despite all these things against it,it is watchable and somewhat humorous but it's no,"They Got Me Covered" or "Adam's Rib" caliber of comedy.

Footnote:In the attempted kidnapping scene,Chuck's now ex-girlfriend gets taken out the window of the ladies lounge mistakenly by the Soviets. It "seems" we don't find out what's happened to her and this might be a continuance goof,but the head Soviet on the phone in a later scene reveals that he's apologizing for the internatonal incident. I almost didn't catch that!

This film was in production 50 years ago this year and hit theatres in Jan. of 1957 by the way.

Anyway,happy belated birthday Miss Hepburn,my 8 star rating is strictly for your performance, and ....you are missed very much on the big screen. (END)

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Bob and Kate deliver, but still a dull film., 13 November 2001
Author: SanDiego from The Beach

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.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Dreadful nonsense that makes 87 minutes feel like 200, 17 January 2008
4/10
Author: Welly-2 from England

What was Hepburn thinking? This is a really poor film that goes nowhere and feels like it takes a long time doing it. Bob Hope relies, as ever, on the knowing side-glances but hasn't anything funny to say to justify them, whilst Hepburn spends the whole film doing a dreadful Russian accent to no purpose other than to annoy. It's a clumsy, stereotyped and frankly disturbing film that says much about the paranoia of the times. For the film's publicity to rave about the chemistry between Hepburn and Hope is laughable....their only chemistry is of the kind that brews sleeping potions.

Is there anything to salvage 87 minutes that feels like 200? Absolutely, the great Richard Wattis makes an appearance just as you are reaching for the remote. It's only a brief moment as he tries to sell sexy under-ware to Hepburn, but it's an oasis worth waiting for.

Bottom line....dreadful nonsense that never raises a smile

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
An interesting oddity, 17 January 2008
6/10
Author: SnaggleSnark from United Kingdom

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.

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Not too bad, 6 January 2000
6/10
Author: Minty-5 from Sydney, Australia

I wouldn't know how to describe either of the lead performances in "The Iron Petticoat". Supposedly the unofficial remake of the 1939 Greta Garbo classic "Ninotchka", it was either something intended to be confusingly bizarre or not up to standard remake of a great Hollywood movie.

This was the fifteenth Katharine Hepburn movie I have seen, and the first of Bob Hope's. I cannot judge Hope's performance, but I have to admit this was one of Hepburn's movies which did disappoint partially. It has been some time since I viewed the movie but I don't think her Russian accent was convincing. Generally, the supporting cast was rather forgettable, and the film contained many aspects previously unknown to me of any good Kate Hepburn.

The script had noticeable flaws, and got a little dull in parts. On a higher note, there were a few moments that did please and even a few laughs.

Overall, the film is not as terrible as I may make it out to be. But the grass is greener elsewhere for better Katharine Hepburn comedies. Unless you're out to see as much of her excellent work as possible like myself, give "The Iron Petticoat" a miss.

Rating: 6/10

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Bob&Kate Put The Cold War In Deep Freeze, 8 February 2008
3/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

Until ironically both stars of The Iron Petticoat died within a month of each other in 2003, this film may have had until June 29 of that year of holding the record for having its two co-stars survive the longest. That was the day Katharine Hepburn died and Bob Hope died on July 27 and between them they had 196 years on earth. That's the only distinction The Iron Petticoat has.

Ben Hecht got on Bob Hope's case for allowing his gag writers to intrude in on his screenplay and story. Personally I can't believe they could have loused it up as bad as what his idea originally was. Katharine Hepburn is a female Russian jet ace who defects from the Soviet Union, not because of any disagreement with Communism, but because she was passed over for promotion in the Russian Air Force.

But the Americans still think they can convert her for propaganda purposes and who do they assign to the task? Not real life American air war hero James Stewart, but Bob Hope who plays the jet pilot who forced Kate's jet down. Who here really believes Bob Hope as a war hero pilot?

