Continuity mistake: As she sits on his desk Marlowe asks Lauren Bacall, "You don't know any reason why they want $5,000 dollars for it?". At first he's touching the fingertips of both hands to each other then in the next shot his hands are folded. (00:34:25)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe says to Lauren Bacall as she sits on his desk, "Then outside of what the woman said, you don't know any reason why they want five thousand dollars for it?". Lauren Bacall's right leg is higher than her left leg but then in the next shot they're reversed and her left leg is higher than her right. (00:34:30)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe and Lauren Bacall are both sitting on his desk and as he gets up she has her left hand wide open and is twirling her ring with her right hand. In the next shot her hands are folded in her lap. (00:36:50)
Continuity mistake: As Lauren Bacall walks out of Marlowe's office the sunlight in the waiting room is shining against the right wall. When she was sitting in the waiting room as Marlowe walked in a few moments ago, the sun was shining against the left wall. (00:37:40)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe walks into Geiger's store for the second time, one day has gone by but the cars outside the office are the same and haven't moved an inch. (00:37:45)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe walks back into Geiger's store the second time the secretary opens up a book with her left hand and proceeds to insert a piece of paper into it with her right. In the next shot the book is closed. (00:37:50)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe walks out of Geiger's store there's no car in front of the door. In the next shot from a different angle there's a car right in front of the door. (00:38:40)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe gets into a cab in front of Geiger's store and sits on the right of the backseat behind the driver. In the next shot he's sitting on the left side of the backseat talking to her. (00:38:50)
Continuity mistake: In front of Geiger's store, Marlowe gets into a cab and asks the driver to follow a station wagon that's filled with boxes. In the next shot the boxes in the back of the station wagon are rearranged differently. (00:39:10)
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars is twirling the key to Geiger's house around his right index finger, but when Marlowe says, "Oh, that's too bad, you got a better one?" and we see him from a different angle he's not doing it. Then in the next shot before he finds the blood stain on the carpet, he's doing again. (00:43:25)
Continuity mistake: After Carmen walks out of Geiger's house Eddie Mars' handkerchief is tucked into his jacket pocket with only two small corners sticking out. In the next shot the handkerchief has been rearranged and is sticking out one inch higher. (00:43:25)
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars finds Geiger's blood on the carpet, lifts it up and sees that it's seeped through to the floor. There's actually no blood on the carpet in the first place because when he lifts it up we see the back of it and it's totally dry and white in color. (00:43:40)
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars looks at Marlowe and says, "Got any good ideas soldier?" and Marlowe exhales a big puff of smoke in his direction as he speaks. In the next shot there's no smoke between the two of them. (00:44:20)
Continuity mistake: When Marlowe pulls his car up in front of the Randall Arms Apartments and waits for Lauren Bacall his windshield has two stickers on the left of it. A few shots later after Lauren pulls up he gets out and follows her into the building. The car he's sitting in has changed as we see the shadow of the windshield on the front seat and there are now three stickers on this windshield. (00:47:15)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe pulls his car up and parks in front of the Randall Arms apartments waiting for Lauren Bacall. A guy is walking towards the entrance across the street and in the next shot he disappears. (00:47:15)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe sits in front of The Randall Arms Apartments as Lauren Bacall drives up and parks across the street near his car. He tries to hide his face by putting his hand in front of his mouth and in the first shot the top of his hand is covering his mouth but in the next shot the palm of his hand is covering his mouth. (00:47:35)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe sits in front of Joe Brody's apartment building, The Randall Arms. Later as he follows the gunman that shot Brody we see it from inside the car and the registration stickers are different. (00:47:40 - 00:57:20)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe tells Joe Brody to get the pictures of Carmen Sternwood and he walks over to his desk that we've seen in an earlier shot. No one goes near the desk but a different set of books are between the horse head bookends, and they keep moving throughout the scene. (00:48:40 - 00:52:20)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks into Joe Brody's apartment at the Randall Arms and there's a dark shadow across Joe's face as he answers the door. In the next shot as Marlowe walks in his face is lit up. (00:48:40)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks into the apartment and Joe Brody pulls a gun on him. Joe holds the gun in his right hand and his cigarette in his left, and we see the smoke from the cigarette rising into the air. In the next three shots the smoke has disappeared, then the next time we see Marlowe and Joe together in a wide shot the cigarette and the smoke are back again. (00:49:10)
