The Dirty Dozen

Other mistake: When the Major shoots the rope out from under the slow soldier, the rounds should have gone through the floor but did not. There aren't even marks on the floor.

Ian Hunt

Other mistake: There is a lot of shooting with automatic weapons, and a lot of Germans fall - but there is a remarkable lack of bullet holes anywhere; even in such tight quarters as the bell tower, where bullet holes should have appeared.

Other mistake: After Reisman beats up Franko at the beginning, Reisman asks the guard to have 2 prisoners take him back to his cell. After that, Reisman says "lets see if they can do some close order drill now." During the drill, there are 11 prisoners marching instead of 9 as 2 of them took Franko to his cell.

Other mistake: Just as the attack begins on the chateau a German officer is shown for a second time shouting for everyone to head to the cellar. Immediately after this, a younger officer is shown motioning toward his holster, as though he intends to draw his gun but there is no gun in it.

Jon M Brown

Factual error: During the war games they have Jefferson pose as a major in order to facilitate the commandeering of the ambulance and the jeep. Regardless of their personal feelings in the matter the ambulance crew and the driver and troops in the jeep would be perfectly aware that no black man would ever be promoted to a position of authority in an otherwise all white command. We may find it repugnant today but the US Army was rigidly segregated during World War 2 - and it stayed that way until 1948. Jefferson may have been inducted into a special unit like the Dirty Dozen but considering that the future of the entire mission is riding on their success at the games, throwing it all away like that makes no sense at all.

More mistakes in The Dirty Dozen

Col. Everett Dasher Breed: Reisman! Some people may consider you a first-class officer. But as far as I'm concerned, you're a disorganized, undisciplined clown. I'm gonna' make it my business to run you out of this Army.
Major John Reisman: I owe you an apology, colonel. I always thought that you were a cold, unimaginative, tight-lipped officer. But you're really quite emotional, aren't you?

More quotes from The Dirty Dozen

Trivia: Not really a mistake, given the need for drama in a war film, but the mission takes place the evening before D-Day, meaning the Allies had complete air supremacy, and knew the exact time, date and place of the meeting of the German officers, this mission would never have taken place. The brightly lit chateau would have been flattened by a squadron of heavy bombers. Lee Marvin, an experienced combat veteran, pointed this out to the producers and was told to keep his opinions to himself.

More trivia for The Dirty Dozen

Question: What are the small tubes that are collected in Colonel Breed's H.Q.? General Warden seems to figure out what they are.

Answer: Detonators (for setting off explosives).

More questions & answers from The Dirty Dozen

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