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Factual error: Sargent Nevins (Arthur Kennedy) is shown playing a pinball machine in the military rec room. When the camera turns to the play field of the machine, it is clear that this machine has flippers, and flipper buttons are visible on the side of the body. The movie takes place in 1943, but flippers didn't appear on pinball machines until 1947. (First machine to have flippers was Gottlieb's 'Humpty Dumpty.'. (00:37:30)

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Factual error: While Nate and his business associates are driving around in downtown Baltimore, the Key Bridge (which spans Baltimore harbor) is visible in the background. The movie was set in 1954; the Key Bridge was built in 1972, 18 years later. (01:33:55)

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Factual error: This mistake involves the scene with the "translating computer". This scene was actually filmed at the University of California's Engineering Lab, and the machine (called a differential analyzer) really was in use at that time. A photo of this exact machine can be seen in the November, 1951 issue of 'Radio and Television News' on page 70. Here's the mistake: In front of Dr. Marvin, is an X-Y plotter, used to plot graphs from the machine. When the camera zooms in on it, the camera now shows a pantograph, which is a mechanical device to duplicate drawings or sketches. Out of camera view, a crew member is writing the message, and the 'output' end of the pantograph is then shown doing the 'writing.' That machine (or any computer in the 50's) would be incapable of translating a foreign language, let alone an alien one. (01:00:55 - 01:01:30)

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Factual error: In one scene in the car (a 1957 Chevrolet), someone turns on the radio. The sound from the radio is heard immediately. This would only happen in a transistor radio. The radio in that year Chevy was a tube radio, and would need time to warm up before any sound was heard.

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Factual error: When Bobby and Klaatu are leaving the Lincoln Memorial, Klaatu asks Bobby where Professor Barnhardt lives. Bobby responds, "near where my Mom works, at the Department of Commerce." There is no residential neighborhood as depicted as the location of Barnhardt's house anywhere near the Department of Commerce. (00:32:05)

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Factual error: When Michael Rennie is standing in the shadows at the boarding house, Mrs. Crockett turns the TV off with the channel selector knob, instead of the on/off/volume knob. (00:24:20)

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