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Anachronisms
When Andy turns AWOL and Huxley visits Pat's apartment, a picture of the Sovereign can be seen on the wall. Only, it's not George VI, but a young Queen Elizabeth, crown and all.
When Danny (Tab Hunter) are in Mrs. Yarborough's (Dorothy Malone) apartment she is obviously wearing a "style of the 40's" bra, but when she goes into her room to change to go swimming and takes off her red sweater there is no sign of any bra, or any other undergarment.
When the unit arrives at Guadalcanal, as they march off some of the men in the first group have wet trousers from the landing on the beach, but the men in the second group have completely dry trousers.
While Danny talks to Elaine at her apartment his shirt is alternately buttoned/unbuttoned between shots.
Several scenes show African Americans in a predominantly white unit. The armed forces were racially segregated in WWII.
A lone Japanese fighter drops 2 bombs from under the planes wings but there are 9 explosions.
When the unit first comes under enemy air attack, the path of explosions on the ground take a sharp turn from the left to follow the men along the road. It is physically impossible for any plane to turn sharply enough to leave that sharp a pattern on the ground
Andy chops down a tree about 1:20 into the film with an axe. When the tree falls you can clearly see from the stump the tree was sawed, not chopped.
When Colonel Huxley goes to ask General Snipe for a beach head he is not wearing a tie clip. He should be wearing one.
When Andy Hookins chops down the tree in front of Pat's house, he visibly "chops" it with an axe, but when the tree falls the camera pulls back to show the tree falling from a perfectly smooth stump, obviously cut with a chainsaw.
Night time scene in Wellington was filmed using a filter to darken the scene. When Andy left Pat's parent's farm it was night. The night sky was blue, the fields were green with great detail and dirt was brown. But at night the sky is black while the details of grass fades into the shadows and darkness of night.
During the battle scenes on Saipan, the Japanese are shown using American-made M4-A3 Sherman tanks, albeit with Japanese markings.
The Japanese are seen using several Amercian M116 howitzer artillery pieces, and at least one M101 howitzer as well.
Although the story takes place in 1942, all of the women's clothing and hairstyles, particularly those of Nancy Olson, Dorothy Malone and Mona Freeman, are strictly 1954; the sole exception is Anne Francis, whose appearance does actually imply the correct era at least to some extent.
There are several shots at MCRD (San Diego), and of the battalion marching with African-American Marines in the ranks. In 1942 and 1943, integrated units did not exist. It wasn't until 1948 that President Truman signed an Executive Order to investigate full integration of the armed forces.
When the marines arrive in New Zealand they are seen marching away from the transports that brought them. The ship to the right is marked APA-208 which would make her the U.S.S. Talladega. The Talladega wasn't commissioned until 31 October 1944, two years after Guadalcanal.
The trucks transporting the Marines, first seen arriving at "Camp Elliott" are M34s that were first produced in 1950.
At the company dance (during WW2, c. 1943), the song "Put 'Em in a Box, Tie 'Em with a Ribbon, and Throw 'Em in the Deep Blue Sea" is played by the band. This song wasn't published until 1947.
During the Boot Camp graduation parade, the music starts playing before the band has raised their instruments.
Marines East of the Mississippi go to Parris Island for boot camp, not San Diego.
Mrs. Pat Rogers speaks with an American accent even though she's from New Zealand.