Wardrobe Mistakes And Other Similar Gaffes In Hollywood Movies

TROY

This 2004 epic war drama that’s loosely based on Homer’s Illiad got nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design. So, what the hell is it doing in this list, you ask? Well, like we mentioned, Hollywood, to a huge degree, doesn’t always get it right. And Troy, despite the aforementioned Oscar nomination, made a few blunders here and there, particularly in its use of modern umbrellas for certain scenes.

For one scene, Orlando Bloom’s character Paris can be seen riding a frilly carriage while being sheltered from the sun with what seems to be a pink, modern, steel-ribbed umbrella. The problem, however, is that this particular umbrella design hadn’t been invented until 1852.

PULP FICTION

The fine acting and believable dialogue made this one of the best films that’s come out of the 90s. Hell, more than 25 years on, and it’s still regarded as one of the best movies ever made. This has probably given hefty cash to the actors participating on this project, giving them enough chance to avoid bankruptcy. So, while it gives us absolutely no pleasure to talk smack about this icon of cinema, the fact is that a few mistakes were made, and since this post is about movie mistakes, it’s only fair that we highlight one from Tarantino’s best.

In one of the film’s most recognizable scenes—you know, where Jules goes existential and recites Ezekiel 25:17—scrupulous viewers have noticed that the wall had already been peppered with bullet holes before any guns were even fired.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

This 1985 classic had many scenes that were, how shall we say, nowhere near believable. It’s a movie about a teenager who was able to travel back in time in a DeLorean, after all. But setting aside the implausibility of time travel because of all the concomitant paradoxes for a moment, one might be interested to know that there was another, lesser known mistake that only the guitar-obsessed fans of the show were able to notice.

When Marty was blowing everyone’s minds and splaying their bodies with electricity playing Johnny B. Goode, he was using a model of electric guitar (a Gibson ES-345, to be exact) that wasn’t introduced until 3 years after the film was set.

PRETTY WOMAN

This 1990 romantic comedy by Gerry Marshall was a huge success at the box office, establishing Julia Roberts as a leading lady and a true Hollywood A-lister. In all fairness she should be given credit for perfectly carrying this film, which was about a rich man who fell head-over-heels for a prostitute. It was a relatively tame rom-com, but there was one scene—when the beautiful couple first make love—where viewers caught a brief glimpse of Robert’s breasts.

Granted, it happened so quickly and was easy to miss. But those with superhuman vision and an inordinate amount of lust for Roberts would have definitely noticed it.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

This 1952 musical-comedy film is one of the few films on review-aggregator Rotten Tomatoes that has a score of 100%. This plus the fact that it’s been able to cop so many awards —- which is an enough that a lot of effort had been put into its production. Credits to the hardworking people behind it.

Of course, there is one thing viewers noticed that is keeping this film from being perfect; it is the fact that Kathy Selden, who was played by Debbie Reynolds, can be seen making fashion choices that would have only been possible during the fifties, given the clothing trends at the time, despite the fact that the film was set in the roaring twenties.

FORREST GUMP

This classic 1994 film—and the film Philadelphia, to a lesser degree—is what changed how people perceived Tom Hanks as an actor. Prior to Forrest Gump, he was always the comedian who can act. After playing the clean-cut man with an abysmally low IQ, however, he’s been regarded as one of the best thespians in Hollywood ever since.

The film was, needless to say close to perfect. But there was one glaring mistake; in the scene where Forrest is introduced to his son, an ironing board can be seen standing in the background. Moments later, it can be seen lying flat, with nobody around who could have possibly touched it in the few seconds between.

TITANIC

This 1997 film, which was loosely based on the sinking of a British passenger liner of the same name, is one of the biggest blockbusters in Hollywood history. Indeed, this ill-fated love story made so much money at the box office that, after more than 20 years, it’s still ranked as one of the highest grossing films of all time.

There were a handful of mistakes, but one of them in particular was so silly and egregious. When Rose was introduced to the audience, she had a beauty mark on her left cheek, but for each of her scenes thereafter, it appears on the opposite side. Who would have thought that a blockbuster movie who got huge credits and appreciation was actually this hilarious?

I DREAM OF JEANIE

This Fantasy sitcom about a 2,000-year old genie who falls in love with her astronaut master had Americans laughing during the sixties. Sure, it was a show that propagated all kinds of sexist stereotypes, but this was the sixties, when practically all sitcoms did that to one degree or another. Fans were quick to notice one memorable gaffe, however, during season five’s episode “My Sister, the Homemaker.”

They got a stand-in for Barbara Eden (Jeanie) so Jeanie can share the screen with her evil twin sister. The stand-in’s face, however, was captured by the camera by mistake, ruining the illusion for that brief moment.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

This 1958 epic drama film was produced and directed by Cecile B. DeMille, a man who is largely considered to be the founding father of American Cinema. Indeed, The Ten Commandments was DeMille’s most successful work. The film, however, was a conglomeration of errors and inaccuracies, the most egregious of which was how the characters were dressed. Too bad for the investors, there had probably been some problems with money management in this projet.

Nefretiri (played by Anne Baxter) for instance, can be briefly seen wearing a lacy bra, more than 3,000 years before they were invented. What’s more, all the characters had 1950s-style haircuts! Even the garments they wore were questionable.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Viewers don’t give extras much credit these days—or ever since the beginning of filmmaking, for that matter. But extras do have an important part to play, so when they screw it up, well, we get lists like this pointing out and laughing at the fact. Raiders of the Lost Ark, in particular, was a film that required many extras—it was set in the 1930s after all, so people walking in the background had to look the part.

For one scene, however, one incorrigible extra wore something that made him stick out like a sore thumb. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, something you won’t see people wearing around Egypt in the 1930s.