Goofs for
The Dirty Dozen (1967) More at IMDbPro »

• Continuity: During the "war games" sequence, some of the "Dozen" are shown to exchange their Blue Army armbands for the red ones worn by the opposing forces. But for the next few minutes of the film, they are still wearing their blue ones.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In the beginning when Major Reisman is being given his mission, one of the officers speaking to him wears the ribbon for the Army Commendation medal (green with white stripes). The scene is set in 1944, yet Congress did not institute this medal until 1945.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The C-47 Dakota aircraft used in the jump scenes at parachute school is marked with the American white star in a blue roundel. This national insignia was replaced on American aircraft by the more familiar white star and bars on 30 June 1943.
  
  

• Continuity: As Reisman, Bowren, Franko and Wladislaw retreat in the half-track, their weapons change from M3s to MP40s several times. Wladislaw picked up several MP40s but this doesn't explain why the guns change from shot to shot.
  
  
• Factual errors: The German soldier that shoots Franko is carrying an M3 submachine gun, which is an American weapon. Also, when he fires it, the sound effect matches that of the German MP40s not the American M3s.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: As the armored car is shown falling into the water at the end of the mission, some of the masonry falls away revealing the timber framing used to construct the bridge.
  
  
• Continuity: As the German guard walks away after having lit his cigarette off Pinkley's, Pinkley can be seen in the background coolly blowing smoke in the air and dropping the cigarette to his side. In the next shot, however, Pinkley is still staring dumbfounded at the guard with the cigarette held at chest height.
  
  
• Factual errors: After Sgt. Bowren dubs the "Dirty Dozen" with their titular nickname, he orders, "Dress right, dress." The men space off with left hand on belt and elbow extended to the side, which is "close interval dress". At the sergeant's order, they should have spaced off with the left arm extended at shoulder level.
  
  
• Continuity: When Kinder and Reisman sit down at the table to discuss the 12, a canteen appears which was not in the previous shot
  
  
• Factual errors: The 25-pounder howitzers used during the war games do not appear to recoil. They should in fact recoil the full length of the barrel.
  
  
• Continuity: Towards the end of the film, the Major is shot in the shoulder as he drives across the bridge. He immediately grabs the shoulder with his left hand in the wide shot. In the next close-up, that hand and forearm are covered in blood, but when the shot widens again there is no blood.
  
  
• Factual errors: Several times the characters fire their M3 Grease Guns with the dust cover closed. The dust cover doubled as the safety on those weapons and it would never fire with it closed.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The truck they are riding in while in town during the war games is an M-37 Dodge. This truck wasn't made until 1953, well after WWII.
  
  
• Continuity: As Wladislaw exits the room with the rope and hook, he drops the rope at his feet. In the next far shot, Wladislaw is holding the rope and again drops it at his feet before throwing the hook.
  
  
• Factual errors: Although US military personnel were executed on British soil during WW2, the hanging sequence in "The Dirty Dozen" shows US Military Policemen carrying out the execution. In reality, they were not legally allowed to do this. Instead, the hangings were carried out by British hangmen such as Albert Pierrepoint, with American personnel acting only as official witnesses.
  
  
• Factual errors: General Worden's barracks cap has gold braid on the visor, incorrect for the World War II period. Douglas MacArthur was the only U.S. Army general who wore a cap (of his own design) with unauthorized gold-braid on the visor during WWII.
  
  
• Factual errors: Although Major Reisman correctly wears an officer's overseas cap with the mixed black-and-gold braided trim on it in scenes in which he wears a dress uniform, he (incorrectly) wears an enlisted man's plain overseas cap in scenes in which he wears a fatigue, or field, uniform.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The hairstyles worn by the women in the film are 1967 hairstyles. The film is set in 1944.
  
  
• Continuity: When Franco drives off in the ambulance he is still wearing a blue armband. When he arrives at red army HQ he now wears a red armband.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The women in the "graduation ball" scene in the barracks are dressed in 60s style clothing and have 60s style hairstyles.
  
  
• Continuity: An airplane in the sky during the "fake General's inspection" scene disappears a frame later.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: Wires visible on a flare during the attack on the German compound.
  
  
• Continuity: Pinkley is on a ladder attaching electric wires when Maggot opens the door which is clearly on the hinges. A latter scene shows two of the prisoners trying to fit the door on its frame when they are called to muster. When they break for chow the door is leaning against the building but not in the door frame.
  
  
• Continuity: During the war games when General Warden's jeep passes Victor Franko's jeep, Franko says "Good afternoon, General". Shortly after that, the general arrives at Colonel Breed's Command post, Breed says "Good morning, General", and the general says "Good morning, Breed, morning". Is it in the morning or afternoon?
  
  
• Continuity: Just after Major Reisman fires into the ground of the camp with Colonel Breed's men holding the dozen, you see a close up of Lee Marvin (Reisman) still on the roof of the building. He orders the sergeant to get some "special help" to disarm Breed's men. As they do this, you see in the background Lee Marvin just hitting the ground as if he had already jumped down from the roof. The action continues and then you see him jump down again.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The ambulance in the movie is a M43 ambulance made during the Korean war and not WWII.
  
  

• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): SPOILER: After the girls are left alone to "get better acquainted" with the prisoners, the army psychiatrist asks Major Reisman "do you think these guys know tomorrow is Mother's Day?" Later on in the film, when General Denton (Robert Webber) is chewing out Major Riesman, he states that the girl party took place on the "evening of April 14-15". Mother's Day in America, as established by President Woodrow Wilson on May 9, 1914, takes place on the second Sunday in May; however, the training camp for the Dirty Dozen is located in England, and the English version of Mother's Day is scheduled differently. But even if the psychiatrist was referring to the English version of Mother's Day (called "Mothering Sunday" in Great Britain) he is still wrong, as Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. The English Mother's Day can therefore only take place at the earliest on 1 March (in years when Easter Day falls on 22 March) and at the latest on 4 April, nowhere near April 14-15, the date that the girl party took place.
  
  

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