Movie Blunders

[Guest mongo]

Most of us are aware of the blunder that escaped Hitchcock's eye in "North by Northwest" in a scene with Cary Grant when a boy covers his ears to drown out the noise of a gun "before" a shot is fired. Spotting blunders in films can be fun and believe it or not there are many. While watching Woody Allen's "Radio Days" recently I spotted one. The scene was supposed to take place in 1943 yet the Strand theater in New York was showing "Devotion" with Ida Lupino which wasn't released until 1946. Perhaps members would like to share some movie blunders that you spotted while enjoying a film.

[Guest cooper, jeane]

Mongo, you will know this. In "The Godfather" during the wedding scene - "Micheal" Al Pacino is talking to "Kay" Diane Keaton and it is either a glass of wine or a cigarette that magicially appears and then disappears out of Kay's hand.

[Guest Alix]

This appears to be an editing mistake, but in MY MAN GODFREY, you'll see Godfrey arranging roses in a big crystal vase. In one scene, he has 1 or 2 roses arranged, then the scene cuts away from him. When it returns, he's practically got the whole box of roses arranged. Then the action turns away from him. When the film comes back to him, he's back to 1 or two roses!

[Guest Griffith, David]

Jeanne and Alix, yes, I know the kind of blooper you mean. "Gone With the Wind" (1939) is replete with such continuity errors. The most glaring error in the film takes place at the end of the "assault on Scarlett at Shantytown" sequence. When Big Sam intervenes and Scarlett takes off in her buggy, we see in the first clip she's off without her hat. In the next cut, the hat is back on, and the next after that, the hat is off again, and finally, it is back on again! This is explained by the fact that a stunt double was used for the attack itself and she (the double) wore the hat for the entire location shoot and Vivien Leigh filmed her close-ups several days later at the studio (in front of a process screen) and she was hatless.

[Guest Silva, Bill de]

David: Speaking of blunders in GWTW, did you notice in the scene when Scarlett is running out of the hospital and into the crowded streets that there a close-up of a street lamp -- there is an electric bulb in the lamp! In all the other scenes where a street lamp is seen there is gas. Also, did you notice in the opening cast credits that George Reeves' character name of Brent Tarleton is really his brother's character name (Reeves character name is Stuart), played by Fred Crane (who was credited in the credits with the name of Stuart).

[Guest Griffith, David]

Yes, Bill, I already know of the 2 bloopers you mention. In fact, I have compiled a list of about 200 bloopers (yes, TWO HUNDRED!) that are to be found in "Gone With the Wind". To whet your appetite, I will give you two bloopers 1. Scarlett dresses up in the green-sprigged muslin dress for the barbecue at Twelve Oaks, and she leaves her bedroom and house WITHOUT the coral necklace. When she arrives at Twelve Oaks, there it is!! 2. As Scarlett exits the church sanctuary filled with ill and injured and dead soldiers (in the shot where the large blue painted banner over the door reads "Peace Be Within Thy Walls"), you can see on the right door panel the shadow of the microphone hanging over Vivien Leigh and moving upwards.

[Guest Silva, Bill de]

David: You must hold the record for spotting the 200 bloopers in GWTW! Probably even rival Herb Bridges in knowledge of the film. I would very much like to see the other 198 bloopers you mentioned...just for the record. How many times do you guess you have seen the film?

[Guest Griffith, David]

Ooooo, I lost count at about 80 in the late 1980s. My conservative estimate is about 150 times by now.

[Guest K, Sandy]

David, I loved reading about the GWTW bloopers. Perhaps you could give us one or two a day?

[Guest son, jery]

There's yet another GWTW blooper that no one's mentioned. When Big Sam rescues Scarlett from her attack in Shanty Town, we see Big Sam taking the reins of the carriage with a hysterical Scarlett beside him. But in that brief long shot that follows, it's Scarlett whose racing the buggy away with no signs of Big Sam in the carriage. Also, her bonnet with the yellow birds is firmly in place on her head--whereas, it was knocked off during her struggle with the attackers.

[Guest Ammons, Michael]

I seem to be the only person in the world who ever noticed that in The Godfather,when Sonny is beating up Carlo on the street,he swings at Carlo and misses him by a mile! But Carlo reacts as if he's been struck..clearly this was a mistake.I can't believe this got by Coppola during the editing process of the film. It is so obvious,I spotted it the first time I saw the movie. Has anyone else ever noticed this besides me? If you have,please post it and let me know.

[Guest mongo]

Michael...please be assured that this blunder has been known for years now. It is posted on just about all the blunders and bloopers sites. It most likely wasn't posted here since most everyone is aware of it by now.

[Guest sg]

Another GWTW blooper - Rhett throws his hat onto the ground before he kisses Scarlett in the climactic scene after the flight from Atlanta. After she slaps him and calls him a cad, he gets his hat without bending down to retrieve it from the ground.

