Continuity mistake: As they go into his office Marlowe opens the front door for Lauren Bacall. In the next shot a shadow appears on the door where there wasn't one before. (00:32:35)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe walks into Geiger's store for the second time, one day has gone by but the cars outside the office are the same and haven't moved an inch. (00:37:45)
Continuity mistake: As Carmen and Marlowe speak to each other in his apartment the lamp on the table against the wall on her left rotates between shots and is moved closer to the candle holder next to it. (01:17:10 - 01:18:15)
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 Philip Marlow goes back to his apartment the camera zooms in on the card with his name and profession on the door right below the apartment number, yet when he opens the door when Vivian comes, the card is missing.
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars pours Marlowe a drink and he puts the bottle down dead center on a tray on top of the liquor cabinet. He doesn't go near the bottle but later when we see it again it's right of the center of the cabinet, and in the last shot of it it's to the left of the center of the cabinet. (01:08:20 - 01:09:15)
Continuity mistake: As Marlowe sits down Dist. Atty. White is playing with a back scratcher and his left hand is closed around the end of it. In the next shot his left thumb is sticking straight up in the air touching the tip of the back scratcher (1945 Version on DVD). (01:02:35)
Continuity mistake: Eddie Mars is shot several times as he runs outside the house but when he falls back threw the door there are no bullet holes or blood on his jacket. (01:51:40)
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: As she sits on his desk Lauren Bacall says to Marlowe, "Well you better look at this" as she hands him a packet of photos. In the next shot as he holds them, the flap sticking out of the packet is reversed. (00:33:20)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe puts Carmen Sternwood to bed and the folds in the curtains behind the left of her head board move and are arranged differently between shots. (00:25:50)
Continuity mistake: After Canino knocks him out, Mona Mars is there with a glass of water when Marlowe wakes up. If you look behind them on the table to the right of the lamp, there's a small cardholder. No one goes near it but several shots later when Lauren Bacal walks over to sit with them, the card holder moves about a foot to the right. (01:36:55)
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: In Geiger's house when Marlowe finds the hidden camera, we see a vase on the left of the fireplace and it's shadow falls directly behind it. Marlowe doesn't touch any light switches but later in the scene the lighting has changed and the shadow of the vase is now falling to the right of it. (00:22:45 - 00:23:35)
Continuity mistake: The shades on the window that Marlowe kicks open to enter Geiger's house are a little less than one foot apart as he puts Carmen Sternwood onto the sofa. The next time we see them they're wide open even though no one has gone near them. (00:23:40)
Continuity mistake: Marlowe talks to Norris the Sternwood's butler at the front door and as he gets ready to leave he turns up his collar. In the next shot he turns up his collar again as he walks away (1945 Version on DVD). (00:27:45)
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: The next morning after going to Lido Pier, Marlowe walks into the waiting room of his office and Lauren Bacall is sitting there reading a magazine as she waits for him. The lighting on her changes and the picture on the wall behind her head is lowered about six inches between shots. (00:32:20)
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: Lash Canino leaves after he kills Harry Jones and Marlowe runs to the door after him. At first he has both hands on the door but in the next shot his left hand is on the sofa. (01:32:10)
