The Dirty Dozen

Continuity mistake: When Charles Bronson steps out on the balcony of the nazi villa a second time (after having to hide), he drops his rope (to get on the roof), and when we see him from another angle, he drops it again.

Continuity mistake: In the wargames scene, right after the group comes down the hill with the live artillery fire, they change arm bands from blue to red. In the next scene when they pick up the stolen jeep, everyone is wearing blue arm bands again (when they went over the hill, they were in red territory so would not have changed back to blue while walking to meet the jeep). Then when they crash the jeep, they are back in the red arm bands for the remainder of the scene.

Steven Hart

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Suggested correction: The road they were on was not in red territory, which is why everyone in the jeep was also in blue. That's why Joseph was asked what he was doing on the road and the doctor in the ambulance said he had permission to cross all lines and roadblocks.

Bishop73

Continuity mistake: As the Dirty Dozen ready for the wargames, they are in a truck passing and saluting a line of American light tanks in closeup. Immediately after turning left into a circular driveway and stopping, in a long shot the tanks have quickly turned into a long line of Army trucks. There was no time for the tank convoy to drive off and have a convoy of trucks enter the scene.

Continuity mistake: When Lee Marvin first meets the dirty dozen, Charles Bronsons'character is introduced as Wladislaw, T. Later he is called Joseph during training.

Continuity mistake: Lee Marvin is shot in the right shoulder while driving the halftrack away from the bombed Nazi Villa. He places his left hand over the wound which becomes almost totally covered in blood. The camera pans off the truck and then back, and his left hand, still over the wound, is clean.

Continuity mistake: When the four remaining guys finally cross over the bridge in the half-track, John Cassavetes gets shot dead by a Nazi soldier. The next shot shows the vehicle just crossing over the bridge again.

Continuity mistake: When Waterslaw and Jefferson each shoot a soldier through a window, no glass seems to break until we see each soldier fall out through the glass.

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Suggested correction: Windows weren't then made of safety glass which shatters on impact. Plain old tempered glass doesn't shatter unless something heavy goes through it and definitely not with only 1 or 2 bullet holes.

stiiggy

Continuity mistake: At the parachute training school,the dirty dozen have fairly thick beards. Later when Col. Breed pays a visit to their camp, their beards are just stubble.

Continuity mistake: When Lee Marvin enters John Cassavete's cell, we see them from ceiling angle. During this scene we also see that the guard is closing the door behind Marvin. The next shot is taken in the cell with the camera pointing at Marvin. Here the guard has not yet closed the door.

Continuity mistake: Outside the chateau Donald Sutherland is met by the German soldier who uses his cigarette to lite his own. The German soldier is then shown walking away with the camera facing him and Sutherland exhaling smoke. The next immediate cut shows a front shot of Sutherland but he's not exhaling smoke. (02:00:00 - 02:05:00)

Japan-Games

Continuity mistake: Near the end, when everyone is getting ready to escape in the German halftrack, the Major notices that the vehicle is attached to an artillery gun. He looks back over his left shoulder but in the next shot, a split second later, he looks over his right.

Continuity mistake: Towards the end Reisman gets shot in his right shoulder, which bleeds. The blood disappears between shots.

oswal13

Continuity mistake: Sgt. Bowren's right hand moves to his holstered pistol as Maj. Reisman and Posey begin their close combat knife training. The next long shot of Posey, Reisman and Bowren shows Bowren reaching for his pistol again.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: Pinkley waits outside the chateau by the kubelwagen with his hands behind his back, approaches the driver's side and places his right hand on the door. The long shot shows him repeat the movement.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: At the very end, Jefferson is shot after dropping grenades into the vent pipes. He lands face down with his right arm bent and his right hand right next to his helmet. The camera cuts to those left on the truck. When it shows Jefferson again, his hand is now about a foot away from his helmet.

mrfrede

Factual error: During the war games they have Jefferson pose as a major in order to facilitate the commandeering of the ambulance and the jeep. Regardless of their personal feelings in the matter the ambulance crew and the driver and troops in the jeep would be perfectly aware that no black man would ever be promoted to a position of authority in an otherwise all white command. We may find it repugnant today but the US Army was rigidly segregated during World War 2 - and it stayed that way until 1948. Jefferson may have been inducted into a special unit like the Dirty Dozen but considering that the future of the entire mission is riding on their success at the games, throwing it all away like that makes no sense at all.

More mistakes in The Dirty Dozen

Samson Posey: I reckon the folks'd be a sight happier if I died like a soldier. Can't say I would.

More quotes from The Dirty Dozen

Trivia: Notice how the only survivor (Bronson) isn't a "real" Criminal (rapist, murderer etc) but shot a soldier running off with the unit's medical supplies. The Hollywood Code of the time couldn't show criminals "getting away with it."

More trivia for The Dirty Dozen

Question: What are the small tubes that are collected in Colonel Breed's H.Q.? General Warden seems to figure out what they are.

Answer: Detonators (for setting off explosives).

More questions & answers from The Dirty Dozen

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