Continuity mistake: In the scene where the group is climbing the cliff, even when Mallory and Stavros reach the summit and kill the German soldier, there is hard rain. However, in the next shot when they throw the German soldier by the cliff, there is no rain and the sky is clear.
Continuity mistake: When David Niven climbs the ladder to place explosives on the gun he is fully clothed. In the next second, showing him at work on the gun, he has no tunic and no officer's cap. (02:09:30)
Continuity mistake: When James Darren has his final shoot-out, the German officer approaching him looks unscathed, but then in the next shot his coat is full of bloody bullet holes, before they start shooting at each other. (02:16:35)
Continuity mistake: When Gregory Peck and David Niven are planting the explosives, they are both wearing uniform shoes, when they are getting ready to go down the rope to escape, they are both wearing paratrooper boots and Gregory Peck's are white.
Continuity mistake: When the fishing boat is stuck at the base of the cliff we see it tossing and rolling. However, when Brown is in the hold there is no movement. Also when the men are unloading their supplies the boat is obviously fixed and stationary.
Continuity mistake: When the girl is killed by Maria we see a shot of her from the shoulders up. She is not shot in the head so we can only suppose that has been shot in the heart (for her to die so quickly) but when Brown checks her out there is no blood and no exit wound on her back. So where was she shot?
Continuity mistake: When David Niven is at the bottom of the hoist setting the explosive charge, his hands are covered in grease as he is hiding the wires, which would complete an electrical circuit. Seconds later, when he and Gregory Peck are moving toward the guns his hands are perfectly clean. There was no time to wash his hands - or any evidence of a sink - when the Germans were feverishly trying to get into the tunnel.
Continuity mistake: When Anthony Quayle wakes up from breaking his leg, David Niven passes him a lit cigarette, but then, a few seconds later, he passes him another lit cigarette, which he puts in his mouth.
Continuity mistake: When the commandos break through the roadblock, Anthony Quinn shoots at the German sentries guarding it. The German sentry on the right falls into the sandbags twice after being shot.
Continuity mistake: When they are being interrogated by the gestapo officer, immediately after Anthony Quinn turns the tables on the Germans, Gregory Peck is seen behind him magically holding an MP40 on the seated German officer. The scene then shows Peck picking up the MP40 and threatening the officer again.
Continuity mistake: When the Germans are cutting through the bunker door at the mountain complex, the interior shot shows them having cut a hole of at least 2 feet in diameter, but when the guard on the outside shoots through the hole in the door, it is only about 12 inches by 4 inches, no way they could have cut the interior door through that small slit.
Continuity mistake: When Col. Stavros rips open the back of Anna's blouse to reveal whether there are scars, the closeup shows Stavro's German uniform with ribbons on his left chest. When the camera cuts to the next frame, the ribbons have vanished.
Continuity mistake: After escaping from the Germans, when they left Franklin in their care, they are driving in a truck. Looking at them, L to R, Stavros, Mallory and Brown, driving. A few seconds later, Maria is driving and Brown not seen, probably in the back. Later, when they take over the armored car, after killing the Germans and pushing their own truck over the cliff, they drive off in the same direction that they just came from.
Continuity mistake: On the way to destroy the guns the truck hits a tank, and the wheel is bent. A shot later the truck is rolling on with no problems.
Continuity mistake: Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Irene Pappas steal a German army truck while disguised in German uniforms and drive to the Navarone gun barracks to destroy them. Before they get out of the truck the first time the truck is left hand drive. When they get back in the wheel is on the right. Not to mention WWII German military vehicles were left hand drive.
Suggested correction: The guns are firing across a strait. A strait is a "narrow passage." Since the targets must appear at a limited range, the guns only need a limited elevation angle.
Noman ★
Watch the film again. The guns are facing the open sea. There is no land visible anywhere behind the ships. If that's a strait, it's a very, very wide one.
The mission given says the guns are guarding a strait. The last shot of the six destroyers shows land behind them on the opposite side of the strait.
Noman ★
Other summaries explain that the strait is only deep enough for the ships at the place which matches the guns' range. So ships could not take advantage of further away or closer in.
Then what are the dark shapes rising out of the sea on the far side of the ships. If they are not islands, what are they?
Noman ★
Suggested correction: That the gun carriages are supposedly set on rails is not correct. In the novel template, as well as in the film, it is shown that the guns were installed on turntables. And as for their variable angles of fire - it could be due to (fictional) modifications.
Daniel4646