Continuity mistake: After Carmen walks out of Geiger's house Eddie Mars' handkerchief is tucked into his jacket pocket with only two small corners sticking out. In the next shot the handkerchief has been rearranged and is sticking out one inch higher. (00:43:25)
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars finds Geiger's blood on the carpet, lifts it up and sees that it's seeped through to the floor. There's actually no blood on the carpet in the first place because when he lifts it up we see the back of it and it's totally dry and white in color. (00:43:40)
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars looks at Marlowe and says, "Got any good ideas soldier?" and Marlowe exhales a big puff of smoke in his direction as he speaks. In the next shot there's no smoke between the two of them. (00:44:20)
Continuity mistake: When Marlowe pulls his car up in front of the Randall Arms Apartments and waits for Lauren Bacall his windshield has two stickers on the left of it. A few shots later after Lauren pulls up he gets out and follows her into the building. The car he's sitting in has changed as we see the shadow of the windshield on the front seat and there are now three stickers on this windshield. (00:47:15)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe pulls his car up and parks in front of the Randall Arms apartments waiting for Lauren Bacall. A guy is walking towards the entrance across the street and in the next shot he disappears. (00:47:15)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe sits in front of The Randall Arms Apartments as Lauren Bacall drives up and parks across the street near his car. He tries to hide his face by putting his hand in front of his mouth and in the first shot the top of his hand is covering his mouth but in the next shot the palm of his hand is covering his mouth. (00:47:35)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe sits in front of Joe Brody's apartment building, The Randall Arms. Later as he follows the gunman that shot Brody we see it from inside the car and the registration stickers are different. (00:47:40 - 00:57:20)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe tells Joe Brody to get the pictures of Carmen Sternwood and he walks over to his desk that we've seen in an earlier shot. No one goes near the desk but a different set of books are between the horse head bookends, and they keep moving throughout the scene. (00:48:40 - 00:52:20)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks into Joe Brody's apartment at the Randall Arms and there's a dark shadow across Joe's face as he answers the door. In the next shot as Marlowe walks in his face is lit up. (00:48:40)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks into the apartment and Joe Brody pulls a gun on him. Joe holds the gun in his right hand and his cigarette in his left, and we see the smoke from the cigarette rising into the air. In the next three shots the smoke has disappeared, then the next time we see Marlowe and Joe together in a wide shot the cigarette and the smoke are back again. (00:49:10)
Continuity mistake: In Joe Brody's apartment Marlowe says to Lauren Bacall, "Don't argue with the man, do as he says, sit down". She sits down on the right side of the couch next to the pillow and never moves from that spot, but several shots later in a wide shot she's sitting in the center of the couch. (00:50:00)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe says to Joe Brody, " You can only die once for a couple of murders" as he walks over to his desk that we've seen in an earlier shot and the phone has been moved even though no one went near the desk. (00:51:40 - 00:54:10)
Other mistake: Joe Brody trips Carmen Sternwood as she walks through his door holding a gun on him and the cameraman totally loses focus in the close up of her legs. (00:52:00)
Continuity mistake: After Carmen Sternwood comes into the apartment Marlowe walks over to Joe Brody to get the gun he has in his right coat pocket and Joe's hands are near his waist. In the next shot his hands are raised up around his chest. (00:52:10)
Visible crew/equipment: Joe Brody says to Marlowe, "Look, you got what you came for and you got it cheap, I don't known anything about a picture, do I Agnes?". If you look closely at Marlowe the camera's shadow appears on his chest. (00:53:45)
Visible crew/equipment: In his apartment after Carmen and Lauren Bacall have gone, Joe Brody says to Marlowe, " I followed him, he turned west on SunsetÂ…" and a boom mike shadow can be seen several times crossing the couch behind Agnes. (00:55:30 - 00:56:20)
Visible crew/equipment: Marlowe, Joe Brody and Agnes sit talking in Joe's apartment, Carol Lundgren rings the buzzer and Joe Brody answers the door. A small explosive charge is packed in an indentation on Joe Brody's door before the spot is blown out by Lundgren's shot. The same indentation can be seen again a few moments later as a small explosive is detonated when Lundgren shoots at Marlowe in the lobby of the building. (00:56:30)
Continuity mistake: Carol Lundgren rings the buzzer and Joe Brody walks toward the door holding a cigarette in his right hand. In the next shot as he answers the door the cigarette is in his left hand. (00:56:30)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe takes his hands off the steering wheel as he sits in his parked car waiting for Joe Brody's killer, Carol Lundgren, to walk by. In the next shot his left hand is back on the steering wheel. (00:57:35)
Continuity mistake: Joe Brody's killer, Carol Lundgren, gets into Marlowe's car and looks directly through the windshield. In the next shot when Marlowe gets into the car Lundgren's head is turned to the right looking at him getting in. (00:58:05)
