Ben-Hur (1959) - 42 mistakes

Continuity: In the first scene of part 2 the Romans are relaxing in the bath. Then the arrival of Sheik Ilderim is announced, and when the camera switches to him the positions of many extras in the scene change, like one masseur in red (first kneeling, then squatting).

Continuity: One of the first shots in the picture is a wide angle establishing shot showing a street scene in Jerusalem, with milling people, animals, etc. A tall figure in the background is slowly walking toward the camera. The figure is Charlton Heston, and the shot is an earlier segment of a shot used later in the movie when Ben-Hur is returning home from a trade expedition. Heston's costume is the same, but he's only clearly recognizable in the second sequence. Since the two scenes are set 33 years apart, perhaps the earlier figure is Ben-Hur's father.

Continuity: When the Sheik takes down the bets his man who had handed him the book is standing behind him with his hands down. When the camera angle changes his hands are folded.

Continuity: There is a hex bolt holding the spikes to the chariot wheel hub.

Revealing: During the chariot race, where the contestants are riding towards the screen, tyre tracks from the camera vehicle are clearly visible imprinted in the sand.

Continuity: At one time during the chariot race Judah and Messala are going side by side. Then Judah steers his horses against the inner wall and almost comes to a complete halt. However, an instant later he is abreast with Messala again.

Revealing: During the race Judah runs into the remains of another chariot and almost falls off the cart. You can see that the guy who is doing the handstand on the railing is a stuntman.

Continuity: When Ben Hur finally defeats the bad guy, his opponent's wheel disintegrates. However, as the chariot flips over, we see a complete wheel on both sides.

Continuity: Ben-Hur places his crown on a table when he visits the fallen Messala, but upon returning the table and crown are gone.

Continuity: After Tirzah makes the tiles fall from the roof there is a wide shot from above, showing Judah and Tirzah at a different part of the wall than where the tiles fell.

Continuity: When Messala goes to the roof terrace after the tile incident to check the loose tiles and he drops one on the floor, there are broken pieces on the floor that haven't been there before.

Continuity: When Judah comes back to his house and meets Esther her curls over the forehead change several times throughout the scene.

Continuity: After Judah knocks out the prison guards he grabs a spear and busts into Messala's room. Two other guards standing far down the hall start running after him. Seen from inside the room, the guards enter directly after Judah.

Continuity: During his brief escape Judah threatens Messala who is standing behind his desk. The arrangement of things on the desk changes many times throughout the scene, most noticeably the three books on the right.

Continuity: When Arrius makes the galley do a practice race and finally allows them to rest the oars are going up and down from the waves. However, when the camera is close on Judah the oars are perfectly still.

Revealing: When one of the ships collides with the other, you can clearly see that the rowers being hit are dummies.

Continuity: When Judah takes rest on his way to Jerusalem funny things happen with his headgear. First, when he lies down it suddenly disappears under his head. Then he falls asleep, and when Balthasar from Alexandria approaches him a little later and he quickly gets up there is nothing under his head and back.

Continuity: Count the number of chariots that start the race. Then count the chariots that get thrown out and the number that finish - there's one too many. There are 9 at the start, 6 get thrown out, and 4 finish.

Continuity: During Ben Hur and Messala's duel on the chariots, Messala's wheel-scythes tear away most of the right hand side of Ben Hur's chariot. When Messala has been thrown and Ben Hur crosses the finish line a few moments later, however, the camera has zoomed out far enough to reveal that his chariot is perfectly intact.

Continuity: When Judah goes to the place where the leper lives, a man tells him it's a cursed place and puts a lettuce or a cabbage on a plate. It has disappeared the shot later.