It's obvious Hope did interfere and it probably cost Hepburn some of her scenes, but the premise was so ridiculous I can understand why he thought the film needed help. As for Hepburn she throws on an accent that might be described as Maria Ouspenskaya on crystal meth.

Even such fine players as James Robertson Justice as the KGB man assigned to kidnap Hepburn back are wasted here.

The Iron Petticoat was a terrible idea made even worse in the execution. No wonder it's never shown in revivals of either Hope or Hepburn.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
For die-hard Hope or Hepburn fans only., 27 May 2009
5/10
Author: Lawson from Singapore

I was born too late to appreciate Bob Hope, since his talent showed mostly in presenting and stand-up. He has mostly left behind a less-than-stellar movie career, as evidenced by his highest rated movie (in IMDb) being The Muppet Movie, and even that's not nearly high enough to be in the Top 250. I enjoyed his Fancy Pants, but I have to say that was largely due to the presence of Lucille Ball.

I am, however, a mad fan of Katharine Hepburn and eagerly devour all of her movies. But great as she is, she still has some clunkers in her repertoire, and unfortunately this is one of them.

Egads, the Russian accent. I think that once she realized how bad it sounded (not for lack of trying), she just went all out to ham up the performance. There's chemistry between the two legends that are Hepburn and Hope, but the script lets them down, and the lines mostly fall flat. It doesn't even venture into camp, in which the movie's worth a watch just because you want to see Hepburn play Chinese (Dragon Seed) or a mountain girl (Spitfire). I would pretty much only recommend this for die-hard Hope or Hepburn enthusiasts (like me).

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Odd Cold War comedy buoyed by its stars, 2 February 2002
7/10
Author: gaityr from United Kingdom

This movie is by no means one of the classics in any sense: it's entertaining, occasionally LOL-funny, but nothing spectacular. Bob Hope plays Chuck Norwood, an English captain eager to marry into the British upper class; Kate Hepburn plays Vinka Kovelenko, a tough-as-nails Russian flying ace who defects because she feels discriminated against in Communist Russia.

What's odd, and possibly most positive, about this Cold War comedy (written and produced at the height of tensions between the US and the USSR) is that there is no moralising or preaching. No propaganda. In the end, it's simply a romantic comedy about opposites attracting.

And such opposites! Hepburn is great as Vinka--her trademark energy barely reined in, her Russian accent a little OTT but passable. Watch for the moment when she sits on a cushion in front of Chuck--she gives her one unguarded smile in the film, and it becomes obvious why Chuck (and everyone else) falls in love with her so quickly. Hope was on fine wisecracking form, although this is marred by the fact that he tried to dominate the movie from behind the scenes, bringing in his own team of joke-writers to increase his own footage. (Hepburn kept quiet as her role shrank proportionately, the most comedic scenes apparently landing on the cutting room floor--ever the professional.)

Bizarre, but interesting if you want to see Hepburn speaking in a Russian accent and examining a pushup bra with a look of utmost disdain on her face.

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7 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
When will this be released again?, 6 December 2004
4/10
Author: theowinthrop from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is the great mystery movie for fans of Hope and Hepburn. First of all it is the sole time they ever appeared in any movie together. Secondly it is dated - it has to be seen recalling what the heart of the Cold War was like in 1956, the year of the Hungarian Up-rising and the Suez Crisis. Apparently it is more available for viewing in Great Britain (it was a British film). I have never seen it listed on any American television station. Isn't it about time they would show it - just to settle our curiosity about this particular pairing? My suspicion it would not be great movie viewing, but it would be interesting anyway. At least we could compare it to it's "cold war" film comedy predecessors (NINOTCHKA, COMRADE X, and SILK STOCKINGS).

Addendum: February 20, 2008 - Finally I see the film.

