Goofs for
Down Periscope (1996) More at IMDbPro »

• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The helicopter used to transport Admiral Grant around has an emblem on it that some misinterpreted as an Air Force emblem, when in fact it is used by all services.
  
  
• Continuity: A can of lard in the background of the galley scene with Pascal and Buckman rights itself.
  
  
• Continuity: When Cmdr. Dodge looks through the periscope before surfacing for the final attack, he says that the low clouds will hide them from aircraft. But once they surface, all the action takes place under clear blue skies.
  
  

• Errors in geography: When attacking Norfolk, Virginia, mountains can clearly be seen in the background. This region of Virginia has no visible mountains. As seen in the Filming Locations these hills are in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  
  
• Continuity: Near the end of movie, the Stingray is on the surface and racing toward the dummy target ship with the Orlando in close pursuit. But when the Stingray's captain fires his two torpedoes, the Stingray is submerged.
  
  
• Continuity: There is an additional officer shown in the "walk the plank" scene.
  
  
• Continuity: When Cmdr. Dodge sends Jackson up the periscope to mount the drop light, the roll of duct tape is in Dodge's hand when Jackson is climbing, yet in the next view Jackson has the tape.
  
  
• Continuity: During the chase at the end of the movie, people and flags in the deck of the Orlando disappear and reappear between shots.
  
  
• Continuity: The hatch through which the admiral enters the Orlando isn't closed before they submerge.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Capt. Dodge says "That's the Army song" his mouth stays closed.
  
  
• Boom mic visible: When Capt. Dodge returns to his cabin and says, "Live to fight another day," after the sub has bottomed, a microphone is visible moving near his knee.
  
  
• Miscellaneous: The captain's name is Tom Dodge, as heard in the movie and in the final credits. On the cover for the VHS and DVD, however, he is referred to as John Dodge.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: During the initial dive of the SS-161 Stingray, the sub is tilted due to a air pocket. When viewing cast during this scene, some are angled the same as the ship, indication that the only thing tilted was the camera.
  
  
• Continuity: When the Stingray is shown moving under the SS Denali the stand for the bow running lights, which should only be used when the sub is surfaced, is clearly visible. But when the Stingray surfaces for its torpedo run it shows no stand.
  
  
• Continuity: The sonar screen shown as the Stingray begins its torpedo run shows the same 'picture' as it does when the blockading vessels begin pinging before the Stingray hides under the Denali, even though the Dodge states that they are past all the ships and only the Orlando was near.
  
  
• Factual errors: During the chase leading to the Stingray firing its torpedoes, the Orlando follows the Stingray to the surface. An LA class submarine would not surface in those conditions. The sub is faster and its sonar detection gear works much better submerged. Surfacing would actually make the Orlando's job more difficult.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: During the surface chase at the end of the run, water spray from the helicopter being used as camera platform can be seen blowing over both submarines.
  
  
• Factual errors: The MV Denali, the tanker the Stingray uses to sneak into Norfolk toward the end of the film, only has one propeller. The underwater shots of the Stingray's approach show it with two.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At the end of the movie, Jackson is seen in formation with hair growth on his chin. Since it was shaved throughout the movie, he obviously did not have a "no shave" chit (as offered by the Navy for some medical reasons). Therefore, this growth would have been unauthorized.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Pascoe says, "Prepare to dive," his mouth doesn't match the words.
  
  
• Continuity: When the Orlando surfaces during the final chase you see the dive planes on the tower, as they are on the older LA class subs. However, in the other shots the planes are on the front of the ship, as with newer LA class subs. In real life the USS Orlando is of the new configuration.
  
  
• Continuity: When the Stingray is taken for its dive test, the tube ready board shows tubes 1 and 2 ready to fire. The tubes are not loaded until the end of the movie.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: During the final chase, the Stingray is moving very quickly to try and stay ahead of the Orlando. In the view through the periscope, the Stingray is obviously not moving.
  
  
• Factual errors: RAdm. Yancy Graham says, "He's gone AWOL with U.S. government property". AWOL, Absent With Out Leave is Army terminology. The Naval term is UA, which is Unauthorized Absence.
  
  
• Continuity: Sylvesterson was the first sailor picked to board the boat, but when Sylvesterson walks up the plank when boarding the boat, RJ Jackson is seen walking behind Dodge, not Sylvesterson. Where did RJ Jackson come from?
  
  
• Continuity: When Lt Lake reports aboard, she informs Captain Dodge that she is the trial project for women on submarines, yet she is already wearing the dolphins, which means she has already qualified in submarines.
  
  
• Errors in geography: The golf course at the Naval Submarine Base of Groton, CT is north, or past, the sub base when coming in from Long Island Sound. The USS Orlando would have to have gone past the base and turned around in the narrow Thames River in order for the boat to be facing south and Lt. Cmdr. to take his golf shot aft of the sail. Also, he would have been facing east, compass bearing 090, not south with a bearing of 180 when looking at the golf course from the river.
  
  
• Anachronisms: Throughout the movie enlisted personnel are addressed as "Mister". This form of address is only used for commissioned officers of the rank of Lieutenant and below, and warrant officers. Enlisted persons are addressed by their last name.
  
  
• Factual errors: When the 'Stingray' passes between the two propellers of the tanker in its attempt to sneak into Norfolk, the propellers are shown to be at a level approximately half-way down the hull of the 'Stingray'. However, the 'Stingray' was said to be a WWII-vintage 'Balao'-class submarine and the distance from bottom of keel to top of the conning tower was something like 60 feet. This would mean that the propellers were suspended at least thirty feet below the hull of the tanker, which is completely contrary to modern ship design.
  
  
• Factual errors: Both the SS-number and the name are inaccurate for this design of submarine. The true SS-161 was a 4th-group 'S'-class boat (originally numbered as the 'S-50') built in 1920-21, and had been scrapped by 1932. The true 'USS Stingray' was a 'Salmon'-class submarine with the number SS-186. It was constructed in 1937-38, served and survived WWII, and was scrapped in 1946.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In one of the scenes, the Executive Officer calls LCDR Dodge "Commander". This would probably not have been, as LCDR Dodge was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the Boat, his correct title would have been "Skipper" or "Captain". In fact, not addressing the CO by "Skipper" or "Captain" can be found insulting or disrespectful by the CO.
  
  

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