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: 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: 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: In the restaurant Lauren Bacall pays Marlowe and says, "I hope this is satisfactory". When she hands him the check she's holding it from the edge but in the next shot she's holding it from the bottom and he's holding it from the edge. (01:02:10)
Continuity mistake: In the DA's office Marlowe says to Capt. Cronjager, " That's all, I was in a tough spot, I was probably wrong but I wanted to protect my client" and Marlowe's hat is on the DA's desk right next to his left arm. In the next shot an ash tray with a smoldering cigarette is next to his left arm (1945 Version on DVD). (01:04:45)
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)
Continuity mistake: After taking Carmen Sternwood to her bedroom, Norris the Sternwood's butler helps Marlowe put on his over coat as he prepares to leave. Marlowe wasn't wearing it when he came into the house though and there's no indication that he had it in Carmen's car because when they left Arthur Gwynn Geiger's house he didn't have it on. (00:27:15)
Continuity mistake: Before Marlowe throws Carmen Sternwood onto Arthur Gwynn Geiger's sofa we see a close-up of his coat which is wet from the rain. Two shots later he takes out the camera hidden in the hollow sculpture and his coat is dry. (00:23:15)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe goes into Geiger's house again to snoop around and he finds that Geiger's dead body has been removed. As he stands over the spot where the body was his shadow falls right on the bloodspot. In the next shot of him kneeling down and touching the blood stained carpet there's no shadow. (00:28:00)
Continuity mistake: In the Acme Book Shop, Marlowe says to Dorothy Malone, "I got my carÂ…" and her hands go from being at her sides to out in front of her playing with the pencil between shots. (00:17:10)
Continuity mistake: After Eddie Mars falls back threw the door bullet holes are sprayed across Geiger's door. A few seconds later Marlowe kicks the door shut and the bullet holes are not in the same place on the back of the door as they were before. (01:51:55)
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: Dist. Atty. White says to Marlowe, "And outside of Taylor, Lundgren and Brody, no one else knew about the Geiger killing?". A black appointment book on the middle of the DA's desk disappears between shots (1945 Version on DVD). (01:04:35)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe goes threw Arthur Gwynn Geiger's strong box, the horse on his desk moves closer to the phone between shots. (00:24:40)
Continuity mistake: To get his car, Marlowe walks back to Arthur Gwynn Geiger's house after bringing Carmen Sternwood home. No one has touched it but his car has moved closer to the for sale sign on the house across the street from Geiger's, where he parked it before. (00:19:35 - 00:27:20)
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: Marlowe follows Agnes Lowzier's tip and drives out to Art Huck's garage and he pulls over to the side of the road in front of a sign that says, "Realito 7 miles". At first the sign is in the dark but in the next shot his headlights light it up. (01:33:15)
Continuity mistake: The hostess is standing at the door to Eddie Mars' room. In the next shot as Marlowe walks in she's leaning against the door frame. (01:07:50)
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: 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)
