The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Factual error: When Tuco is in the gunshop messing around with the guns, one gun has the cylinder and barrel moving back and forth by manipulating the trigger guard-lever. This is a Belgian Galand & Somerville revolver, a gun that did not exist until 1868. This film takes place during the US Civil War, which ended in 1865.

Factual error: When Clint Eastwood blows up the bridge, he lights only one fuse but all of the explosives detonate simultaneously, despite being attached to numerous, separate pilings.

Factual error: When Angel Eyes arrives at the Confederate Army Hospital, the Confederate flag that is flying is not the correct flag; it is the flag that people in the 20th century and later think of as the Confederate flag. The only rectangular flag with the blue St Andrew's cross on red was the Confederate navy flag and the battle flag of the Army of Tennessee, which was the standardized battle flag for the Western Armies (but not that far west) after January 1864, so didn't exist in the New Mexico campaign, nor at the time the story takes place.

genorp

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly mistake picture

Factual error: Just before Angel Eyes confronts the girl in her room about the whereabouts of Bill Carson, we see her walking in the hall outside her room, and lighting this hallway is a very modern day lightbulb.

Factual error: The judges reading Tuco and Shorty's death sentences mention them being wanted by so many counties within "the state." This cannot be correct. The battles the characters are near at all times in the film depict the battles over New Mexico. The Union never invaded Texas through its western deserts, despite landing in the Rio Grande valley. New Mexico was not a state until 1912 and was never treated as a state by the CSA. Thus, the judges should be saying territory.

Fireball

Factual error: The guns Tuco and Blondie use appear to be 1851 Colt Navy because they have octagonal barrels and the loading ram below the barrel. 2 problems are that 1) the '51 was only made in .36 calibre. When shown from the business end the muzzles appear to be much larger. Colt '61 / '60 came in .44 caliber, but they had round barrels. 2) More importantly they are using brass cartridges to load. Conversions for those pistols to load cartridges did not exist till after the war and these were cap 'n' ball only then.

Factual error: While cleaning his pistol Eastwood is using a plastic bore brush, not available in that era. (00:00:45 - 00:50:00)

Factual error: The movie depicts General Sibley's New Mexico campaign. This occurred in the first half of 1862, with the last battle occurring on June 1, prior to a Confederate retreat to Texas. General Sibley is seen, and he lost his battlefield command altogether in 1863. However, Angel Eyes makes reference to Andersonville prison, which did not open until 1864. The question is also begged as to how Arch Stanton, who died in February of 1862, had completely rotted away by May in dry soil.

Fireball

Factual error: Regarding the train scenes when Tuco is taken then escapes from Mario Brega, there were no trains / railways in New Mexico in any of the years of the US Civil War, let alone 1862 when Selby's short-lived and daft campaign was limited to. I believe the RRs were starting to move into Texas then, but not NM until the 1870s. Also, the whole geography of the film is wrong if the gold was intercepted but 'escaped' with the three people in the wagon near Glorietta Pass in early 1862. The sequence of events means all involved had to go up and down the Rio Bravo constantly - eg. the 'jornado del muerto' is hundreds of miles from Glorietta. This is too complicated to summarise here, but check the actual battles and timelines.

Factual error: Extended version. After finding a dying Bill Carson, Tuco arrives at an outpost looking for a hospital. It's night, or at least dark outside - he is told the hospital is 18 miles away. In the next scene he arrives at the hospital at nearly high noon. A horse canters and gallops (full speed) between 4-30 mph. Basically the hospital was an hour away.

Beau Peterson

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Blondie abandons Tuco in the desert, watch the rope around Tuco's neck. It changes between shots, sometimes over his left shoulder, and sometimes hanging down in front of him. It is not due to the camera angle.

More mistakes in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Tuco: I'll kill you.
Man With No Name: If you do that... You'll always be poor... Just like the greasy rat you are.

More quotes from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
More trivia for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Question: If Tuco seriously thought that The Man with No Name would shoot him, why did Tuco voluntarily stick his head in the noose? Death is death. Why choose hanging over gunshot?

Charles Austin Miller

Chosen answer: Tuco knew he had a better chance at survival (and the gold) by playing along with Blondie and keeping his balance on the cross, hoping Blondie does not miss the rope when he shoots. This final, deadly game was preferable to being shot outright by Blondie and dying a poor man.

Scott215

Tuco had no idea that Blondie's intention was to shoot the rope and let him live.

Answer: Blondie wasn't trying to kill Tuco. The journey to find the gold was complete, and Blondie did not trust Tuco, so he just hung him, and left his half of the money, and shot the rope, not to kill him, but to leave him there.

More questions & answers from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

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