Continuity mistake: When Indy abruptly brakes the truck and the Ark box slides backwards, the poles on either side of the box disappear for the rest of the chase.
Continuity mistake: After the kliegs and generator explode, there is a shot of Belloq and Toht on the altar. Belloq has the ivory rod in a vertical position. In the next shot, the rod is horizontal.
Continuity mistake: When the two soldiers place the Ark on the altar, they move to the walls of the canyon, and Toht stands next to Belloq. A few shots later, the soldiers are next to the Ark's poles (where they will be in the next shot), and Toht seems to be very huge. (01:44:39)
Visible crew/equipment: Just before the shooting starts at The Raven, you can see that Otto's shadow movements do not match the German's movements. Also, when Marion fights with Toht, behind her you can see the shadow of a man with short hair and no hat moving to the left (Indy still has his hat on during this scene).
Continuity mistake: Dietrich and Gobler walk forward to stand next to Belloq while he's saying, "Once again, Jones..." In the next shot, Gobler has disappeared (this can be spotted by the distance between Belloq and Gobler's foot in the first shot). (01:10:57)
Continuity mistake: When Indy runs over the sergeant, the background behind the truck changes between shots, going from the desert to a mountain. (01:28:45)
Continuity mistake: When the Nazis are aboard the Bantu Wind, in the full scene of the ship deck, Toht stands behind Belloq. But, after Marion tries to hit Dietrich, the camera focuses on Belloq, then on Dietrich again. Toht is not seen anymore on the deck.
Continuity mistake: In the canyon, in the shot of Toht, just before Belloq says "Do as you will", everyone in the background (Marion and her two guards, Dietrich, some soldiers) is gone (taking as reference the giant stone behind Belloq and the characters' positions in the previous and next shots). (01:43:49)
Continuity mistake: As Gobler's jeep is returning to the road after being hit by Indy, Gobler's goggles move from his eyes to his cap between shots.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the Truck Chase, when Billy Horrigan starts shooting at Indy, Reg Harding's right hand goes from grabbing the front passenger seat to grabbing the metal bar of the jeep between shots. (01:23:28)
Visible crew/equipment: During Marion and Belloq's beverage contest, a round klieg lamp's blue light stands behind Belloq, which sometimes changes its intensity. Also, when Marion grabs the knife, behind her a moving light can be seen (like a helicopter's light), which disappears a few seconds later. This light also appears for a few seconds when Toht frees Marion's arm.
Continuity mistake: After the kliegs behind Dietrich, Belloq, and Toht explode, the Ark's energy begins to destroy the soldiers' guns and the kliegs next to them. In some shots, the kliegs on the altar are still working.
Continuity mistake: Just before Belloq says "It's beautiful!", there is a black machine (which is not the German camera or the generator) in the bottom middle of the screen, just below the approaching ghost. It is also visible when the Angel of Death is revealed. This machine disappears when the Ark begins to kill the soldiers.
Continuity mistake: When Dietrich and Toht look at the ghosts that pass behind them, the column of mist that is coming out of the Ark disappears.
Continuity mistake: As the sergeant climbs to the truck's roof, Belloq turns his head to watch the scene. In that shot, the staff car is passing next to a group of plants. In the next shot, almost all the plants have disappeared. (01:26:55)
Visible crew/equipment: Just as Indy and Sallah walk near the table with the soldiers eating, on the dune in the background (near the Map Room), four crew members (not wearing German uniforms or Arabian tunics, but shirts and jeans) can be seen sitting, watching the scene. (00:54:46)
Visible crew/equipment: Right when the Nazis are struck with the light, one soldier shakes wildly and one can see the cable coming out of his trousers and stretching off-screen to the right. (01:47:30)
Continuity mistake: When Indiana is confronted by the Cairo swordsman, he already has his left shoulder pointing towards his opponent in the shot where the crowd scatters. But in the following shot, where the swordsman is first seen, Indiana has his right shoulder pointing forward and is just turning around to his left side. (00:40:14)
Continuity mistake: The amount of moss behind the idol increases between shots.
Answer: I also remember this scene. After the ark is sealed, the camera performs a close up of the side of the crate. The stamp reads "Top Secret Army Intel 9906753 Do Not Open" This stamp is burned off just like the swastika is in the scene on the submarine, because in the eyes of God, no nation is holy or worthy enough to claim ownership of the ark. However, this final scene was cut (the burning of the stamp) from the film for a variety of unclear reasons. While it was in theaters, this scene was not included on the DVD version.
Add me to this. We saw the movie in a "pre release" version in Orlando Florida. No advance warning of the movie. We went to see another flick and at the end were "invited" to see this if we were willing to critique it afterwards. This scene was included. I also always wondered why the change.
I also remember seeing this mysterious 'burning' of the logo, most likely it was on a VHS copy of this movie. Yes, it did exist.
I saw it in former Czechoslovakia in the second half of 80's in cinema (west movies came to the east countries' cinemas years later). And I thought it was a great joke that burning out the swastika wasn't just because the Nazis are bad but because nobody is great enough to own the arc. Then after the Velvet revolution I saw the film again on TV (beginning of 90's) and said everyone around: watch it until the end, wait on the post-credit scene, there will be a surprise.
And there was a surprise. The scene was cut off! I was angry on the TV they didn't show the scene. I cannot be influenced by internet discussion or urban legend. The internet didn't exist yet.
I saw it in Portland, Oregon, and was so impressed with the message it carried, that I told friends and we went several times just to see it. Funny thing was when I mentioned it a few years ago, many people said I was a LIAR that it never happened. I could not convince anyone. It was removed because it wasn't Politically Correct. USA is a force for good, God would not burn off AMERICAN TEXT! BUT WE DID SEE IT. Thanks to our Australian eye witness, we know we did not imagine it.