Revealing mistake: Near the end of the film, there is a football game played between the rival MASH units. Although the game is supposed to be taking place in a remote location of Korea in 1951, late model 1960's automobiles can be seen driving on a nearby highway as the game progresses. This gave away the fact that the football scenes were shot at a university in Southern California.
Visible crew/equipment: At the end of the surgery scene after Trapper's entrance you see a reflection of a camera in the window. (00:23:20)
Continuity mistake: In one of the early surgery scenes you see Trapper operating, although he arrives only later as the new chest cutter. (00:13:20)
Factual error: When Hawkeye and Trapper arrive in Japan, as they approach the hospital in a Jeep, you can see a football field in the background. Look closely at the goalpost on the field. Instead of looking like an "H" (then in use), it is in the style used since the late 1960s: a bent single goalpost, a crossbar, and the uprights.
Factual error: In the football game scene, the players all have helmets with modern style (1970's) face guards.In 1951, the time period of the film, no face guards were used.
Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the film, Hawkeye steals a jeep and drives off, splattering mud everywhere. When the local commander shouts to the MPs to "get that guy", the next shot shows them driving off onto totally dry ground; in fact, when their jeep abruptly stops, there is dust everywhere.
Revealing mistake: When the helicopter that takes the departing nurse that took care of Painless is in a close up, and as it turns away from the camera, you can see the reflection of the lights for the camera.
Factual error: The goal posts in the fifties were at the goal line, in the movie they are in back of the end zone.
Suggested correction: The goalposts were at the back of the end zone for college football since the 20's. It was only the NFL that had the goal posts on the goal line, so the scene is accurate since it wasn't an NFL game. It should be noted too that the NFL didn't move the goalpost to the back of the end zone until 1974, 4 years after the movie came out.
Continuity mistake: When the lady reporter is filming Hawkeye from her truck, she's approaching his position. After passing by him, she turns in the truck to keep him in range, filming backwards. But the movie camera angle filming Hawkeye is always approaching him, and at a slower speed than the reporter's truck was moving.
Factual error: Early in the movie, the loudspeaker announcer states that the Korean War was the #1 news item of 1951. Later in the movie it is announced that the night's movie is scheduled to be "The Glory Brigade" starring Victor Mature. However, that movie was released in May of 1953.
