Continuity mistake: In Joe Brody's apartment Marlowe says to Lauren Bacall, "Don't argue with the man, do as he says, sit down". She sits down on the right side of the couch next to the pillow and never moves from that spot, but several shots later in a wide shot she's sitting in the center of the couch. (00:50:00)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe says to Joe Brody, " You can only die once for a couple of murders" as he walks over to his desk that we've seen in an earlier shot and the phone has been moved even though no one went near the desk. (00:51:40 - 00:54:10)
Continuity mistake: After Carmen Sternwood comes into the apartment Marlowe walks over to Joe Brody to get the gun he has in his right coat pocket and Joe's hands are near his waist. In the next shot his hands are raised up around his chest. (00:52:10)
Continuity mistake: Carol Lundgren rings the buzzer and Joe Brody walks toward the door holding a cigarette in his right hand. In the next shot as he answers the door the cigarette is in his left hand. (00:56:30)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe takes his hands off the steering wheel as he sits in his parked car waiting for Joe Brody's killer, Carol Lundgren, to walk by. In the next shot his left hand is back on the steering wheel. (00:57:35)
Continuity mistake: Joe Brody's killer, Carol Lundgren, gets into Marlowe's car and looks directly through the windshield. In the next shot when Marlowe gets into the car Lundgren's head is turned to the right looking at him getting in. (00:58:05)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe says to Bernie Ohls at the District Attorney's Office, "you, come up to 7244 Laverne Terrace". He's calling from Arthur Gwynn Geiger's house and we just saw the number on the mailbox when he came in and it's 460 Laverne Terrace. (00:58:25 - 01:00:30)
Continuity mistake: Outside Geiger's house, Marlowe throws his gun down on the floor making Carol Lundgren reach for it. He kicks him and knocks him out but if you look closely he only touches Lundgren's left shoulder with his foot, nowhere near his head. He doesn't hit anything as he falls either. (00:58:55)
Continuity mistake: At Geiger's house, Marlowe uses a long piece of rope to tie up Carol Lundgren and extends the end of it several feet to the right of his body. The next time we see the body the rope is not there. (00:59:15)
Continuity mistake: Earlier in the movie at Geiger's house, Marlowe calls Chief Insp. Bernie Ohls of the District Attorney's Office and the six digits of Bernie's phone number are 122-145. At the very end of the movie he's with Lauren Bacall at Geiger's house and again calls Bernie Ohls. This time he dials the same phone number at the DA's office but leaves off one digit 12-145 and the call still goes through. (00:59:55 - 01:52:10)
Continuity mistake: Lauren Bacall walks into a restaurant, and sees Marlowe at the bar with his head tilted back as he finishes his drink, and says, "Hello". The guy to the right of Marlowe is looking at the bartender but in the next shot his head has turned ninety degrees as he's now talking to his friend. (01:00:10)
Continuity mistake: In the restaurant Marlowe sits looking down at the table as Lauren Bacall talks about General Sternwood and says, "he considers the case closed". She's holding her pocketbook with the strap between the first and second finger of her left hand but in the next shot the strap is in a different position near her left thumb. (01:02:00)
Continuity mistake: In the restaurant Lauren Bacall pays Marlowe and says, "I hope this is satisfactory". When she hands him the check she's holding it from the edge but in the next shot she's holding it from the bottom and he's holding it from the edge. (01:02:10)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks into the DA's office with Chief Insp. Bernie Ohls behind him. At first Marlowe's hat is covering his chest. Than in the next shot as he walks through the door, the hat and his right arm are at his side (1945 Version on DVD). (01:02:25)
Continuity mistake: Lauren Bacall asks Marlowe, "tell me, what do you usually do when you're not working?" and the matches sticking out of the holder on the table are rearranged between shots. (01:02:30)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe sits down Dist. Atty. White is playing with a back scratcher and his left hand is closed around the end of it. In the next shot his left thumb is sticking straight up in the air touching the tip of the back scratcher (1945 Version on DVD). (01:02:35)
Continuity mistake: Lauren Bacall says to Marlowe, "Could that be stretched to include me?" as they sit drinking at the table in the restaurant. If you look closely the amount of ice in her drink changes between shots. (01:02:40)
Continuity mistake: Before Marlowe sits down Dist. Atty. White has a statue on his desk between Marlowe and himself. In the next shot after Marlowe sits down the statute disappears then reappears again in the shot after that (1945 Version on DVD). (01:02:40)
Continuity mistake: Chief Insp. Bernie Ohls hands the gun to Capt. Cronjager and we see that the lamp to the left of Dist. Atty. White is on. In the next shot if you look at the back of Dist. Atty. White's chair and the blinds behind him it's easy to see that the lamp is now off (1945 Version on DVD). (01:03:10)
Continuity mistake: As they have drinks in the restaurant Marlowe says to Lauren Bacall , "I don't know how far you can go" and she replies, "A lot depends on who's in the saddle" and he goes from having his right hand next to his drink to having both hands around his drink between shots. (01:03:35)
