A Fine Mess

Revealing mistake: Binky and Turnip are waiting for Ted Danson to show up at the racetrack to place his bet. Turnip starts the first sequence peeping from holes carved into the magazine. As he begins walking, notice an old man with a grey jacket and a blue shirt, reading a newspaper, sitting, and immediately after he comes in frame, an elderly couple coming in from the left. The man is wearing a brown suit and shirt about the same colour. When there's the first cut (after the odd guy sticks the tongue out), the two are rushing towards the entrance, opposite way from before, and there's the blue shirted old man standing, and a moment later there's the brown shirt guy passing by, just fresh off walking in and with another person, not the woman from before. The same guy is also seen in the bathroom in the next scene. (00:18:20 - 00:20:10)

Sammo

Revealing mistake: When the two gangsters get to the racing tracks entrance searching for Ted Danson, look at the old lady in the background. You'll know which one instantly, because she is looking at the two gents. The two guys are kinda conspicuous, so you might think it's pretty fair and there's no fourth-wall breach here. Same thing when she obviously cracks a laugh when the two make their hasty exit after Stuart Margolin gets hit in the gut by a silent moustached man, it makes sense. But, right after the two exit stage, she casts a look right into the camera, and for the rest of the shot (as Danson and Howie Mandel enter) she peeks again a couple times. (00:20:20)

Sammo

Revealing mistake: When Turnip mounts in the car (ending up destroying the passenger door), the car has the rear-view mirror. During the chase though, the mirror is gone, but it's back when they finally block their way in the alley and Turnip whacks his own nuts. (00:26:30 - 00:28:30)

Sammo

Revealing mistake: A farcical comedy movie does not need to have the most realistic action, but when the protagonists' Volkswagen Thing gets shot down by Turnip's double barrel, the engine 'explodes' with real flames and all, but no bullet holes at all in the metal. It's like it died from being scared. Fun part is, later the detective shows up at Spence's house and mentions exactly bullet holes. (00:28:25)

Sammo

Revealing mistake: At the dinner at the Indian restaurant, when Howie Mandel begins eating the flowers, Blake Edwards' daughter breaks character and cracks a smile, regaining the deadpan composure of the role only at the very end and in the next shot. (00:57:25)

Sammo

Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie, Spence is seen with Claudia in a western movie. He walks through the swinging bar doors with a cigar in his mouth. He takes a few steps forward and the size of the cigar has nearly doubled.

MCKD

More mistakes in A Fine Mess

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.