Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the submarine dock of Geheimhaven, Captain Mohler is a man with dark hair in his mid or late thirties. But during the procession, he seems to be much older, with grey hair.

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: After Marion gets locked inside the flying wing's cockpit, she sees the truck with soldiers approaching. Marion then goes through the aircraft's passageway to the rear turret, and in the first shot facing Marion just as she begins to fire on the soldiers with the tail gunner's machine gun, the reflection of a crew member wearing a short-sleeved shirt is visible on the dome's glass, at the bottom left corner of the screen. (01:18:40)

Super Grover

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As the ghosts dance around the pole to which Indy and Marion are tied, large clouds can be seen in the sky behind them. However, after a ghost circles Dietrich and passes in front of the camera, it can be seen in the background that the clouds behind Indy and Marion have disappeared.

Big Game

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As the ghosts dance around Dietrich, Belloq, and Toht, the Frenchman slowly looks up as the column of mist ascends upwards from the Ark, almost looking straight ahead. In the next shot, Belloq is looking down again; the shape of the mist has changed, and the column of mist is now moving to the right.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: The distance between Otto and the Nepalese changes between shots, just as Toht begins saying "Surely he told you..."

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: While the Ark is killing the soldiers, the cameraman is hit twice, as the first hit is shown in the first wide shot of the dying soldiers and the second when the camera focuses on the cameraman. Also, during the second hit, a beam passes through the camera and strikes the cameraman in the face, although he remains standing. In the next shot, the cameraman's body is suddenly on the ground and the beam that had killed him disappears.

Big Game

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the first scene of the procession, the Nazis are walking in a straight line along a path. In the next shot, they are now going around a curve.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the Bantu Wind, the right arm of the soldier standing next to where Indy is hiding changes its position twice during Katanga's and Dietrich's speech. (01:36:18)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When the Nazis board the Bantu Wind, there are some shots of the pipe Indy is hiding in. During these shots, there's a big grey pipe right behind Indy's pipe. However, in the rest of the Bantu Wind shots, this grey pipe is on the left of Indy's pipe, not directly behind it. (01:36:19 - 01:37:05)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In Geheimhaven, Indy watches the submarine hidden behind some ropes. When Marion comes out of the submarine and the camera focuses on the back of Indy's head, the ropes disappear. (01:39:13)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: When Indiana frees Marion, locked in the cabin pilot of the Nazi plane just after one of the soldiers is killed by the blades, a set light is reflected on the plane's glass. (01:20:32)

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As the truck pulls up next to the Command Tent, four soldiers lift the Ark's box and a fifth soldier, positioned between the two wooden posts of the Ark's box and to Gobler's right, picks up the sticks that Indy and Sallah had used. In the next shot, that soldier is now to the left of Gobler and the Ark's box. (01:21:40)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: On the Bantu Wind, after Dietrich takes Marion from Katanga and begins to leave, the soldier next to the pipe where Indy hides throws his cigarette and leaves the scene. In the next shot, when Belloq stops Dietrich, the soldier is now back at his original position. (01:36:51)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: After Toht's command, the Mongolian and the Nepalese grab Marion, then the former puts his hand on Marion's cheek. During this, the Nepalese faces Marion, whose mouth is open. In the next shot, the Nepalese is suddenly looking at Toht, Marion's mouth is suddenly closed, and the position of the Mongolian's head has changed. (00:30:28)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: As the bad guys are leaving the dig site for Cairo, there is a shot of the black vehicle (lead car) looking right at the driver. On the bottom of the shot is a shadow of film equipment that shouldn't be there. The shot lingers, so the shadow is very visible. (01:22:50)

manthabeat

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Marion arrives on the deck of the Bantu Wind, Dietrich turns to look at her. Katanga is in the background, behind the colonel. But, just before Marion hits Dietrich, Katanga appears on the opposite side from where he was and catches Marion. (01:36:00)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: While the Holy Fire is killing the soldiers, in a shot of two soldiers being hit by the light, the stone wall is missing in the background of the scene. (01:47:30)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As Dietrich and Gobler come into Belloq's tent, Toht's leather case can be seen already opened. In the next shot, the case is suddenly closed.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: During the procession, after Indy hides behind the box, Captain Mohler and Arnold Toht can be seen walking behind the Ark and on the Ark's right, respectively. In the next shot, Mohler is walking in front of the Ark and Toht, on the Ark's left.

Big Game

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Indy goes to save Marion in the tent he removes the handkerchief gag. But when he decides to leave her there, he puts the gag back on and some of her hair gets caught underneath the gag on one close up shot from the left. But when the camera goes to the back of Indy, her hair is no longer caught underneath the gag. (00:56:00)

More mistakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indy: There's a big snake in the plane, Jock!
Jock: Oh, that's just my pet snake Reggie.
Indy: I hate snakes, Jack! I HATE 'EM!
Jock: Oh, come on! Show a little backbone, will ya?

More quotes from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark trivia picture

Trivia: In the Well of Souls, you can see hieroglyphics of C3PO and R2D2 on the wall.

More trivia for Raiders of the Lost Ark

Question: After the scene where Indy first goes onto the German U-boat, he runs around apparently looking for something, then the scene changes to the inside of the sub where you can hear that the order has been given to dive. Was there an actual scene cut out of the film where Indy lashes himself to the periscope? (When Raiders first came out in Aus, I vividly remember seeing it with this scene.)

Answer: The scene you describe was indeed filmed. It was cut out of the US release of the film although I cannot speak for the Australian version. The scene also appears in the Marvel Comics adaptation. http://www.theraider.net/films/raiders/deleted_scenes.php has a list of this and the other deleted scenes.

Phil C.

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