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: Marlowe turns the page of Arthur Gwynn Geiger's diary and two pages on the left are sticking up. In the next shot all the pages are flattened out. (00:24:20)
Continuity mistake: After Marlowe leaves Geiger's bookstore he walks across the street to the Acme Book Shop and a man is walking in just before him. In the next shot two women are walking out. (00:15:20)
Continuity mistake: The top of the seltzer bottle on the liquor tray is facing away from Marlowe than in the next shot as he says, "but then she tried to sit in my lap when I was standing up" it's now facing towards him. (00:07:20)
Continuity mistake: The papers in Marlowe's hand are reversed between shots. At first the folded sheet is on the right then when Gen. Sternwood says, "If I did she'd just suck her thumb and look coy" the folded sheet is on the left. (00:07:10)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe goes to get his gun and opens the driver's side door of his car and there is no vent window. In the next shot as he closes his car door, a vent window now appears. (01:41:45)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe sits in his apartment and tries to figure out the code in Geiger's notebook. On his desk the note pad next to his ash tray disappears when Inspector Bernie Ohls knocks at the door at two in the morning. (00:29:25)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe looks at Arthur Gwynn Geiger's diary and his right thumb is covering the page he's reading. In the next shot his hand is moved to the right and not covering the page anymore. (00:24:15)
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: After driving home from Eddie Mars place Marlowe walks into his apartment and Carmen is there waiting for him. After he says, "come on Carmen, come on" she grabs his hand with both of hers and bites him. In the next shot she's holding him with only her left hand. (01:18:10)
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)
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: 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: No one touches his legs but Arthur Gwynn Geiger's dead body is not in the same position on the floor the second time we see it. The first time both of his legs are on the floor but the second time his left leg is over his right. (00:22:00 - 00:24:55)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks in on Lauren Bacall as she's pouring a drink, and she's standing to the left of the fireplace. In the next shot she's moved over about a foot to her right and is standing in front of the left side of the fireplace. (00:10:00)
Continuity mistake: As the police pull the Sternwood's Packard onto Lido Pier there are six ropes tied to the car when it comes out of the water, but only four when they hoist it up on top of the pier. (00:30:35)
Continuity mistake: Even though no one has gone near it, Lash Canino's steering wheel has been turned from the time he and Art Huck park next to the house to when he is shot by Marlowe. Not only is the shadow underneath different throughout the scene but the front wheels are turned all the way to the left after he's shot. (01:41:30 - 01:43:50)
Continuity mistake: Lauren Bacall's not pointing anywhere near the car when she shouts, " there, there, behind the wheel" in order to distract Lash Canino. He eventually shoots at the right spot anyway as he tries to kill Marlowe. (01:43:15)
Continuity mistake: Mars' thugs meet up with Marlowe at the bar and tell him that Mrs. Rutledge wants to see him. The two people sitting at the bar behind the thug in the center get up and move between shots. (01:10:15)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe sits down as Eddie Mars' pours him a drink. The back of his chair is touching the desk in all of the shots except the last one as Marlowe gets up to leave and we see the chair now about six inches away from the desk. (01:09:20)
