Duck Soup

Continuity mistake: In the gala scene, Zeppo explains that Groucho is always on time and will arrive at exactly ten o'clock. Everyone starts singing the first big musical number, "When the Clock on the Wall Strikes Ten." There is even a shot of a clock set to ten. In the middle of the song, the clock strikes... six.

Continuity mistake: At the gala scene at the beginning Groucho slides down wearing a black tuxedo. Not long afterwards he is suddenly wearing a gray suit jacket, and after his musical number it changes back to the black tuxedo.

Continuity mistake: During the first music number, Groucho stands between two guards with his hands at his sides. The shot backs up and Groucho's arms are linked with the guards'. Then, there is a close-up of the three and Groucho's arms are back at his sides.

Continuity mistake: Harpo Marx (made up like Groucho), breaks a huge mirror, with glass shards falling everywhere. This sets up the sequence where Harpo pretends to be Groucho's mirror image. The shards of glass have magically disappeared from the floor. The brothers are both in stocking feet-so their feet would have been cut up. It also would have been very noisy with the glass still on the floor. It's also interesting to note that the huge mirror has a room behind it - was it hanging in mid air?

Continuity mistake: When Mrs Teasdale meets Firefly for the first time, she holds Firefly's right hand while he is holding his cigar with his left hand. In the next shot, Firefly is now holding his cigar with his right hand and the deck of cards with his left one.

Continuity mistake: When Firefly asks Mrs Teasdale to pick a card, Firefly puts the deck of cards in his left trouser pocket, but when Mrs Teasdale introduces Firefly to Trentino, he takes out the deck from his right trouser pocket.

Continuity mistake: During the lemonade scene when the big man tells Chicolini to shut up, he is standing in front of him. When the shot changes he's 3 meters away standing against the lemonade stall.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: During the mirror scene, when Pinky and Chicolini are wearing the same sunhats, Pinky takes off his hat and places his arm by his side. However, when we see Pinky in the next shot, the sunhat has now changed into a top hat.

Continuity mistake: During the "Pop Goes the Weasel" dance number, Groucho ends playing the flute and stands meters away from an officer. There's an abrupt cut (during the lines "I will not stand for anything") and he is now suddenly next to him.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: During the sequence with Chico, Harpo and Edgar Kennedy by the lemonade stall, the cord that is hanging from the back of Kennedy's derby keeps disappearing and re-appearing between shots.

Continuity mistake: During the "Pop Goes the Weasel" dance number, Groucho's flute turns into a banner with a brass pole, which then disappears and is replaced by his trademark cigar. When he dances to a spot between the two uniformed "officers" for the finale, the cigar also disappears.

Jean G

Continuity mistake: In the gala scene, Zeppo explains that Groucho is always on time and will arrive at exactly ten o'clock. Everyone starts singing the first big musical number, "When the Clock on the Wall Strikes Ten." There is even a shot of a clock set to ten. In the middle of the song, the clock strikes... six.

More mistakes in Duck Soup

Rufus T. Firefly: Awfully decent of you to drop in today. Do you realise our army is facing disastrous defeat? What do you intend to do about it?
Chicolini: I've done it already.
Rufus T. Firefly: You've done what?
Chicolini: I've changed to the other side.
Rufus T. Firefly: So you're on the other side, eh? Well, what are you doing over here?
Chicolini: Well, the food is better over here.

More quotes from Duck Soup

Trivia: The mirror sequence was filmed in only two hours.

More trivia for Duck Soup

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