[bhryun]

Go to http://www.everwonder.com/david/mistakes.html for a full list. Enjoy!

[deborahwakid11]

Hi, Cowboytony:

 

Most of these movie blunders mentioned, I have never noticed (example, watches in "Spartacus." Also, no matter how many times I've watched, I have never once noticed the Greyhound Bus that is supposed to appear at the end of the Gary Cooper Western, "High Noon."

 

The only movie I ever noticed a blooper in was the movie "Ice Castles," starring Robby Benson and Lynn Holly Johnson. Johnson plays a figure skater who loses her eyesight.

 

Anyway, they are all sitting down at a table talking, and all of a sudden, a microfilm starts falling down from the ceiling, right in front of the three actors. Needless to say, everyone in the audience started busting out laughing.

 

I guess the editor did not do a very good job (either the editor or director).

 

Take care.

 

Deborah

[neilelmhr]

One of my favorite blunders: In DEVOTION, just before Ida Lupino's death scene, Olivia de Havilland enters the bedroom of her dying sister. As she moves into the room, a crewman's hand can be seen reaching out to close the door behind her.

 

Just noticed one from ROBIN HOOD (aside from the grey car that appears for a split second in a background shot of the forest), where Errol Flynn during his escape cuts the rope attached to a wheel to let the gate draw close. In a previous shot you can see the rope is hanging straight down from the top of the wall. A second later, it's attached to the wheel and in place for him to cut it. A pretty obvious continuity error.

 

Another from GWTW that I've never seen mentioned: A multi-colored pillow is on the bench behind Scarlett and the Tarleton boys in the opening scene. When she returns to take her seat, the next shot shows the pillow has suddenly disappeared.

 

Neil

[ayresorchids]

Just one point about Radio Days, Mongo--I think Woody Allen may have intentionally thrown complete fidelity to any one year out the window, in favor of evoking an overall period. I haven't seen the film in years, but I do recall thinking that it seemed as if we were well into the 1940s in terms of dress and music on the soundtrack, when some characters are alarmed by Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast, which caused a ruckus when it aired in 1938.

[ayresorchids]

Hee hee--speaking of covering a whole era, I just realized that I was responding to a three-year-old post. Mongo must be thinking "What the... ?"

[stargzn]

An itty bitty blooper --

 

League Of Their Own -- Leaving Colorado, after picking up 'Marla', there is a shot of her waving to her father, through the train window, with a reflection of an American flag, blowing in the wind. The camera pans to her dad, on the station platform, and no flag in sight.

 

 

[johnnyweekes70]

My favorite movie blunder occurs in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE. Wayne leaves the bar after getting drunk very quickly after learning Jimmy Stewart just got his girl and heads for home. He's wearing a dark, double-breasted shirt. When he gets home, he's wearing a light, double-breasted shirt. When he opens the door and goes in, to set fire to the addition, he's wearing the dark shirt. Woody Strode runs in to rescue Wayne and carries him out wearing the light shirt. Strode puts him on a wagon and the camera quickly cuts to Strode then back to Wayne and he's somehow managed to get back into the dark shirt. Geez. Where was Ford's attention when editing this classic? It's like a scene in Oliver Stone's SALVADOR where James Woods, during a conversation, is wearing sunglasses. When the camera cuts to over his shoulder, he's not. It cuts back to Woods and he's got the glasses on again and this blunder is repeated about five or six times. Yikes.

[vallo13]

I recently purchased 1932 "I am a fugitive from a chain gang" with Paul Muni and there is a scene with Muni getting shaved in a barber shop, when a Plan clothes cop comes in making Muni nervous. In the scene Muni's face has shaving cream on the left side and it wasn't shaved yet next shot it's gone and he's finished, totally shaved.

[bggalaxy]

I'm not sure I missed something in the scene, but in The Two Mrs. Carrolls this morning, Bogart say's to Smith, that she does not need the Rose on her lapel - that she is beautiful enough. He just points to it and I did not see Smith or Bogart remove it. In her next close up as she the is gone.

Again if I missed one of them taking the rose off ignore this. It's just that I noticed this today and this old thread was brought forward.

[nickdimeo]

Could somebody please elaboarate further on The Adventures of Robin Hood blunder where a gray car is visible? I usually could care less about blunders in movies but this sounds like an interesting one.

[shainablue1]

Bggalaxy- I noticed that too, but I thought since it was a corsage on her lapel, and the last frame of Mr Carrol and Cecily was an embrace and a passionate kiss ( presumedly followed by further making out ) that the reason a fresh crushed Victor Hugo Rose corsage was a more ominous sign to Mrs. Carrol was because it probably came off due to love making ( in the 1940's sense of the word! )

[shainablue1]

I always notice the on in Big with Tom Hanks when he (as an adult) is with his girlfriend at Coney Island ( or wherever) and she gets mustard on her mouth she wipes it off, and she has no gloves, and when it cuts back she has her gloves on and she giggles about being embarassed.