Plot hole: Sergeant Howie is expected to report back to the mainland on the same day he left, and since he took a valuable aircraft with him on his trip it is inconceivable that his superior officers would not come looking for him if he didn't show up. First they would try contacting him on his radio and not receiving a reply they'd send out a search party, and they would do so within twenty four hours. Missing police officers are taken very, very seriously indeed.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Plot summary
Directed by: Robin Hardy
Starring: Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Edward Woodward
A young girl has been reported missing on Summerisle, a remote Scottish Island and Sergeant Howie is sent to investigate. On arriving on the Island Howie sees how the islanders live and is a bit unnerved because they are all weirdo's in their own rights. No one knows who the missing girl is and Howie is sent on a wild goose chase by the islanders trying to get to the bottom of it. He eventually seeks out Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee)who is also barking mad, and learns that the islanders live by different rules and philosophies which Howie very strongly disagrees with (being a devout, virgin christian). The apple crop of Summerisle failed the year before and the islanders want to make a sacrifice to the sun god's to ensure it does'nt happen again. Howie, we learn, has been lured to the island as the perfect sacrifice with the pretence of investigating the missing girl. In the end he get's sacrificed in the Wicker Man.
Incidentally, you can visit the remains of the Wicker Man on Burrow Head, in Galloway, South West Scotland.
More mistakes in The Wicker Man
Lord Summerisle: Do sit down, Sergeant. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent.
Trivia: Lindsay Kemp plays Alder MacGreagor, the father of Willow (Britt Ekland). In real life, Kemp was only four years older than Ekland.
Question: If they needed a virgin for the ritual why does Britt try to seduce him? She could have spoiled everything.
Answer: He was a devout man of faith. They had to test his virtue, to tempt him to break the ten commandments or the seven deadly sins.