Tweet Film Title and Credit goofs

[silentfilm]

Since we've spotted so many goofs on DVD covers, why not discuss the big goofs that are in the original films?

In State of the Union (1948), Katharine Hepburn's name is misspelled in the opening credits as "Katherine".

In The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Fredric March's name is misspelled as "Frederic" March in the end credits.

Since we've spotted so many goofs on DVD covers, why not discuss the big goofs that are in the original films?

In State of the Union (1948), Katharine Hepburn's name is misspelled in the opening credits as "Katherine".

That's just in the reissue in which the original M-G-M titles & credits were reprinted. The names are correct in the original 1948 M-G-M release.
In the reissue Adolphe Menjou's first name is also misspelled as Adolph and cinematographer George Folsey is credited as Falsey.

But the absulute king of credit goofs in reissues has to be Film Classics in their atrocious handling of the Hal Roach films in the 1940's. Not only could they screw up as many as three or more cast and credit names in one film, but often even printed the film titles wrong.

The copyright dates on some films are printed incorrectly. I believe one such case is BLOOD ON THE SUN (1945). I think in some cases the incorrect copyright dates on some films have resulted in the films being declared public domain.
And speaking of copyrights, would it be considered goofs that hundreds (if not more) films (mostly "poverty Row" types) have a copyright stated in the credits but they're not really copyrighted?

Carl Laemmle is listed as the "Presient" of Universal.

I have some dvds from National Geographic and in the FBI Warnings at the beginning the word 'experiment' is spelled 'expriment'

Spelling errors in cast lists were fairly common, more so the further down the list the actor was.

Spelling errors in cast lists were fairly common, more so the further down the list the actor was.

That's for sure!
Some of the more memorable ones I can recall (even if not sure of which film in some cases):
Sterling Holloway billed as Halloway
Halliwell Hobbes as Holliwell Hobbes (I think in an early 1940's East Side Kids feature)
Cecil Kellaway as Kelloway (I think in one of the Universal "Mummy" sequels)
Selena Royle as Selena Royale (in ROBOT MONSTER)

Charlotte Mineau is billed as "Charlotte Meno" on one of the Hal Roach ZaSu Pitts-Thelma Todd comedies (I think it's STRICTLY UNRELIABLE)--and that's in the original titles, not the reissues.
S. Z. Sakall is "S. K. Sakall" in CASABLANCA.
Gino Corrado is "Gino Carrado" in the 3 Stooges' MICRO PHONIES. In the later Stooge comedy OUTER SPACE JITTERS, Dan Blocker is "Don Blocker."
Cecil Kellaway is "Cecil Kelloway" in THE MUMMY'S HAND.
The classic mispelled title occurs in the very cheap Buffalo Bill Jr. western "LIGHTNING BILL",which went out to the public as "LIGHTING BILL."

Some of the worst ones are in the 1916 reissue of THE PERILS OF PAULINE. In the process of translating the titles from English to French, and back again to English some grammatical howlers were made.

Jumping ahead a few decades, the end credits of Annie Hall list Christopher Wlaken as part of the cast.

Virginia Brown Faire is billed as Virginia Faire Brown in one of her final screen appearances, John Wayne's West of the Divide (1934). Thanks to seeing that credit repeatedly from a young age, to this day I can never remember how her name is supposed to go!

In the 1932 Oscar Micheaux feature TEN MINUTES TO LIVE the word Producer is spelled Proudcer.

The copyright date is given in the opening titles of 42nd STREET and again on the end title. But the dates are different. One is 1932 and one is 1933.

Cast name misspelling:
In the onscreen cast list for the 1934 Columbia short LOVE DETECTIVES ("Musical Novelties" series) Red Stanley's name is spelled Red Stanly.

not to stray off topic too far, but for the love of mike, McFarland's excellent bio on the great MAURICE TOURNEUR by Harry Waldman has on the back cover his date of birth /death (1876-1926). What's wrong with that? While his date of birth is said to be 1873 & 1876, most agree Tourneur died August 4, 1961.

A major goof that hasn't been mentioned yet:
THE BUSTER KEATON STORY (1957) -
Putting that title on that preposterous piece of fiction that had nothing to do with the real Buster Keaton story has got to be one of the worst film title goofs ever!

Richard Finegan wrote:
A major goof that hasn't been mentioned yet:
THE BUSTER KEATON STORY (1957) -
Putting that title on that preposterous piece of fiction that had nothing to do with the real Buster Keaton story has got to be one of the worst film title goofs ever!

I guess the goof would be Buster's credit as "technical advisor", as they clearly ignored his advice.

MGM had `Filmed in Hollywood, USA' at the end of `Singin' In The Rain instead of Culver City. I guess they considered admitting that the ultimate film on Hollywood wasn't actually filmed there wouldn't be a good idea.

Slightly out of topic but my original one-sheet for THE BAND WAGON credits Arthur Freed as the director and Vincente Minnelli as the producer

Then there's Mable, Fatty and the Law (1915) featuring Mabel Normand...

Slightly out of topic but my original one-sheet for THE BAND WAGON credits Arthur Freed as the director and Vincente Minnelli as the producer

Sounds like a good idea for a new thread:
Mistakes on posters, lobby cards & stills captions.

MGM had `Filmed in Hollywood, USA' at the end of `Singin' In The Rain instead of Culver City. I guess they considered admitting that the ultimate film on Hollywood wasn't actually filmed there wouldn't be a good idea.

Considering that it was partially shot on location in New York and the rest in Culver City, ON THE TOWN finishes instead with a title that reads instead "Made in Hollywood, USA, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer".

In the 1932 Oscar Micheaux feature TEN MINUTES TO LIVE the word Producer is spelled Proudcer.

He must have been very produ about that.

Jim

Sounds like a good idea for a new thread:
Mistakes on posters, lobby cards & stills captions.

According to Exhibitors Herald, a Los Angeles lithographer printed up an entire run of gigantic 24-sheet posters for Pretty Ladies before realizing that they credited Monte Blue as the director, rather than Monta Bell.

(8/8/25, page 48)

Slightly out of topic but my original one-sheet for THE BAND WAGON credits Arthur Freed as the director and Vincente Minnelli as the producer

Warner Home Video corrected this when the original poster art was used for the cover of the DVD (and for the original soundtrack CD, too).