Best musical movie factual errors of all time

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show picture

Factual error: The criminologist describes the events of the movie as taking place "on a late November evening". In the very next scene, Brad and Janet are driving in Brad's car, and President Richard Nixon's resignation speech is playing on the radio. Nixon resigned in August of 1974. (00:12:00)

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Suggested correction: It is said by the writer of the movie that Brad taped the Nixon speech so he could listen to it later in his car, the movie does take place in late November.

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Aladdin picture

Factual error: The animators have clearly tried to make all the writing in the film look Arabic. However in one scene we see the faces of Jafar and the Sultan as they read a scroll. Their eyes move from left to right; Arabic is read right to left.

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Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer picture

Factual error: During the opening credits, the show's copyright date is shown in Roman numerals as MCLXIV. In Arabic numbers, that's 1164 - it should have been MCMLXIV for 1964.

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Grease picture

Factual error: The movie and events take place in 1958. However, two Fender amplifiers that are used by the band, "Johnny Casino and The Gamblers" are "Silverface" models that were only manufactured between 1967 and 1981.

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Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town picture

Factual error: A toy modern four-door automobile and a clear plastic ball can be seen as the children play when the Burgermeister comes in on his wheelchair. Both unlikely for a story set (presumably) in the 1800's, at the latest.

Scott215

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Chicago picture

Factual error: In the scene where Roxie is placed in the "paddy wagon" to be taken to Cook County Jail, the prosecutor refers to himself as District Attorney Harrison. However, the court system in Illinois doesn't have district attorneys; rather, they have state's attorneys. The original play by Maureen Watkins correctly calls him a state's attorney.

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High School Musical picture

Factual error: In the scene where Taylor is trying to prove to Gabriella that Troy is a dumb jock who doesn't care about her, Troy is in the locker room with his friends. Troy's friends are recording Troy on a camera attached to a PC, and the image is seen on Taylor's PC. The message on Taylor's PC says an incorrectly spelled 'Recieving WiFi Signal' instead of 'Receiving'. (01:00:55)

marfbody

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Xanadu picture

Factual error: The sun can't rise out of the Pacific ocean when viewed from America, as seen when Danny is playing the clarinet. (00:01:20)

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Anastasia picture

Factual error: In the beginning of the film, the Dowager Empress Marie states that the year is 1916 and that they are celebrating the 300th anniversary of their family's rule. The 300th anniversary actually took place in 1913. (00:01:05)

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Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again picture

Factual error: The opening scene shows Donna graduating from New College in 1979. That is not possible, women were only first admitted in 1979.

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Newsies picture

Factual error: During the big Newsies rally when Medda is singing "High Times", as she is swinging, lighted exit signs can be seen. I don't believe that those were around in 1899.

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Mary Poppins picture

Factual error: The Robin that comes along in the movie is an American Robin, not a British Robin.

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A Star Is Born picture

Factual error: Towards the end of the movie when Ally is in her hallway looking at Jack's old concert tour posters hanging on the wall, the poster closest to the camera says "Washington State Fair" and a 2011 date. Unfortunately, that fair did not get that name until 2013. Before that, it was called "The Puyallup Fair" (officially named the "Western Washington Fair"). Locals still call it "The Puyallup Fair" to this day.

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Cyrano picture

Factual error: The morning after the ambush, Cyrano meets with the baker asking for a private spot. Ragueneau is an amateur poet, and he reads his composition. When Cyrano asks for a place more private than the oven surrounded by men, the baker recites "Jupiter and Pluto are planets, revolving like us, far apart." The story is set in the 1600s, and Pluto hadn't yet been identified as a planet nor sighted, let alone named. It happened in 1930. (00:28:40)

Sammo

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1776 picture

Factual error: The Liberty Bell is depicted ringing as the Declaration of Independence is being signed on July 4 (a mistake itself) in the film. The bell actually did not ring on that date, but on July 8, when the Declaration had been returned from the printer and unveiled to the public.

jayo

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The Phantom of the Opera picture

Factual error: Raoul is the Vicomte de Chagny and he gets called that throughout the movie, even during the auction (which shows he didn't change titles when his parents or his brother died, for example). Yet Christine's tombstone calls her a countess when it should have read viscountess - or, even better, vicomtesse.

Sereenie

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Suggested correction: When you watch "love never dies" he leaves her because the phantom won the bet, it's implied they got a "divorce" so she is still a countess.

But, in love never dies, it shows Christine dying in the year 1910, (when the whole thing was set) but on her tombstone, it shows that she died in 1913. Since Gustave is ten years old, this would make Christine in her late forties-early fifties when she had him, which is practically impossible. This is why I love LND's music, but the story is just too cheesy and inconsistent to the original for me. Since the original creator of the musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber, has chosen to call it a "stand-alone piece." and not a sequel, I would not use it as a reference for future endeavors with the trio.

Vicomtesse and Comtesse are two completely different titles. For Christine to become a Comtesse, Raoul would have had to become a Comte, but he didn't. He remained a Vicomte, therefore, Christine's tombstone should have read Vicomtesse de Chagny. It doesn't, so this mistake is valid.

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Sleeping Beauty picture

Factual error: Maleficent states that Princess Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle - the part of a spinning wheel that holds the bobbin. Spindles aren't sharp; what Aurora actually pricks her finger on is the distaff, which is used to hold the fiber before it is spun.

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Enchanted picture Enchanted mistake picture

Factual error: When animated Giselle begins to sing and brushes her hair, the reflection of her "one true love" is visible in the mirror. Problem is that its image is not reversed in the reflection. (00:02:00)

Super Grover

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Annie picture

Factual error: During the orphans' rendition of "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" Molly is seen with a plastic drink bottle (that makes a plastic-bottle-esque "thunk" when thrown). The movie takes place in 1933, however polyethylene terephthalate (the kind of plastic used for drink bottles) was not developed until 1941.

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