Continuity mistake: Spade is a gracious host and offers Detectives Dundy and Polhaus a drink from a bottle that appears between shots on his night stand. (00:11:00)
Continuity mistake: Spade shows up at Brigid O'Shaughnessy's apartment as she's unpacking. The two slips that are draped over the open suitcase in the center of the room move as the scene progresses even though no one goes near them. (00:18:50)
Continuity mistake: As Kasper Gutman yammers on about the Maltese Falcon, we see Spade finish his drink. He never goes near the bottle but two shots later there's a small amount of liquid back in his glass. In the next shot it's empty again. (00:59:35)
Continuity mistake: The pillow on the hotel room couch moves between shots as Gutman pours Spade a drink. (00:58:10)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie Kasper Gutman's bowler is sitting flush on the table to left of him. No one goes near it but later in a close-up it rests at an angle on top of some other clothing. (01:19:20)
Continuity mistake: When Spade talks to his lawyer, Effie brings in Joel Cairo's calling card. Spade's packet of rolling papers are right next to his phone in some shots and not in others, even though he doesn't touch it. (00:23:10)
Continuity mistake: Miles Archer is shot and Sam Spade stands at the wood fence on top of the hill looking down at the body. When Miles is shot he holds onto the fencepost and there is no railing on the left or on the right, but when Spade stands there railing is on the left side. (00:08:20)
Continuity mistake: Spade walks into his office and Effie tells him that Kasper Gutman called and that Brigid O'Shaughnessy is in his private office. When he first walks in there's nothing by the water cooler on their left but several shots later he walks out to talk to Effie again and now there's a coat rack with several coats on it moved up next to the water cooler. (00:47:25)
Continuity mistake: Spade returns to his office the next day to find Iva Archer waiting for him. The lamp in the center of Effie's desk is removed between shots as he turns to look at her. (00:14:50)
Continuity mistake: Joel Cairo plays with his umbrella as he speaks to Spade about the possibility of him finding the Maltese Falcon. When he says, "I am prepared to pay, on behalf of the figure's rightful owner, the sum of $5,000 for its recovery," the handle of the umbrella changes positions between shots. (00:24:40)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie everyone meets up at Spade's apartment. When he walks in he throws his hat down on the table with the phone on it in front of the window. The next time we see it up close the hat is reversed, everything on the table has been rearranged and his alarm clock appears next to the phone. Later the hat moves without anyone going near it. (01:13:50 - 01:15:50)
Continuity mistake: At Spade's apartment, Brigid O'Shaughnessy and Joel Cairo get into a fight just as Detectives Dundy and Polhaus are talking to him at the front door. They come in and Joel has blood on his face, but it changes between shots throughout the scene. (00:39:10)
Continuity mistake: Spade goes up to Kasper Gutman's hotel room, gets mad and storms out. Before he leaves, everything on the liquor tray on the table in front of them moves between shots. (00:54:25)
Continuity mistake: Joel Cairo walks into Spade's office and his phone is on some papers in some shots and not in others. (00:23:35)
Continuity mistake: Kasper Gutman says, "Come come, Mr. Spade. You can't expect us to believe at this late date that you're the least bit afraid of the police" with his left hand on his chin. In the next shot his left hand is at his side. (01:14:05)
Continuity mistake: As Sam Spade slaps Joel Cairo, Joe's bow-tie changes from polka dots to stripes.
Continuity mistake: Miles Archer walks in and throws his hat on his desk as Sam Spade speaks to Brigid O'Shaughnessy in the first scene of the movie. The hat is leaning against a letter holder on Miles' desk, later it's in the letter holder and no one went near it. (00:05:45)
Continuity mistake: Capt. Jacobi brings the Maltese Falcon to Spade's office and drops it at his feet. The Falcon is tied up with string with the center having one strand wrapped around it. Later when Spade picks it up the center has two strands of string tied together around it. (00:07:00)
