The Color Purple

Factual error: When Celie is leaving Albert, she is riding in the back of the car with Shug. As the car drives away down the dirt driveway you can see the telephone pole and electricity wires at the end of the driveway. Not unusual now, but in rural Georgia in the 1930's, it would have been impossible.

Factual error: When Harpo opens his Blues Pub in 1922, Shug sings a song in it on the opening; after which she has a conversation with Celie. In the background, we hear some music, and it is a piece of John Lee Hooker. Not only that John Lee Hooker was only 7 years old at that time, the music seems to come from a modern Hifi system, not a gramophone.

Factual error: The letter from Nettie is dated 18 April 1935 but the larger of the stamps on the envelope is the Southern Rhodesia stamp for the Silver Jubilee of George V, that wasn't issued till 6 May 1935.

More for The Color Purple

Mistakes

Other mistake: Mister cooks Shug Avery a breakfast of grits, biscuits and ham, and takes it to her room. She throws the breakfast against the wall. The breakfast leaves a bright yellow and bright red stain on the wall. There was nothing on the tray that could have left those colors on the wall. (00:51:10)

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: There absolutely were 2 things on the plate that would have left those colors. When you see the plate up close, you see a red sauce (presumably ketchup or tomato sauce) on the side of the plate, and the yellow comes from the yolks from the sunny-side up eggs he made for her (which he mentions it as he takes the tray into the room). Look more closely at the plate next time. Also, just because the clip mainly shows him TRYING to make grits and biscuits, doesn't mean he didn't make anything else to go with it. The plate he carries up shows several things he made (mostly burnt) but the red sauce was definitely on the plate as well as the eggs. So this is incorrect.

More mistakes in The Color Purple

Quotes

Celie: He just climb on top of me and do his business.
Shug: "Do his business"? You sound like he going to the toilet on you.
Celie: That's what it feel like.
Shug: Why then, Miss Celie... that means you still a virgin.

More quotes from The Color Purple

Trivia

Trivia: The Color Purple tied an Oscars record (with 1977's Turning Point) for a film having the most nominations without actually winning any. This was a result of a pressure campaign by the NAACP, which objected to the film's portrayal of Black men.

More trivia for The Color Purple

Questions

Question: Shug and Celie found the hiding place in the floor in the bedroom looking for the letters. They found naked pictures, money, and of course the letters from Nettie. There were also some vials of something. What was inside of the vials?

Just4cee

Chosen answer: They appear to be illegal drugs.

raywest ★

Answer: Colognes.

More questions & answers from The Color Purple

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.