Catch Me If You Can

Factual error: On the plane, while being escorted by FBI agents, Frank Jr sees New York's LaGuardia Airport and says, "There it is, LaGuardia Airport, runway 44." A runway numbered 44 is impossible. No runway can be numbered over 36 because there are 360 degrees in a circle. (01:58:25)

Factual error: In the scene where Handratty hits the button to stop the press, suddenly individual checks come flying up from the press. This could not happen. On such a large press the checks would be printed several up on a large sheet of paper, to be cut down after printing is completed. (01:53:10)

Factual error: In a telephone conversation scene between Frank and Handratty, Frank is using a phone that has a plug type receiver. The phones in that era were all hard wired.

Factual error: In the street scene after Frank buys his airline uniform, he crosses the street in front of two buses. Behind one of the buses you can see a Federal Express truck. The movie is set in 1964; FedEx began operations in 1973; the FedEx logo on the truck was introduced in 1994. (00:35:20)

Factual error: The nurse in the hospital wearing braces has the stick on braces, which were not available at that time. The only type available had wrap around bands. (01:11:30)

Continuity mistake: As the plane lands in New York, there is a brief shot of the landing gear where a modern wide jet engine nacelle is visible. In all other shots the correct long skinny 60's style nacelle is seen. (02:00:45)

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Carl comes to the engagement party to arrest Frank, it is so windy that when the window in the bedroom is left open, money is flying all around. However, the shots of the party outside show a calm night with no wind at all. (01:41:20)

Factual error: In an early scene where Frank Sr. and Jr. go to the Chase Manhattan bank in New York (1962) a Duane Reade Drug Store with new (1998) store signage is seen in the background.

Factual error: In the scene where Frank first meets the candy striper at the nurses' station, you can see a gray Notifier annunciator for the fire alarm system on the wall. These are for a digital system that could not have been around at that time.

Audio problem: When Handratty is in France telling Frank that there are 20 officers outside, you can see when the camera turns to Frank, Handratty's mouth is still moving despite the fact that he is not talking. (01:55:40)

Factual error: The green-capped McCormick spices on the spice rack in the apartment were not available in the early 1960s.

Factual error: When Frank is arrested in France, Handratty bends over to look at him through the rear window of the police car. You can clearly see the lines of the window defogger on Handratty's face. Cars did not have electric defoggers like that in the late 1960s. (01:57:35)

Factual error: When Handratty presses the emergency stop button at the printers, it causes paper to fly all over the place. Pressing the emergency stop would also stop the sheet feeder, and therefore stop the paper feeding through the press. (01:53:10)

Phil Watts

Continuity mistake: About 3/4 of the way through the movie, it shows Frank and Handratty on a plane back to the US. Frank has been resting his head on a small pillow against the window and pulls it down. Next shot, he pulls it down from the window again. (01:57:55)

Factual error: On the letter from Frank Jr. to Frank Sr. with the Atlanta return address, the stamp used had not yet been issued by the date of postmark (September 12, 1965). The stamp, the sheet version of the 5-cent "unshaven" George Washington (Scott Catalogue No. 1283), was not issued until February 22, 1966. (01:19:26)

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Frank is pulling down the second suitcase of money from the top of the bed canopy while talking frantically to Brenda, the large portion of the suitcase is initially on top when the suitcase is put on the bed. But when the camera returns to another shot of the suitcase as Frank is opening it, the large portion of the suitcase is on the bottom.

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

Suggested correction: Both portions of the suitcase are exactly the same.

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Frank Jr. gives car keys in a small gift box to his dad in a restaurant, his dad puts the car keys back into the small gift box and places it on the table in front of Frank. In the next few shots the gift box is sometimes completely closed and sometimes a little bit open (as if the keys got stuck in between). (00:46:05)

Continuity mistake: When Frank Abagnale Sr. unwraps the gift of car keys from Frank Abagnale Jr., he places the yellow ribbon on his right side, on the table. In the next shot, it is lying on the left side. (00:46:05)

Factual error: When Frank goes to pick up his fiance at the Miami airport, he is driving a 1964 Chevelle. Quick shots of the car show that the hubcaps on the Chevelle belong to a 1965 Chevelle SS, which would be incorrect for a 1964 model.

Paula Abagnale: Just tell me how much he owes and I'll pay you back.
Carl Hanratty: So far, it's about 1.3 million dollars.

More quotes from Catch Me If You Can

Trivia: Frank Abagnale's father was, in real life, a straight honest law abiding citizen, and not the shonky con-man as depicted in the movie.

More trivia for Catch Me If You Can

Question: After Frank is essentially forced to abandon Brenda in order to avoid not getting caught at the airport he resumes his farce as a pilot and recruits young women as his accompanying stewardesses. Roughly how long does this thing with the stewardesses possibly last? Did he really risk to include them in his "trip" around the world to various countries to continue his fraud because obviously he abandoned them at some point and ended up in France where he was caught.

Answer: It lasts several months. The stewardesses were juniors and seniors from the University of Arizona, whom he fake-recruited for a PR project for Pan-Am (they were not supposed to be real stewardesses, but dress like them and be photographed in various European capitols). Frank was frequently being asked where his "crew" was, so he thought it would lend him credibility.

More questions & answers from Catch Me If You Can

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