10 of Hollywood’s biggest on-screen mistakes
Many see Hollywood as the gold standard of moviemaking, and who can blame them? The American factory of feature films has churned out countless classics throughout the years, from Jaws and Star Wars throughout the 1970s to modern-day box office behemoths such as Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick.
Still, despite its grandeur, Hollywood is capable of making mistakes too, with multiple filmmakers throughout the years accidentally letting mistakes slip through the cracks and into the final edit. These mistakes aren’t restricted to amateur directors either, with the greatest filmmakers of all time being guilty of silly errors, with even the perfectionist Stanley Kubrick slipping up during the making of Fear and Desire in 1952.
With directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas, Mel Gibson, Ridley Scott and Michael Bay present on our list of ten of the biggest of Hollywood’s on-screen mistakes, we’ve proven that even masters of cinema can falter.
Take a look at our full list of films and mistakes below.
10 of Hollywood’s biggest on-screen mistakes
11th-century car – Braveheart (Mel Gibson, 1995)
Mel Gibson’s Braveheart might be a film about William Wallace, the Scottish warrior who led his country to freedom from King Edward I of England, but any self-respecting Scot will say that it’s a pretty rubbish representation of the country. If you’re after a proper Scottish film, check out the movies of Lynne Ramsay. Regardless, plenty of people loved Braveheart, with the movie winning five Oscars in 1996, including ‘Best Picture’.
This didn’t stop Mel Gibson from leaving a pretty obvious mistake in the movie, however, with a car being plainly obvious to see in the bottom left corner of one of the key battle scenes.
Clumsy Stormtrooper – Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)
The clumsy Stormtrooper who mistakenly hits his head during the ending of George Lucas’ beloved blockbuster Star Wars is recognised as one of the most iconic movie mistakes of all time. Ever since, the moment has been paused and rewound by countless fans of the sci-fi classic, becoming a beloved moment of the movie and an example of the film’s handmade quality, even if the mistake was unintentional.
Stormtroopers, in general, have become iconic in the franchise, allowing cameos for the likes of Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, Ed Sheeran, Jaime Oliver, and Stephen Colbert.
Expecting the inevitable – North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959)
Child actors are notoriously difficult to work with, and this was proven during the making of Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-nominated classic North by Northwest. Starring Cary Grant, the 1959 action drama tells the story of a New York City advertising executive who is forced to go on the run after being mistaken for a government agent. Towards the end of the movie, things take a twist, resulting in the protagonist taking a gunshot wound in a diner.
In the background of this tense moment, a young boy can be seen plugging his ears with his fingers, clearly expecting the sound of the gunshot to come, ruining the surprise for many first-time viewers.
Fake Baby – American Sniper (Clint Eastwood, 2014)
If children are difficult to work with, babies are another story entirely. Rightfully requiring an abundance of paperwork and legal requirements, having babies on set can be a nuisance for the production team, forcing many to simply resort to using other more DIY means. In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, director Bill Condon resorts to using some awful-looking CGI, but Clint Eastwood produces something far worse in 2014’s American Sniper.
Not wanting to have a real baby on set, in the Oscar-winning movie Bradley Cooper cradles what is obviously a plastic baby doll towards the end of the film, spoiling the scene entirely.
Gas-powered chariot – Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000)
When gladiator battles took place in 264 B.C., chariots were pulled by horses, as they are today, when they are rarely used for anything other than eccentric displays. But, if you watch Ridley Scott’s ‘Best Picture’ winner Gladiator from 2000, you’ll see a gas cylinder in the back of one of the chariots. Whilst it may appear like it may be used to help pull the chariot, our guess is that the gas helped the vehicle to topple over.
This isn’t the only mistake in Gladiator either, with the movie being riddled with mistakes throughout, including several continuity errors and multiple production members who can’t keep out of the frame.
Mysterious bullet holes – Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
By the mid-1990s, Quentin Tarantino had established himself as one of American cinema’s most prominent directors and a champion of independent filmmaking. After releasing his critically-acclaimed debut Reservoir Dogs, he upped the stakes for his next film, Pulp Fiction, using a star-studded ensemble cast to create a humorous crime drama.
Tarantino’s sophomore feature is regarded as one of his best, partly due to the incredible performances given by the film’s main cast, including Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta. In one iconic scene, the hitmen visit an apartment where their targets attempt to shoot them down. Yet, when they arrive, multiple bullet holes are visible in the wall before being shot at. Evidently, even someone as obsessive as Tarantino is prone to making a rather obvious blunder.
Pancake or croissant – Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall, 1990)
When Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman was released in 1990, it swiftly became one of the highest-grossing films of all time behind E.T., Star Wars and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The romantic comedy launched Julia Roberts to stardom, winning a Golden Globe for her role as the prostitute Vivian Ward. Richard Gere starred as her love interest Edward Lewis, with whom she is hired to accompany for the week.
Despite the film’s immense success, grossing $463.4million worldwide during its release, one mistake has bothered fans for decades. While eating breakfast, Vivian chews on a croissant which mysteriously turns into a half-eaten pancake following one short clip of Edward. Moreover, Edward unfolds his newspaper in a wide shot before repeating the same action a few seconds later.
The rubbish henchman – The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan, 2012)
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises marked the end of the director’s Dark Knight trilogy, earning the title of the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time upon its release. Led by an impressive cast, including Christian Bale, Garry Oldman and Michael Caine, Nolan’s 2012 feature was highly praised. Yet that doesn’t mean that the filmmaker made a flawless movie.
In one fight scene, one of Bane’s henchmen, played by John Nania, can be seen falling to the ground as if he has been pushed, yet no one touches him. It turns out Nania was instructed to do so because a flying bullet would be edited in, as signalled by the gun that drops near him after he falls. Yet, it appears the special effects were forgotten, leaving Nania to fall for no reason.
Sweeping the air – Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster, 2008)
In 2008, the twenty-eighth instalment in the James Bond franchise was released – Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig returned for his second of five appearances as the 007 agent, starring alongside Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton and Mathieu Amalric. It remains the fourth highest-grossing Bond film ever, although it received mixed reviews from critics.
Fans spotted a funny mistake in the background of one scene, which focuses on Bond atop his motorcycle. In the background, a workman can be seen sweeping the pavement – yet, his broom never touches the ground. Instead, he sweeps the air, perhaps to reduce noise and to prevent dust from flying into the scene. Regardless, it’s surprising that such an obvious error made it into the sequence.
Visible camera operator – Bad Boys (Rick Rosenthal, 1983)
A young Sean Penn starred alongside Esai Morales in Rick Rosenthal’s crime drama Bad Boys, in 1983, set in a juvenile detention centre. The film received mixed reviews, with most critics agreeing that the brilliance of the cast’s performances, particularly that of future Oscar winner Penn, kept the movie afloat.
Somehow, Bad Boys contains one of the most blindingly stupid mistakes in cinema history, although the intense brawl in the middle of the scene managed to conceal the flaw from many audience members, and evidently the editors, too. At the front of the crowd of boys is a massive camera setup and operator shooting the scene from another angle. How the blunder made the final cut is rather astounding.
