Ladder 49

Factual error: During the Christmas season (December) Travolta and Phoenix discuss a transfer to an aide's position. That same night Phoenix discusses the possibility with his wife - with crickets chirping away in the background. Not in Baltimore in December.

Factual error: Before Jack starts to rappel down the side of the building to save the man, he tightens his carabiners as tight as they go. Anyone who has undergone training (assuming that a fire fighter was properly trained) would know to twist the carabiner nob a half turn back, otherwise after climbing the nob would be so tight that it would literally take the "Jaws of Life" to get it open.

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Jack and Lenny are arguing about Dennis's death, the cup on the table gets knocked over. The next shot, the cup is standing up. The next shot, it's down again.

More mistakes in Ladder 49

Lenny Richter: Why does it always have to be the 12th floor? Why can't they be on the 4th?

More quotes from Ladder 49

Trivia: Jacinda Barrett's father was a fire fighter in Brisbane, Australia. She has been quoted as saying that's what drew her to working on this movie.

More trivia for Ladder 49

Question: When Jack went searching for the girl in the top apartment of the building he could hardly see because of the fog. As soon as the fire from beneath bursts through the floor the thick smoke has disappeared. Is this normal for building fires?

Answer: I'm not a fire fighter so I do not have a answer based on experience but I assume that when Jack was disoriented it's because there was no light in the building, then when the fire broke through it produced enough light to break through the smoke and make seeing easier for him to escape.

It actually doesn't break through the floor...it's a flashover where everything including the gases in the smoke reach their ignition temperature simultaneously and the room lights off...it's a very serious and dangerous situation to be in as a firefighter...I was in one, luckily we were only 10 feet inside the door.

Steve Kozak

More questions & answers from Ladder 49

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.