The Founder
The Founder mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Ray Kroc first orders a meal from McDonald's he is at the order window on the left. As soon as he walks away from the window he is at the right window.

Pink Floyd

Factual error: As Ray is driving around the country selling his machines, we see town mileage signs that are green with white lettering. In the early 50s they were white with black lettering.

ebogus

Factual error: In 1954, when Ray follows the map to San Bernardino, he passes by Lake Havasu, noted as a large city. It wasn't even incorporated until the '60s.

Factual error: When Ray is looking at the map of Arizona to travel to Phoenix to see the restaurant with the "golden arches", it shows Sun City. Sun City wasn't created as a community until the early 60's.

Continuity mistake: When Ray comes home and tells his wife about the business he wants to make, she is holding a cup. When the angle changes her hand is lowered.

Sacha

Factual error: In a scene in Illinois, when the camera is panning on churches and civic buildings, a 50-star U.S. flag is shown flying above one building. The U.S. flag had 48 stars at the time.

Factual error: The map shown towards the beginning of the movie (1957) shows the city of Santa Clarita, which didn't exist until 1987.

The Founder mistake picture

Continuity mistake: Early in the film, Ray Kroc uses a payphone to call his secretary. In the close-up, he's holding the receiver with his right hand. In the wide shot, he's holding it with his left.

The Founder mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Ray Kroc talks to Dick McDonald over the phone for the first time, he's holding the receiver over his right ear. When Dick tells him the McDonald's address, Ray is holding the receiver over his left ear.

The Founder mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Ray Kroc and Mac McDonald first meet, Mac is holding a broom in his left hand. He then puts down the broom and points to the sign to that bears his name. In the next shot, he's holding the broom again.

The Founder mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As Ray Kroc is sitting down on a bench at the first McDonald's he visits, there's a shot of him placing the cup down on the bench, then the shot changes to a wide shot but the cup is gone.

Factual error: Numerous outdoor scenes in San Bernardino taking place during the 1950's depict a railroad crossing with automatic crossing gates, which were patented in 1966.

Factual error: The scene where Ray Kroc is looking at a map to drive out to San Bernardino, CA to visit the McDonald brothers shows the city of Santa Clarita, CA. There was no such city in the 1950's, as Santa Clarita was not founded until 1987. It also shows Moreno Valley as a major city next to Riverside. Moreno Valley did not exist as a city until 1984. Also, Irvine is shown as a major city, and it existed only as a ranch at the time of Kroc's trip to San Bernardino.

Sgtown

Factual error: While Ray is driving southbound to Phoenix, the highway is marked "U.S. route 17." The actual US 17 is a north-south highway running from Virginia to Florida. There is an interstate 17 which runs to Phoenix, but it did not exist at the time either.

Factual error: While Ray Kroc is sitting outside McDonald's to eat his meal, a family sits down next to him to eat their meal. The woman's drink has a plastic straw, which did not exist until the 60s. (00:12:51)

Continuity mistake: Ray Croc's multi mixers are already in McDonald's when he takes the tour. About 2 minutes later Dick McDonald asks "When can we expect them?"

Ray Kroc: If I saw a competitor drowning, I'd shove a hose down his throat.

More quotes from The Founder

Question: Two questions are puzzling me. 1. Considering the tactics that Ray used to take control of McDonald's from the brothers, couldn't it be said that he cheated and conned the brothers out of their restaurant? 2. When Ray visits Mac in the hospital, he offers him a blank check to which the brothers agree. Why would they agree to such a thing instead of fighting to get their restaurant back?

Answer: 1. Yes, he pretty much cheated them out of their restaurant, royalties, intellectual property, etc. 2. Ray elaborates on this towards the end of the film when is on the phone with them. He's generated so much revenue from his real estate venture that he can afford to tie them up in court for years and drown them in legal fees if they decided to sue him for breach of contract. This is why they decide to surrender the company and everything that came with it in exchange for $1 million each and 1% perpetuity, the latter of which they never received.

Phaneron

More questions & answers from The Founder

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.