Continuity mistake: The front door of the Sternwood's is in the first shot of the movie as Marlowe rings the door bell. The front of the door has just one indentation near the knocker, later we see the front door again as Marlowe brings Carmen home and now it has two indentations. (00:01:15 - 00:25:15)
Continuity mistake: Carmen Sternwood walks down the steps and picks up and looks at the mail when she first spots Marlowe. If you look at the handles on the side of the flowerpot you'll see that the centerpiece of roses on the table is rotated and rearranged between shots. (00:01:35)
Continuity mistake: After she puts them down, the letters on the table that Carmen was looking at are rearranged when Norris the Sternwood's butler calls Marlowe in to see Gen. Sternwood. (00:02:30)
Continuity mistake: When he first meets Gen. Sternwood the ashtray on the table to the left of Marlowe is moved between shots. (00:03:15)
Continuity mistake: When he first meets Gen. Sternwood, Marlowe takes off his coat and a book of matches appears behind his glass of Brandy on the table to the right of him. Later it disappears again. (00:03:30 - 00:06:10)
Continuity mistake: Gen. Sternwood says to Marlowe that he's, "crippled, paralyzed in both legs" but not 10 seconds later we see him move both of his legs and his feet move throughout the scene. (00:03:35)
Continuity mistake: As they talk about Vivian and Carmen, Marlowe says, "both pretty, and both pretty wild" to Gen. Sternwood and sweat appears on Marlowe's entire shirt which was previously dry. (00:04:50)
Continuity mistake: There's a white cushion that Gen. Sternwood has for his back that is sticking out in some shots and then disappears later in the scene. (00:05:35)
Continuity mistake: When Marlowe walks over to the bar to get another drink the napkin on the liquor tray has been moved and is draped over the side of the tray differently even though no one went near it. (00:06:15)
Continuity mistake: While speaking to Gen. Sternwood Marlowe picks up the card that says, "Arthur Gwynn Geiger" and he holds it in the air. In the next close-up shot it's in the pile with the rest of the papers. (00:06:40)
Continuity mistake: The papers Marlowe is holding in the close-up are different than the pile of papers that Gen. Sternwood handed him. In the close-up all the papers are flat but in the long shot one is folded. (00:06:50)
Continuity mistake: The papers in Marlowe's hand are reversed between shots. At first the folded sheet is on the right then when Gen. Sternwood says, "If I did she'd just suck her thumb and look coy" the folded sheet is on the left. (00:07:10)
Continuity mistake: The top of the seltzer bottle on the liquor tray is facing away from Marlowe than in the next shot as he says, "but then she tried to sit in my lap when I was standing up" it's now facing towards him. (00:07:20)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe says, "Geiger says these are gambling debts?" and Gen. Sternwood goes from holding his left hand in his right to holding his right hand in his left between shots. (00:08:30)
Continuity mistake: Lauren Bacall asks, "How did you like dad?" and we see Marlowe standing by the liquor tray. The liquor on the tray has moved since she poured her drink, most noticeable is the top of the seltzer bottle that has rotated 45 degrees without anyone going near it. (00:10:00 - 00:11:15)
Continuity mistake: When Lauren Bacall first meets Marlowe she's pouring a drink and the level of the liquid in the glass goes above her left index finger. In the next shot she's still pouring the drink and the liquid goes above her left index finger a second time. (00:10:00)
Continuity mistake: When she first meets Marlowe, Lauren Bacall pours her drink and the flask on the liquor table moves to the left in front of the seltzer bottle between shots. (00:10:00)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe walks in on Lauren Bacall as she's pouring a drink, and she's standing to the left of the fireplace. In the next shot she's moved over about a foot to her right and is standing in front of the left side of the fireplace. (00:10:00)
Continuity mistake: When she first meets Marlowe, Lauren Bacall's hair is combed between shots as the left side is different in her close ups when she says to Marlowe, "I doubt if even that would help". (00:10:25)
Continuity mistake: As Lauren Bacall walks over to the window we see the sunlight coming directly in. Earlier in the scene when she was standing on the other side of the room the sunlight was coming in from a different direction shining on the opposite wall. (00:11:15)