Some films have to be seen to see why they were never repeated. Bob Hope did enjoy working with certain actresses many times, most notably Dorothy Lamour and Lucille Ball. But he made this one film (in 1956) that was with Kate Hepburn, and it is certainly not the best film either of them ever played in. Both were highly capable performers/stars. Both were good in comedy. But there is no chemistry between them, and they are in roles they don't fit.

Hope is a hotshot heroic U.S. pilot, hoping to marry an English aristocrat (Noelle Madison) for financial reasons. He is pushed into an assignment by his commanding officer (and supposed friend) Alan Gifford to put his romance on hold while romancing Russian pilot - heroine Kate Hepburn. Now Hepburn is not defecting. She took her MIG fighter (this film may be the first that mentioned the term "MIG" for a Russian plane) to England out of anger at being by-passed for a promotion for an inferior rival who is a man. She is not anti-Communist, and Gifford's hopes that Hope will make her into a propaganda victory for the West.

The Russians are led by James Robertson Justice (supposedly the head of a trade commission - it was a running joke that trade commissions on both sides were loaded with KGB and CIA agents). He is determined to bring Hepburn back to face trial as a traitor to Russia. He uses the services of her helpless ex-boyfriend Robert Helpmann. But Helpmann is really a weak reed to lean on. Justice tries alternative ideas, including kidnapping Hepburn when she is with Hope, Gifford, a jealous Madison, a Senator from Alabama (Alexander Gauge), Madison's cousin (Nicholas Phipps), and an air force major (Paul Carpenter). This too fails, despite the large number of agents that Justice brings with him (they include "Carry On" Sid James, Tutte Lemkow (from A SHOT IN THE DARK, THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW, and THE WRONG BOX), and David Kosloff - Carl in INDISCREET). Also on hand, in one sequence, is Richard Wattis as a woman's clothing store manager.

It just doesn't work. The sequence in the nightclub is the best highlight in the film, due to the accidental failure of each plot that Justice tries to spirit Hepburn away, but it's not one of the great moments of comedy (Madison is the best in the sequence, though Gauge's really dense senator has some fun talking with Nicholas Phipps about why the British drive on the left side of the road).

Really the lack of chemistry between the stars does the film in. ugh Hepburn tries to develop some but Hope can't relate to her. I think it's because she is too cerebral an actress. He was at home with someone like Lamour or Hedy Lamarr or Joan Fontaine, who was regular not sparkling. I don't think he ever realized what a misfire the casting opposite Kate was until it was too late.

The irony is I can't see this story working well with many actors. It has been suggested that Tony Curtis (who did a film at this time, THE PERFECT FURLOUGH, set in Paris - as a military man), and maybe Nathalie Wood might have worked well. But it's hard to say. It does not look well compared with other similar plots. Hepburn's purchase of western feminine dinner clothes reminds one of a similar trick in NINOTCHKA where Garbo bought that symbolic Paris hat. Similarly, Hepburn's attempts to teach Hope how to accept Communism does resemble how Garbo tries to indoctrinate Melvin Douglas. But Douglas actually does show an interest in communist theory (to the fright of his butler). Hope really could not care less (although when he gets drugged he starts mumbling about Bakunin and the "Iron Law of Wages"). The Gable - Hedy Lamarr film COMRADE X also was clever, particularly in the spoof of the Stalin - Trotsky rivalry between Oscar Homolka and Vladimir Sobeloff. Let's face it, those two films were far better than this. SILK STOCKINGS is a musical version of NINOTCHKA, but it's Cole Porter's music, with Astaire and Cyd Charisse's dancing, and there are some good swipes at Hollywood and American's lackadaisical view of other country's cultures. It too is far more worthy of watching than this film.

Now that I have seen it, I will give the film only a "4" for the scene in the nightclub. But please, don't bother with this film if you really like Hope's best work, or like Hepburn's better comic parts as in DESK SET or ADAM'S RIB (with a more chemically correct film partner in both: oh Spencer, where were you?).

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