Operation Petticoat
Photog for Hire

Ed Swift, Jr., was a professional photographer and operator of the Florida Keys Photo Service in Marathon and Key West. Following WWII, Swift had been chief photographer for the St. Louis Star Times (newspaper) and was a member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers when he decided to relocate his family to the then-sleepy Florida Keys in search of opportunity.

As the only Keys member of the ASMP, Swift was the go-to man when a major event or breaking news story needed coverage. And when movie production company Granart was looking for someone to be a location photographer, taking the still photos that would be used as publicity shots for their film Operation Petticoat, Swift was hired. In KWHx's previous coverage of Operation Petticoat, in issues #14 and #15, the wonderful stills and publicity shots we used to illustrate our stories were taken by Ed Swift, Jr. - like the one above.

It was on the set one day, very early in the filming process (in February, 1959,) that the movie's director, Blake Edwards, struck up a conversation with Mr. Swift on the merits of the Lieca camera. Seems Mr. Edwards was a huge fan of the camera used by Mr. Swift. A friendship was born. Edwards started stopping in the camera store on Duval Street and met Mrs. Swift - Helen. Members of the cast and crew soon followed. The Swifts were guests of Edwards' for dinner and were invited to attend a few of the film company's social events.

Of course, since Mr. Swift's photos were taken under contract to Granart, they owned the prints and the negatives. But for a day or two, he was encouraged to bring another camera to the set and take some personal snapshots. Candid pictures he could keep for his scrapbook. And, here they are.

Ed and Helen's son, Ed III, has memories of that month in 1959 as a thirteen-year-old student more interested in the social events of his junior high than in what the grown-ups were doing. Still, he well remembers movie star sightings and his dad's enjoyment of being part of a movie set. He and his mom were often allowed on the set and he remembers that his dad's nightly dinner table conversation was about what the stars were up to, what scenes had been shot that day, and general behind-the-scenes movie info. In fact, Ed III recalls, the entire town was buzzing with Operation Petticoat talk - "everyone had a story about meeting or seeing a star or working as an extra or someone they knew who had done so - it was the main topic of conversation both at school and on the streets.." When the film played in Key West at the end of the year, he went on to say, "the entire population went to see it and the re-telling of each and every person's story again consumed Key West for weeks." Ed, Jr., even managed to capture this shot of locals capturing their own memories on film.