Other mistake: When they encounter the first ant, the policeman runs out of ammo, but the FBI agent fires at least nine shots. Not bad for a snubnose revolver that holds 5 or 6 rounds.
Them! (1954)
1 other mistake
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
Starring: Edmund Gwenn, James Arness, James Whitmore, Joan Weldon
Continuity mistake: When James Whitmore is attacked by the ant in the Los Angeles sewer system, James Arness arrives, firing an M-1 Garand rifle. In the next scene, he's armed with a Thompson submachine gun.
Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford: Now destroy everything in here. Burn it.
Robert Graham: What?
Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford: I said "Burn it!" Burn everything.
Trivia: Leonard Nimoy has a uncredited appearance as an army sergeant at the hospital.
Question: Did anyone notice, or can explain how both James Whitmore, a state trooper, and James Arness, an FBI agent suddenly become outfitted in Army or National Guard uniforms, fully qualified to fire bazookas, etc and more or less in charge when the action moves to the pursuit in the LA sewer? seems like there would have been jurisdictional issues there (at least for James Whitmore).
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Answer: Like the General said, the less people that know about the ants the better. They were a special task force assigned with the equipment and deputized to use any and all measures to stop the ants. Since the movies was set in the 1950's, James Arness and James Whitmores were most likely veterans of WW II and Korea.