Revealing mistake: During the courting scene as they're riding through the countryside, the man controlling the horse has a pipe in his mouth. It casts a shadow on the rear-projected background, making it very obvious. So does Maureen O'Hara's hat. John Wayne's shoulder does as well.
The Quiet Man (1952)
1 revealing mistake
Directed by: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald
Continuity mistake: When Sean shows up to meet with Mary Kate and her brother he is carrying pink roses. The entire time he is in the house the roses are now red.
Fishwoman with basket at station: Sir... Sir... Here's a good stick, to beat the lovely lady.
Trivia: As was custom with a lot of films at the time, this movie makes some extensive use of rear-projection. Several scenes were shot in a studio but used filmed or still backgrounds to make it appear like they were shot on location. A lot of the scenes that take place while characters are on a horse-drawn carriage use the technique, except the shots behind the characters are moving. The biggest use of rear projection is during the horse race on the beach.
Question: When Sean Thornton first arrives, it's the daytime. He meets Father Launigan on the road, who invites him to attend "Mass in the morning." Sean is at Cohan's Bar that evening, but then he attends "Mass in the morning." Was he up all night at the bar because he's yet to go to his new cottage? And how many times does Sean light a cigarette, take two puffs, then flick it to the side? What's up when he breaks the door down on their wedding night and flicks his cigarette inside the house?