Continuity mistake: In the opening scene, Gunnery Sgt. Hartman is making his speech and passes by Privates Cowboy and Joker on his way to the other side of the barracks. On his way he passes Private Pyle standing to the right of Private Joker. Later in the scene, when he rushes over to confront Private Joker and then moves on to Private Cowboy and then Private Pyle, Private Pyle is on the left of Private Joker. (00:02:00)
Continuity mistake: When Hartman is messing with Snowball, Joker quotes John Wayne. Hartman seeks out who said something. He grabs Cowboy by the blouse and pulls it upwards forcefully while questioning if he made the joke. Then Joker admits to making the joke. Hartman moves over to Joker, but you can see Cowboy's blouse is now bunched up at the top and no longer properly tucked in. After Hartman reprimands Joker, he moves back to Cowboy. Cowboy's blouse looks as if was never touched by Hartman. (00:03:40 - 00:04:40)
Continuity mistake: During the drill scene when Sgt. Hartman is asking Private Pyle if he knows the difference between his left and his right, watch the positioning of Pvt Pyle's cap. After being struck the first time, the cap is slightly cocked. After the shot returns to Pyle and before he gets struck for the second time, the cap is cocked further over. (00:09:14)
Character mistake: When the Marines are navigating through the Paris Island obstacle course, Hartman is shouting "It should take you no less than 10 seconds to negotiate this obstacle!" In other words, the LONGER it takes someone to get across, the better? (00:13:27)
Continuity mistake: When Pyle is trying to do a pull-up, in the longer shot his T-shirt is tucked into his trousers. In the close-up shot, though, his shirt has ridden up and is showing his belly. (00:14:50)
Revealing mistake: When the Marines are jogging through the training camp complex, singing "I don't know but I've been told..." you can see the British road junction markings on the tarmac underneath them. There is little evidence to suggest that there was any attempt to disguise or remove them. (00:22:00)
Factual error: The flashlight that Pvt. Joker is using on his last night of basic training is a "Mag Light" that wasn't invented until approx. 6 years later. And the "yield" traffic sign the platoon is jogging past is of the style that didn't come into existence until approx. 1973-74, (i.e. red and white). In the 1960's the sign would have been yellow with black letters. (00:22:40)
Continuity mistake: Just before the jelly doughnut scene, as Hartman is walking up the aisle, he is in front of Joker's locker, about to reach Pyle's locker. A moment later he comes to Joker's locker, before he gets to Pyle's. (00:23:00)
Continuity mistake: When Hartman is showing the doughnut to the Privates, it changes looks depending on the shot: smooth and sugar coated, or wrinkled with barely any sugar. (00:24:00)
Continuity mistake: When D.I. Hartman dumps the contents of Private Pyle's footlocker on the floor, in the next few shots the layout of the clutter on the floor changes. Note that after Hartman confronts Pyle with the jelly doughnut and turns away, there is a clear path through the clutter for Hartman that disappears in subsequent shots. (00:25:35)
Continuity mistake: During the "blanket party" scene, Pyle appears to be sleeping on two (wrinkled) pillows. When Cowboy covers his mouth Pyle is sleeping on one very neat pillow. (00:28:39)
Continuity mistake: As the men get out of bed to attack Pyle, a close-up of Cowboy shows him looking to Snowball. Both are in bottom bunks. Between them we see a pair of legs lower and hang from a top bunk. The shot changes to a more distant angle and the legs repeat the motion. (00:28:50)
Visible crew/equipment: When all the recruits hit Gomer Pyle with soaps while he's on the bed at night, the shadow of the camera can be seen on the left side of the screen projected on the recruits while they walk around the bunk bed. (00:29:19)
Character mistake: When Sgt Hartman is giving the lesson about Charles Whitman, he says that he killed 12 people - in reality he killed 17. (00:30:00)
Continuity mistake: Gunnery Sergeant Hartman addresses the platoon seated on bleachers, and Hartman asks if they know the name Charles Whitman. In the long shot, when Pvt Cowboy raises his hand, there are two recruits seated to Cowboy's right, at the end of the bleacher. It then cuts to a closer shot as Cowboy lowers his hand and stands up, and now there are three recruits to Cowboy's right - Pvt Joker and two other recruits. (00:30:55)
Continuity mistake: Pvt. Pyle is on the rifle range with Gunnery Sergeant Hartman right behind him. When filmed from Pyle's right side, he is wearing a white wrist wrap/brace but the shot moves behind him and it is gone. Back to the right side and it reappears. (00:35:50)
Continuity mistake: When Gomer Pyle is in the toilet with his rifle and after shooting the drill instructor, Pyle sits down on the fourth toilet seat from the back of the room. In the next shot where Pyle kills himself, he is sitting on the third toilet seat. You can see this already from the front shot of Pyle when he kills himself because there is a rise in the wall next to the third seat, which is visible through the whole scene. It is more obvious in the following shot where you can see the row of toilet seats and Pyle sitting dead on the third one. (00:43:00 - 00:43:35)
Factual error: When Pvt. Pyle commits suicide, he shoots himself through the skull at point-blank range with the tile wall of the bathroom only inches from the back of his head. The wall becomes splattered with blood and brain tissue but no hole in the wall is visible. Both the shot through Hartmann and the one through Pyle would have punched through the bathroom walls and quite possibly caused injury or death to anyone on the other side. (00:44:09)
Suggested correction: Not if the walls were made of bricks.
Continuity mistake: In the first Vietnam scene, while Joker is sitting having a drink, the same cars keep driving round and around behind. (00:46:04)
Factual error: In 1968 the USMC were still using the Sikorsky UH34/S58 helicopter (powered by a piston engine) but the helicopter seen in the film is the British version of the same aircraft, the Westland Wessex - gas turbine powered, it has a quite different nose shape from the original American version. (00:47:47)
