The Iron Petticoat (1956): Cast & Plot
The Iron Petticoat is a 1956 comedy directed by Ralph Thomas, starring Katharine Hepburn as Captain Vinka Kovalenko, Bob Hope and Noelle Middleton. It runs 1 hour 27 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 27m (87 min)
- Director
- Ralph Thomas
- Genre
- Comedy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Romulus Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Iron Petticoat About?
The premise of The Iron Petticoat without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Captain Vinka Kovalenko deserts the Soviet Union, not out of ideology but because she is fed up with gender discrimination. American Captain Chuck Lockwood is assigned to persuade her that capitalism is superior, while she argues for communism’s merits. Their ideological clash turns romantic, all while the KGB pursues the defector through London.
The Iron Petticoat Themes & Keywords
· 18 tags- russian
- capitalism
- redheaded woman
- kidnapping
- soviet union
- forbidden love
- female spy
- female soldier
- espionage
- enemy
- consumerism
- communist
+6 more Show fewer
- cold war
- barnstorming
- aviatrix
- army
- american
- airforce
The Iron Petticoat Cast & Characters
Katharine Hepburn leads the cast as Captain Vinka Kovalenko, with Bob Hope as Captain Chuck Lockwood and Noelle Middleton as Lady Constance Warburton-Watts. Directed by Ralph Thomas; 17 actors are credited in all.
- Director Ralph Thomas
-
Katharine Hepburn as Captain Vinka Kovalenko -
Bob Hope as Captain Chuck Lockwood - Noelle Middleton as Lady Constance Warburton-Watts
- Alan Gifford as Colonel Newton Tarbell
Also Starring in The Iron Petticoat
· 13 more- Robert Helpmann Ivan Kropotkin
- James Robertson Justice Colonel Vladimir Denisovich Sklarnoff
- Sid James Paul
- Richard Wattis Lingerie Clerk
- Martin Boddey Grisha
- Richard Leech Alex
- Tutte Lemkow Sutsiyawa
- Sandra Dorne Tityana
- Eugene Deckers Bartender
- Nicholas Phipps Tony Mallard
- David Kossoff Dr. Anton Antonovich Dubratz
- Alexander Gauge Senator Howley
- Olaf Pooley Major Osip Feodor Ganovich
The Iron Petticoat Plot Summary
What happens in The Iron Petticoat from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Captain Vinka Kovalenko [Katharine Hepburn] lands a Soviet Air Force jet in West German territory, catching the United States Armed Forces by surprise and earning a prisoner’s status. Yet she is not on a covert mission, nor defection; she is driven by a personal grievance that weighs on her more than allegiance.
Capt. Chuck Lockwood [Bob Hope] wants nothing more than to fly to London to visit his wealthy fiancée Connie [Noelle Middleton]. A stern superior officer, Col. Newton Tarbell [Alan Gifford], denies his furlough and instead assigns Chuck the task of selling the virtues of America to the Soviet aviatrix, hoping she’ll switch sides for good. The carrot is a tempting incentive: a $100,000 bonus paid out to Vinka if Chuck can win her over.
Full summary
The whole story of The Iron Petticoat, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Iron Petticoat?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actress portrays Captain Vinka Kovalenko?
Cars in The Iron Petticoat
15 cars on screen, including the 1939 Lea-Francis 12.9 Sports and the 1952 American LaFrance O-11A.
-
1939 Lea-Francis 12.9 Sports Important role -
1952 American LaFrance O-11A Minor role -
1948 Austin FX3 Taxi Minor role -
1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Minor role
The Iron Petticoat Also Known As
11 alternative titles, including “La sottana di ferro” and “Faldas de acero”.
- Also known as
-
- La sottana di ferro
- Faldas de acero
- A Saia de Ferro
- Железная нижняя юбка
- Der eiserne Unterrock
- Whisky, vodka, vasmacska
- Faldilles d’acer
- Whisky
- Vodka et Jupon de fer
- 铁娘子
- Kamrat i svarta spetsar
Seen The Iron Petticoat?
Movies Like The Iron Petticoat
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Girl from Petrovka, Petticoat Planet and Petticoat Fever.
The Iron Petticoat FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Iron Petticoat, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Iron Petticoat?
The Iron Petticoat runs 1 hour 27 minutes (87 minutes).
When was The Iron Petticoat released?
The Iron Petticoat was released on September 1, 1956.
Who directed The Iron Petticoat?
The Iron Petticoat was directed by Ralph Thomas.
More films by Ralph Thomas Who is in the cast of The Iron Petticoat?
The Iron Petticoat stars Katharine Hepburn as Captain Vinka Kovalenko, Bob Hope as Captain Chuck Lockwood and Noelle Middleton as Lady Constance Warburton-Watts, among 17 credited actors.
Does The Iron Petticoat have a post-credit scene?
No. The Iron Petticoat has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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