You Only Live Twice

Factual error: In the beginning scene involving the U.S. spacecraft, as the front door on the unidentified ship starts to close around the U.S. capsule you can see the reflection of red light across the hull of the captor's ship. Where is this light coming from? It can't be from the sun, because sunlight only appears white to our eyes. (00:03:10)

Other mistake: Early in the movie, in the shot of the police vehicle screeching to a halt in front of the hotel Bond is staying at you can see a crowd of people huddled together on the sidewalk with a policeman making sure they stay put. (The producers had to order the area in front of the hotel closed off to civilians as a precaution as so no one would get hurt or get in the way of the filming). (00:05:35)

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Bond first arrives in Japan and is walking down the street, he passes by a woman (Aki) looking at something behind a store window, she is holding a small gold purse with a smooth gold band around the part that opens, but after she opens it and the shot shows a close up of the concealed mic inside, the gold band is now rough and twisted. (00:15:40)

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Bond is at the Sumo wrestling arena, when he is being escorted to his seat, the ref overseeing the fighting ring is wearing a red robe, but right after Bond takes his seat, the ref's robe turns to a light green color and stays that way for the rest of the scene. (00:16:45 - 00:19:15)

Continuity mistake: When Henderson is stabbed through the wall, Bond runs over and grabs him. There's a noticeable hole, and they're standing right by the wall. Then the angle changes, the hole's now smaller, and Bond's right next to the bed, which he can put Henderson on without taking a step. (00:21:40)

Jon Sandys

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Bond is taken to Osato chemicals by the hired thug, right after the thug takes off his mask and they start to fight, the mask falls off onto the couch Bond was laying on, but when the thug goes to flip Bond onto the orange rug, the mask is now lying on the floor next to the couch, then afterwards (when Bond goes to pick up his trusty Walther PPK after setting off the alarm) the mask is lying on the couch again. (00:24:30 - 00:27:40)

Other mistake: When James Bond is in Tanaka's underground train enjoying the sake wine. One servant enters saying that the photograph is ready for viewing. This servant then walks to the door, which is on the left-hand side of the carriage. After going through the door, we can see the servant taking a left turn, but where to? Outside the moving train? (00:30:50)

sebb

Continuity mistake: As Bond leaves the building of Osato Chemical and Engineering, a black sedan with gunmen is slowly following close behind. Aki, who had been waiting for Bond, tells him to "get down" just in time to avoid the bullets which cause clouds of brown dust as they hit the concrete wall right behind Bond. The scene cuts to a shot in which we see the sedan speed by, but the clouds of dust have completely disappeared. When the scene cuts back to Bond the dust clouds are there again. (00:39:15)

DapperDan

Continuity mistake: In the sequence in which Bond and Aki are being chased by the black sedan, they pass a corner with a sign that reads: "Detour, road under construction" with a red arrow above pointing in two directions. They turn right at the next corner and turn again at the same corner with the same road sign. This second time the scene cuts sooner but it is the same corner. The shot was used twice. (00:39:45)

DapperDan

Continuity mistake: In the sequence showing the black sedan being lifted up by the helicopter, the number of driving lanes changes too rapidly between the shots. When the helicopter is approaching the sedan is driving on a highway with at least four lanes. Right in the next shot it is lifted off a road with only two lanes. In the shot from the helicopter we can see the white Toyota on a highway with four lanes, and the shots out of Aki's Toyota show a rather narrow country road ahead that doesn't even have any markings whatsoever. (00:40:45)

DapperDan

Continuity mistake: During the car chase sequence, the radio antenna of the black sedan disappears and reappears between shots. It is most noticeable when the sedan is being lifted off. In the close-up as the magnet is attached to the car's roof, the antenna is visible. In the shots in which the car is shown from above, the antenna has completely disappeared. (00:41:00)

DapperDan

Continuity mistake: When Bond and Aki are attacked at the docks in Kobe, Bond tells Aki to go and contact Tanaka. Aki then runs to a rope to let herself down to ground level again. When she grabs the rope her long straight hair reaches down to the middle of her back, yet when the shot changes to her starting to climb down, her hair changes in structure and only reaches down to her shoulders. Clearly a stuntwoman wearing a wig. (00:43:30)

DapperDan

Continuity mistake: While Bond prepares "Little Nellie" for flight, a Japanese technician removes the red rotor tether from the front of the Autogyro. In the next shot, while Bond is putting his flying helmet on, the tether is still attached to the rotor. (00:51:30)

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

Suggested correction: The technician is pushing the little nelly out of the garage, he is not taking the tether off.

Continuity mistake: At one point, during the scene with the helicopter dogfight, the tail wing of Bond's mini-copter is riddled with bullet holes (and yet the mini-copter continues to fly very efficiently). But for the rest of the scene, the tail wing is in perfect condition with no sign of the damage done to it. (00:56:40 - 00:58:45)

Deliberate mistake: During the scene involving Bond training at Tanaka's fighting grounds, right after Bond stabs the man with the blade at the end of a bamboo pole, no hint of blood can be seen on the blade, and yet the man's clothes are shown stained red. (01:17:00)

Revealing mistake: When Blofeld's rocket Bird 1 lifts off, a part of the gantry moves up as well. A device to lift up the model. (01:37:15)

DapperDan

Continuity mistake: After expending one of his exploding cigarettes to cause a commotion, Bond throws a switch to open the crater door; we see two shots of it opening from below. However, in the very next shot where Tiger and his ninjas are clambering on top of the door, it is not shown moving beneath them at all (this can be seen because of the proximity of the rocks next to the fake water). (01:44:10)

Continuity mistake: Towards the end of the film, during the fight between Bond and Hans, Hans pulls the shade off the big table lamp and it ends up on the floor. A little while later the shade is on the table. (01:45:20)

Continuity mistake: When Hans picks up the table lamp to hit Bond, he picks it up by holding it close to the bulb. But when he brings it down to hit Bond, he is holding it the other way around. You can hear the bulb smash. (01:45:20)

Revealing mistake: During the car chase scene, if you watch the speedometer on the car, it never rises above zero. That, and the obviously poor image quality of the "road" in front of them, shows that they were using projected film in front of the car.

poehitman

MoneyPenny: Oh, by the way, how was the girl?
James Bond: Which girl?
MoneyPenny: The Chinese one we fixed you up with.
James Bond: Oh, another five minutes, I'd have found out.
MoneyPenny: She'll never know what she missed.

More quotes from You Only Live Twice

Trivia: German actress Karin Dor almost suffered decapitation by the helicopter rotors in the scene where she and the actor playing Osato meet Bond for the first time. Only an attentive crewman, who shouted a warning at her, prevented it.

More trivia for You Only Live Twice

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