From the trivia
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053143/trivia?item=tr0670726
Bob Hope always said it was his biggest regret that he turned down this movie.
I think he would have been too old for the part, like Grant.
Still, it would have been interesting to see him play the captain.
He would had been too old and not as good as Grant.
Its that man again!!
It would not have been as good and It would probably been a bit cartoonie as well kind of like his movie road to Bali. Don't get me wrong I love hope but it would not have been as good.
"Baby sister, I was born game and I intend to go out that way"
I'm a Hope fan, but I think his presence here wouldn't have worked. Unlike most Hope comedies, most of the funniest moments in Operation Petticoat belong to the supporting characters; Grant is the lone sane character who generally observes the lunacy around him and quietly reacts to it. If Hope played the lead character, the supporting characters would have had reduced screen time to make more room for Hope and his arch one-liners. And his relationship with Lt. Crandall would have a huge "yuk" factor, unless she was re-cast with an older actress, like Martha Raye or Dorothy Lamour.
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