Factual error: In the very first shot of the movie, a clock is shown ticking. The time on the clock reads 05:59:56. It is obviously AM because a few seconds later at 06:00:00, Frank wakes up as if it was morning. As Frank sits up, clear daylight is visible outside of the window. This scene is supposed to be set during winter. We know this because there are many Christmas decorations. Since this is meant to be winter, it should still be dark at that time of day. (00:00:40)
Suggested correction: At the beginning of the movie it's September or early October if latest in the year. At Cleveland's latitude there's enough sunlight at 6am to experience such lighting through a window facing south.
First, what in the film places the opening scene in Sept or Oct? There's too much snow on the ground for it to be either of those months (it doesn't snow in September and rarely in October, but only late October). Second, even if it was set in October, the sun doesn't rise until around 7:30AM or 8:00AM.
I disagree. I think what Bishop73 wrote above is correct. The opening scene at 6:00 AM showed daylight, which would be too early for October, November, and December in Ohio. The movie apparently begins in December based on the amount of Christmas decorations in the neighborhood. Sunrise might be between 7:30 - 8:00 AM and twilight is about 30 minutes prior to sunrise. It simply would not be that light out at 6:00 AM.
Factual error: When The Silver Tongued Devil contacts Bandit for a smokey report, he asks if the Bandit is "coming up on Fayetteville, on Interstate 82." Aside from the fact that Fayetteville, Arkansas is far off the direct route from Texarkana to Atlanta, Interstate 82 is about 1900 miles away from Fayetteville, in Washington state. In fact, at the time, there was no interstate highway at all near Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Suggested correction: There is a US Hwy 82 that connects these states and runs all the way through TX. They did, in fact, confuse the verbiage between interstate and US Hwy.
Factual error: When talking about the planned robbery of Fenway, the florist mentions a four-game series with New York. However, later the crew is in a bar and a clip of the baseball game is being shown on the television. The game being shown is against Toronto. Since this scene is supposed to be just prior to the heist, one would expect the visiting team to be the Yankees, not the Blue Jays.
Suggested correction: There's nothing to indicate the clip in the bar is from a current game. Sports networks often show classic games in repeats.
Give me a break, they screwed that up.
Suggested correction: A robbery of that size and risk would require several days of planning and preparation. Doug and Jem probably went to the park during the series against Toronto to scope the place out, and the planning and preparation continued until the end of the series with the Yankees when the robbery occurred.
Suggested correction: There is no indication on what day it is. It's possible that it's Wednesday before 4 days. Or it's Thursday making the series get played on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Factual error: In the scene where Lt. Exley arrives at the Night Owl after the murder, the patrol officer is wearing a Safariland velcro-fastened handcuff case on his left hip. That style of rounded cuff case was not introduced until the early to mid 70s.
Factual error: In 1973, directly after the scene where Sam had to chase the dog down the street, he sits in his apartment alone, watching Julie Nixon's wedding on TV. She was married in 1968.
Factual error: The time period of the film is 1932. In the opening title sequence, you see someone playing with Crayola Crayons (I assume it's Scout). One of the Crayons is labeled "Melon". Binney & Smith didn't sell the Melon colored crayon until 1949. Crayons produced from 1903 to 1948 sold for a nickel and contained only eight colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black.
Factual error: While Sgt Howie (dressed as Punch) is being chased by the women, you can see autumn leaves on the grass, though the story is set on the 1st of May.
Factual error: While Fletch is riding with the bikers, they stop at a stop sign where a family in a station wagon roll up their windows in fear. A sign at a service center in the background is the Castaic Junction, which is in the greater Los Angeles area. The movie is supposed to be taking place in Louisiana. (01:12:35)
Factual error: Right after the movie title is shown, you can see in the background a UPS truck. The only problem is that it has the new logo on the side of it. (00:02:00 - 00:06:00)
Factual error: When Marv is talking with the Priest in the confessional, he cocks the hammer of his pistol as a means of interrogation. But in the next shot, the pistol is uncocked, without sufficient time for this to occur. In fact, the pistol is uncocked even when Marv shoots him. This cannot happen, since his pistol is a standard 1911 .45, which requires the hammer to be cocked in order to fire.
Factual error: The year is 1969 when they steal the first aircraft (single engine Cessna), and there is a 757 taking off in the background. The 757 first flew on 02-19-82. (00:22:05)
Factual error: The Monet stolen by TC is credited as being the first painting in the Impressionist school, a clear reference to Monet's "Impression: Sunrise" of 1872. However, the painting shown during the entire film is "San Giorgio Maggiore by Twilight," a 1906 Monet painting.
Factual error: At the end of the film, SGT Angel gets into his Police car Subaru Impreza, and on the bonnet it has the writing 'Sandford Constabulary'. This is incorrect, it would in fact be 'Gloucestershire Constabulary' as established at the start of the film that Sandford is in Gloucestershire. A Constabulary is always named after the County, never after a tiny village within that County. (01:49:35)
Suggested correction: While this may absolutely be true, this falls right in line with the entire plot of the movie. The people of Sandford are extremely proud of their village, with one of the higher up people in the village being the police chief himself, who we find out later is just as corrupt as everyone else. Not only would this be allowed by him, it was likely his call.
Factual error: In the scene where Kananga's henchman, Adam, is being interrogated by Sheriff Pepper by his car at the riverside, the boat chase arrives and two boats jump clearly overhead, disillusioning Sheriff Pepper and allowing Adam to make a quick getaway. However, as Adam is getting away in his car, screeches can be heard coming from the tyres, but they are on a dry dirt road.
Factual error: At the very end of the movie, the Pope gives the nuns a standing ovation. The other people seated in the box with him should have immediately risen at this time. Instead, the man seated to his left looks up at him, seeing that the pontiff has stood, but makes no movement to join him on his feet.
Factual error: When Billy The Kid is taking a bath and dictating a letter to Doc, intended for the governor, he says he is in the Mexican village of Juarez. This town was actually named "Paso del Norte" at the time, it wasn't until 10 years after the events depicted in the film that it was renamed "Ciudad Juarez."
Factual error: Laurel shoots her husband dead and gets the fingerprints of Catwoman on the gun. When Catwoman/Patience later is interrogated for the murder, they say that her fingerprints were on the weapon that killed George Hedare. In a case like this, they would surely do a test for gunshot residue on both Patience and Laurel. The lack of GSR on Patience would at least have created certain doubts.
Factual error: In the opening scene that shows San Francisco scenery there is a shot of a large TV tower called Sutro Tower. The film takes place in 1960 and Sutro Tower wasn't built until 1973.
Factual error: In the scene where the Learjet takes off the jet starts to roll. Then there is the shooting with the SWAT team, towards the end of the shooting the pilot pushes the power levers forward to accelerate. Regarding the short take off run they had on the bridge, the pilot would have stayed on the brakes until the engines were at full thrust, then released the brakes, started rolling and wouldn't touch the power levers until after liftoff or in emergency.
Factual error: During the credits, as the house is shown, a paper wasp nest is shown hanging from the eaves. Crawling all over it are honeybees, which do not live in paper nests.