Best war movie mistakes of 1955

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Mister Roberts picture

Factual error: When Roberts makes a deal with the Captain, he demands that the Captain grant liberty to both sections (i.e., the entire crew), leaving only Roberts and one enlisted man aboard as the deck watch. All U.S. Navy ships must have enough personnel aboard at all times to get the ship underway immediately, if necessary, which is why the crew is divided into watch sections.

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To Hell and Back picture

Continuity mistake: When the soldiers are ambushed by the Germans, they jump off and Jack Kelly is wounded in the arm, showing a torn shirt and bloody arm. Later when Audie Murphy is wounded and in the hospital Jack Kelly visits him. The only bandage on him is on his hand, which wasn't injured before.

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The Cockleshell Heroes picture

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Trevor Howard and José Ferrer are sharing what appears to be some port (about 50 minutes into the movie), the port decanter has a drip stopper in the long shot which disappears in the close-up shot of Leslie Howard and then re-appears in the following longer shot.

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The Dam Busters picture

Factual error: The system devised to get the height right was, in the film, said to have been thought of by the 617 Sqn crews following a visit to the theater. In reality it was devised by the 'boffins' at Farnborough.

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Suggested correction: See many previously posted 'mistakes' of this type and the standard correction: this is not a documentary and never pretended to be. It is a war drama and many facts were changed to fit the action.

Those correction are often made in fallacy. Dramas based on historical accounts have liberty to change small or inconsequential things, like adding a person that may have never existed, or change a relationship for dramatic purposes. Despite not being a documentary, unless it's a fantasy film, changes in historical facts are mistakes (for example, a drama can't have the Eiffel Tower in London just because it's not a documentary).

Bishop73

Suggested correction: This was the version given in Brickhill's book. The real story wasn't published till many years after the film was made.

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Gigantis the Fire Monster picture

Other mistake: While all the business signs in downtown Osaka are properly in Japanese, the local newspaper, The Osaka Times, is printed entirely in English.

Charles Austin Miller

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Storm Over the Nile picture

Factual error: When Kitchener is shown inspecting Harry's old regiment, one group of African or Egyptian troops is shown to be wearing the Pattern 1914 Infantry Equipment, not made until 1914 at the earliest. Additionally, it has the 1918 modification to have two closing straps, so is over 20 years too late for the 1894 date at that point.

Andrew Upton

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