Memphis Belle

Continuity mistake: After the Memphis Belle drops its bombs and scores a direct hit on its target you see the Memphis Belle lift up and turn right with the bomb bay doors closed. The next scene the bombadier says "okay, bomb bay doors, closing" and you see the doors close again.

Continuity mistake: When the bottom turret is shot out, Rascal is hauled into the aircraft, and although the turret is completely destroyed, when the Belle lands, the bottom turret is visible and intact again.

Continuity mistake: When the 3rd engine is going out, you see both of the landing gears are up, but it was just moments before that Dennis already lowered the left landing gear.

Continuity mistake: In one scene, Jack discovers the 'couldn't get laid last night' note Genie taped to his back, then a couple of scenes later, when Rascal is telling the crew the joke he heard from one of the waist gunners from Windy City, the note is taped to his back again.

Video

Continuity mistake: During the crash landing propeller blades are flying off. Later on when then plane comes to a stand still the blades are back but bent backwards.

Klaus Egvang

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Suggested correction: I've seen this exactly. I always thought it was the turf being kicked up by the blades. Now, whether propeller blades could have taken that impact, I don't know.

Factual error: When the radio operator was asking for a radio check he used a phonetic alphabet. He use the word Tango, representing the letter T. Tango is the modern and current phonetic representation for T. In the 1940's the word was Tare. Able, Baker...Roger, Sugar, Tare, Uncle...Zebra.

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Suggested correction: British forces adopted the American phonetic alphabet in 1942.

American forces weren't using "Tango" until 1956. When the British and American forces coordinated calling alphabets in 1943, they used "Tare", not "Tango."

Bishop73

More mistakes in Memphis Belle

Sgt. Virgil Hoogesteger: I know exactly what I'm gonna do.
Richard Rascal Moore: Oh God, Virg, if I have to hear one more word about that stupid restaurant.
Sgt. Virgil Hoogesteger: It's not stupid! At least I've got a plan! What are you gonna do after the war, huh?
Richard Rascal Moore: Come to your restaurant and rob it.

More quotes from Memphis Belle

Trivia: Very few flyable examples of the B-17 existed at the time of the shooting of the movie. One airplane "stood in" for several by having its decals changed. The B-17G featured in the film has since undergone a meticulous restoration and now lives in Renton, Washington, USA. Though it is fully flyable, certain certification issues with the Federal Aviation Administration have kept it grounded.

More trivia for Memphis Belle

Question: What was the ball of fire as the planes are landing to the right of the screen?

Answer: That would be a flare being fired from the aircraft. Yellow ones meant the aircraft had sustained serious damage, although that was often self-evident, and a red one meant that there was a seriously injured crewman on board - prompting first aid teams to be ready to meet the aircraft once it had landed. Their was also an unofficial green flare that meant someone had completed their tour of duty.

Farmersboy

More questions & answers from Memphis Belle

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