Visible crew/equipment: In the scene where Laura is being attacked in the desert, the camera swings wildly. During this swing, the entire crew becomes visable for a split second. You can see Clint Eastwood (who also starred in the film) sitting in his director's chair, wearing a white t-shirt and watching the filming closely. (01:19:54)
Continuity mistake: When Josey was in the general store picking up supplies with the Indian man and women, Josey was handed a picture of Slim Fixin. If you watch carefully, he walks out with the picture. When you see Josey after he has walked out of the general store, he does not have the picture in his hand.
Other mistake: When Josey confronts the Comancheros, the Chief notes that they are facing the sun. You can see that the sun is on the back of all the characters who are looking at Josey...meaning Josey is the only one looking into the sun.
Revealing mistake: Following their escape from the comancheros, the two wheeled wagon driven by the old woman had a set of reins coming through the slats beneath the seat indicating that the old lady held fake reins and the wagon/horses were controlled by someone inside. Later, when they left the small town and headed to her son's ranch, a little window had been cut out of the slats where the control reins came through, no doubt to improve visibility and horse control.
Factual error: The gatling gun that Josey Wales uses had the options of a 40 round magazine, or a 104 round drum magazine. Neither Josey or the Red Legs ever bothered to reload the weapon. The gun would have been empty after the 10 barrels revolved at most 10 times. Josey alone shoots for a couple of minutes straight.
Factual error: The movie takes place in year 1865, when the U.S. Civil War ended. In the scene, where Lone Watie sneaks up on Josey and Moonlight sneaks up on Lone, the revolvers that both Native American actors are wielding, are equipped with Richards-Mason cartridge conversion kits, you can see the ejector-rod housing on the right side of the barrel. These conversions were not made until 1870's.Other characters as well use these conversion-revolvers throughout the movie.
Other mistake: When Josey, Lone Watie, and the Indian woman stop in a town, Josey listens to the General store clerk who hands him a postcard that shows "Slim Fixin" after he was killed. The postcard is actually a real life photograph of gunfighter/outlaw Bill Doolin after he was gunned down.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Josey and Jamie are about to ride off after killing the two bushwhackers (Abe and Lige), Josie spits tobacco on Abe's forehead. Look closely and you can see Abe's eyelids twitch. Also, notice where the tobacco lands. In the first shot, it's right next to Abe's receding hairline. But in the next shot, it's much closer to his eyebrows. His eyes are also open/closed between shots.
Continuity mistake: Josey Wales delivers the line, 'Hell with them fellas. Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms' then spits on the dead man's forehead. In one shot they show the spit hitting the dead guy's forehead and his eyes are closed. When the camera changes the dead man is blankly staring straight up. (00:40:45)
Continuity mistake: When Josey rides into Ten Bears' camp, Ten Bears bends down and puts some blood or war paint on his forehead. When he stands up the paint above one eyebrow is applied well, the other one is smeared. As Ten Bears is talking to Josey, both of them are well applied.
Plot hole: When Josey gives the redlegs a "Missouri boat ride" by shooting the tow rope on the ferry, the craft drifts off down stream, silhouetted in the setting sun. The problem is, Josey and the kid are on the east bank, instead of the west bank where the Indian nation is located.
Visible crew/equipment: The shadows of the camera, crew, and film equipment are visible several times in the sequence when Clint is riding into the Native American camp and the two men are buried up to their heads. The equipment is most visible in the scenes when the sun is facing the Native Americans.
Visible crew/equipment: Just as Sondra Locke is about to have her shirt ripped off by the Comancheros you can see at the top of the sand-dune/hill behind the men, (in the background), a yellow digger. (01:19:27)
Factual error: In the beginning when seen the Union attacking, the American flag has 50 stars not the 36 at the time of the war. The flag is incorrect.
Suggested correction: First, it's not a 50-star flag. There's a clear shot of the flag in one scene where you see it has 3 rows of 7-stars and 2 rows of 6-stars for 33-stars, although not in a pattern I'm familiar with. There's another shot where it's less clear, but you still only see 5 rows of stars and not 9 offset rows. Second, Nevada was the 36th state and didn't join until October 1864. The 36-star flag wouldn't have come out until July 4th, 1865, which was after the Civil War and wouldn't have been flown during the war.
