Goofs

As President Kennedy is riding through Dallas, each of the conspirators is watching the event on television. Although John F. Kennedy's arrival was covered by national television, the only television reporters with him were at the back of the motorcade or at the Dallas Trade Mart. Hence, they could not have witnessed the assassination as it happened.

President John F. Kennedy's "Report to the American People on Civil Rights" was broadcast nationally on television and radio on the evening of June 11, 1963; not on June 19 as the caption states in this film.

The window glass shown in the book depository 6th floor window is the type with chicken wire. The actual window had clear glass.

The newspapers being thrown by the paperboy have the infamous "Wanted for Treason" handbills that featured a simulated mugshot of President John F. Kennedy wrapped around them. The actual handbills were distributed by hand and had nothing to do with the newspapers.

Oswald's address on the envelope to the USSR Embassy in Washington, D.C. is incorrect. It should be 1125 16th St. NW at that time.

Farrington (Burt Lancaster) wears a mesh Clemson University cap in the film. In 1963 mesh caps had not been invented yet. Actually, the hat can be seen in a closeup when Farrington first sits down in the Mexican restaurant (Pepsi "It's got a lot to give" sign on the wall); it is not a mesh cap.

(at around 7 mins) When Farrington is lecturing about Presidential assassinations and attempts, he doesn't mention that Theodore Roosevelt was a former non-incumbent President, running for a second time (on the 'Bull Moose' party ticket) in the 1912 election. He also didn't state that Franklin D. Roosevelt was a President-elect at the time of his 1933 assassination attempt. (He was less than a month away from being inaugurated.) This is not a Goof as there was no need to give those very specific details; the individuals were, had been, or would be President of the United States. Farrington was simply describing the situation of the assassinations / attempted assassinations.

(at around 25 mins) A doctor's affidavit used to justify Lee Harvey Oswald's family hardship discharge from the Marines is shown. It states that Oswald's mother is being treated for acute nasopharyngitis and will be under treatment for about six months. The severity of the financial burden imposed by this illness is absurdly exaggerated, as is the illness's expected duration -- acute nasopharyngitis is commonly known as the common cold.

This is not a Goof. The affidavit simply adds to all the other questionable items presented about Lee Harvey Oswald, such as: "fellow Marines called him Oswaldovitch and Russki" (to which Robert Foster commented "In the Marine Corp? Not a chance. They're preparing a cover for him."), "confined 28 days at hard labor" (Foster says, "Only 28 days? They're not only giving him a cover, they're fixing him a phony."), and the most blatant - the doctor's affidavit, dated April 3, states he has been treating Oswald's mother since April 5 (i.e., two days into the future).

On the morning of 22 November 1963, a paperboy is throwing newspapers from his bike. He is wearing a Texas Rangers baseball cap. The Washington Senators did not move to Arlington, Texas and become the Rangers until 1972.

In the restaurant, a Pepsi clock is shown with the slogan "The Pepsi Generation", but in June of 1963 Pepsi's slogan was "Say Pepsi, Please... For Those Who Think Young." The "(Come Alive!) You're in Pepsi Generation" didn't begin until later that year.

Post-1963 cars can be seen in the background throughout the film.

Several of the male characters in the film have 1970s-style haircuts, facial hair, and sideburns which weren't in style in 1963.

The McIntosh stereo equipment built-in the office desk of Harold Ferguson and the hanging Bose 901 speakers in the office and dining room areas of the same mansion were models offered after 1967 and 1972, respectively. Only the McIntosh oscilloscope MI-3 at the far left side of the desk would have been available in 1963.

(at around 19 mins) Farrington goes into a Mexican restaurant, and the sound of a door closing is heard, but the door is still open a couple inches.

(at around 1h) Robert Foster and James Farrington are in a mirror filled room, going over their final approval of the plan. The cameraman shooting the scene is reflected in the center mirror panel.

In the Dealey Plaza scene dated November 12, 1963, cars are heading south on Houston St. At that time (and in John F. Kennedy's motorcade) Houston St. was one way northbound.

In Farrington's brief lecture about Presidential assassinations or attempts, he mentions the distance (in feet or inches) they were shot at. Historians have no way of knowing this, it's as if they're estimating.

(at around 29 mins) Farrington states that Oswald had distributed "Fair Play for Cuba" literature in Dallas. The historical record shows that Lee Harvey Oswald distributed leaflets for this organization in New Orleans. However, about 4 minutes later, Farrington runs a film for Foster that shows Oswald handing out leaflets and says, "Here our sponsor distributes Fair Play for Cuba leaflets on Canal Street in New Orleans." If Oswald did not in reality distribute literature in Dallas, that could be explained by the fact that, as stated at the beginning, "Although much of this film is fiction..." or it could be that Farrington (Burt Lancaster) misspoke.

The "A" team of shooters are shown practicing at a moving target in the desert in the summer of 1963. Only the team leader, the target puller, and one shooter are wearing hats, and no one appears to be packing more ammunition than what is already in their rifles. None, except *possibly* the target puller in his Jeep, has a canteen on him.

The "B" team are at least wearing hats and hunting jackets, possibly as part of their cover story (intended for anyone they encounter in the desert) as hunters as the team leader appears to acknowledge in the diner.