Continuity mistake: When Senator Geary talks to Michael in his Lake Tahoe office and the camera is on Michael there's an older couple (the woman is wearing a fur jacket) walking by outside. The camera cuts to Geary for a while, and when it cuts back to Michael the same couple is still walking by. (00:16:15)
Factual error: After the attempted murder of Frank Pentagalli takes place, as the shootout in the street continues a Mark II Jaguar is parked across the street. Not in 1958.
Visible crew/equipment: In the flashback scene shortly after young Vito has killed Fanucci and then joins his family on the front steps, a boom microphone is visible above and to the right of the steps.
Factual error: When Michael meets with Hyman Roth at his home in Florida the television is on and you can hear the announcer calling a USC/Notre Dame game. The meeting takes place in the late 1950's, but the announcer is Tom Kelly, a long time USC announcer who didn't start calling their games until the 1960's.
Suggested correction: The announcer calls out Don Buford and Luther Hayes. These players were on USC's roster together only in 1958. Therefore, the game must be the 1958 matchup that Notre Dame won 20-13. This is not a factual error.
The announcer has the voice of Tom Kelly, who did not announce USC games until the early '60's.
The point is that given the announcer heard is calling a real game from 1958, it's almost certainly the actual announcer from that game. There'd be no point in hiring Tom Kelly to call a fake game. The announcer must just sound like him, but be someone else. Tom Kelly isn't in the credits, which he would be if he was specifically cast in that role.
Continuity mistake: On the porch in one of the flashback scenes, young Vito is holding baby Michael. Behind them is a guy playing a Gibson-style flat-top guitar that hadn't been invented yet. (02:00:30)
Continuity mistake: When the talk between Senator Geary and Michael gets tense the water in Geary's glass doubles. (00:17:15)
Continuity mistake: When Vito's mother asks Don Ciccio to spare her son's life the Don's collar is folded narrow and close to his neck. When the camera cuts to a wide shot before he gets up the collar is wide and flat on his vest. (00:04:20)
Continuity mistake: When Michael tells Fredo that he doesn't want to see him again Fredo is lying shattered in his reclining chair with his arm hanging down. When the camera angle changes Fredo's arm is lying on the armrest. (00:24:45)
Other mistake: When Paolo is shot dead, there's blood dripping down the rocks he's lying on, but there shouldn't be. The rocks are under his shoulder, and he was shot in the back, and a little blood dripped out sideways. And there's no blood on his shirt where his body is touching the rocks.
Factual error: Corleone and Roth meet in Havana in Christmas 1958. The initial scene shows a panorama of a full street with people and American cars passing by. Among the cars we see a Jaguar Mk.2 in the opposite lane driving away. New Years day 1959 Batista flees the country and Fidel Castro takes over. The Jaguar Mk 2 wasn't introduced until late 1959.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the second part Michael returns to his wintry estate. When he enters the house a cigarette appears in his mouth. (00:01:05)
Factual error: When Fredo arrives at the hotel to meet Michael in Havana, the flag at the entrance is from the Dominican Republic, not Cuba.
Audio problem: When Fredo is wakened by a phone call from Johnny Ola, the audio doesn't match up with Fredo talking. You can see his mouth moving at times when nothing is said, and talking that doesn't match his mouth movement's. Any idea what the original lines were?
Other mistake: When Michael visits Pentangeli's house, Pentangeli closes the double door to the study. There is a dead bolt handle on the right hand door. There is no deadbolt coming out of the door side, nor a striker plate on the opposite door.
Factual error: When a rebel sets off a grenade killing himself and a captain, you can see some soldiers carrying FN FAL assault rifles. Batista's army didn't have those. They used M1 Garand carbines and rifles as main infantry personal weapons. Barista's armed forced used legitimately supplied US ordinance and they did not need or use black market European weapons.
Continuity mistake: When Fredo and Michael are talking at a Café, the red adjuster handle of the parasol is sometimes intact and sometimes it is broken. (01:28:10 - 01:31:10)
Other mistake: When Hyman Roth's assassin runs at the airport, he is turning around with one (of two) bullet holes already in his jacket before the sound of any gunfire. (03:10:50)
