Chicago (2002) - 32 mistakes

Continuity: In the final scene where Roxie and Velma are dancing in the concert hall, Roxie is on the right and Velma is on the left. The two images depicted here do not immediately follow one another in the film. Just before they jump around, there are closeups of Velma, then Roxie, during which they might have swapped sides.

Factual error: In the scene where Roxie is placed in the "paddy wagon" to be taken to Cook County Jail, the prosecutor refers to himself as District Attorney Harrison. However, the court system in Illinois doesn't have district attorneys; rather, they have state's attorneys. The original play by Maureen Watkins correctly calls him a state's attorney.

Continuity: In the final scene when Velma and Roxie are performing, there is lipstick on Roxie's teeth. In the next shot it has disappeared.

Factual error: When Mr. Flynn is in the restaurant talking about the latest socialite arrested for triple homicide, he briefly uses a telephone their waiter provides. According to an antique phone collector's association, there are many errors between the phone and the time period. First of all, that phone's design was from the Bell Tel. Co., and wasn't manufactured until about 1930. Secondly, even if the movie was set in late 1929, the phone has a handset didn't exist until 1937. Thirdly, the phone is brass-plated with an ivory handset; This colour combo was called the "Imperial", and was introduced to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Bell Tel. Co. in 1951, and was certainly not available in the 20s.

Continuity: When Roxie is about to fire Billy, there is a close-up of her telling him off, and you can see some loose blonde hairs falling out of her hairstyle. In the next close-up they are gone, and in the next one they're back again.

Continuity: During Roxie's first song and she sings "If you know him like me, I know you'd agree" while gently kicking the pianist's hat, she smiles with her mouth open exposing her teeth. When it cuts her mouth is closed.

Continuity: When Velma is dancing and singing for Roxie after making her the offer to replace her sister, during the first half she has an obvious run in her right stocking and a hole about the size of a quarter over her knee. When she tells Roxie the second half is better and finishes her number, the run has disappeared.

Continuity: When Roxie first gets to jail and a woman asks her if she ever had Morton before, Roxie shakes her head and turns her head away from her. When it cuts Roxie is still staring straight at the woman.

Continuity: During the Cell Block Tango, 'Pop' dances with her partner while she sings. When she says "not chewing, popping!", she turns her head sharply and some of her hair lands on her partners hat. When she says, "You pop that gum," she moves and the hair falls off, but in the close up, it is on his hat again in the same position.

Continuity: At the very start of the Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag Medley Title song, where both Velma and Roxie are facing away from the audience, Velma's arm changes position between shots, from being at her side, to on her hip, and back to her side again.

Continuity: The pictures of Fred's kids appear in his wallet between shots when Roxie looks.

Continuity: In the scene near the end where Roxy is auditioning she gets off the stage and there is a cleaner in the background sweeping. In the next shot the cleaner is right back where he started.

Continuity: When Morton sings her first song she sings "Because the system works, the system call reciprocity", she bends down and slowly rise up with her eyes closed. When it cuts her eyes are open.

Factual error: As Roxie is being escorted into the murderers' row, Mama and Roxie pass Velma's cell. The dollar Velma gives Mama is a modern one.

Continuity: Towards the start of 'Cell Block Tango,' during the line 'If you'd have seen it,' you see Annie holding the bars with her left hand. In the next shot, she's holding them with her right.

Continuity: Just before Kitty Baxter shoots the 2nd woman sleeping with her husband, she gets a 2-handed grip on the gun. But in the next shot, she is holding the gun 1-handed and once again gets a 2-handed grip.

Continuity: During John C. Reilly's number "Mr. Cellophane", the spotlight angle switches between shots from directly over his head, to in front of him.

Continuity: After Roxie shoots Fred Casely, a photographer takes a picture of the body and in the flash from the camera, you can see Fred's eyes are closed and his head is facing straight up. After Roxie's 'Funny Honey' number, the attorney interrogates her and uncovers the body for a neighbor to identify it. When he does this, you can see that Fred's eyes are open and his head is tilted to the side.

Factual error: The innocent murderess, Katalin Hunyák, is supposed to be Hungarian. Nevertheless, in Cell Block Tango, she tells her story with such a heavy Russian accent that it makes the story almost unintelligible (I'm Hungarian so I know it). Thereafter, when Billy passes by, she begs for help in Russian ("Pozhaluysta" - "Please"). The actress who plays Hunyák is Russian, this explains a lot, but why couldn't they find someone Hungarian for that role?

Continuity: Near the end of the movie, after Roxie's audition, Velma is pitching her act again when Roxie puts on her coat and buttons it. The camera cuts back to Velma for a minute, then when it cuts back to Roxie her coat is unbuttoned, then seconds later she is walking through a door and her coat is buttoned again.