'Back to the future' Movie mistakes only a guitar nerd can spot...

[kirtley2013]

If you have seen 'Back to the future' or maybes even if you haven't you will know of this scene, in which Marty plays stand in for Marvin Berry at a high school dance because Marvin has cut his hand, so Marty gets up on stage and tears up 'Johnny B Goode', but, remember what guitar he was playing?, yes, A Gibson ES-345 with a retro-fitted Bigsby B7, a guitar released by Gibson in 1958, even though the majority of this movie is set in November 5 1955-November 12 1955, 3 years before this guitar could have even possibly existed (in addition, this one is a 60's one)



Also, being picky here, Marvin Berry phones up his cousin Chuck Berry half way through Marty's performance and says 'You know that new sound you're looking for, well listen to this' he then holds the phone up to Marty's playing, well, I highly doubt that chuck was looking for a new sound because 6 months prior on May 21 1955 he had made his first recording for 'Chess' Records of "Maybellene" which became a million seller and was the start to chuck becoming a large icon in rock and roll.

In addition to that, Chuck Berry never even had a cousin called Marvin.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1i5coU-0_Q


I was also watching 'back to the future part III' in which Doc Brown and Marty go back to 1885, if you've seen it you may recall this scene in which everyone goes to a town party and start dancing to a group of musicians (ZZ top)...



Notice anything peculiar??

the guitars the two musicians are holding, the one on the left being a Martin, they are Dreadnought's, a design of guitar that was not invented until martin came up with it in 1916, 31 years AFTER this the year that the movie is set in, the parlor guitar to the right is much more to the period.


Okay, Rant over

[Eric_M]

Uh ... I guess he disrupted the space-time continuum to such a degree that in this alternate reality Gibson made that guitar in 1955...?


"The Buddy Holly Story" is full of guitar anachronisms, this being my favorite:

[Fatstrat]

Very cool you noticed IMO. I notice things like in movies pertaining to guns. Such Lucas McCain's (The Rifleman) rifle. Show is set in the 1880's. But the rifle (actually carbine) is a model 1892. Or the use of M-1 Garand rifles in the movie " The Thin Red Line". Marines on Guadalcanal were armed w/1903 Springfield's. Thanks for posting.

[lizzard]

Dude, Really?

In both cases Doc Brown had left these axes in the past for Marty. He went back, and then went further back so that what is now vintage was then futuristic.

Don't you know anything?

Chris

[harvl]

Originally Posted by kirtley2013

If you have seen 'Back to the future' or maybes even if you haven't you will know of this scene, in which Marty plays stand in for Marvin Berry at a high school dance because Marvin has cut his hand, so Marty gets up on stage and tears up 'Johnny B Goode', but, remember what guitar he was playing?, yes, A Gibson ES-345 with a retro-fitted Bigsby B7, a guitar released by Gibson in 1958, even though the majority of this movie is set in November 5 1955-November 12 1955, 3 years before this guitar could have even possibly existed (in addition, this one is a 60's one)



Also, being picky here, Marvin Berry phones up his cousin Chuck Berry half way through Marty's performance and says 'You know that new sound you're looking for, well listen to this' he then holds the phone up to Marty's playing, well, I highly doubt that chuck was looking for a new sound because 6 months prior on May 21 1955 he had made his first recording for 'Chess' Records of "Maybellene" which became a million seller and was the start to chuck becoming a large icon in rock and roll.

In addition to that, Chuck Berry never even had a cousin called Marvin.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1i5coU-0_Q


I was also watching 'back to the future part III' in which Doc Brown and Marty go back to 1885, if you've seen it you may recall this scene in which everyone goes to a town party and start dancing to a group of musicians (ZZ top)...



Notice anything peculiar??

the guitars the two musicians are holding, the one on the left being a Martin, they are Dreadnought's, a design of guitar that was not invented until martin came up with it in 1916, 31 years AFTER this the year that the movie is set in, the parlor guitar to the right is much more to the period.


Okay, Rant over

I think the biggest stretch is Billy Gibbons playing an acoustic.... he hates "guitars with holes in the top"

[Dave T]

I believe the proper phrase is "willful suspension of disbelief".

Dave

[BoneDigger]

The fact that it was a science fiction movie about a dude driving a Delorian into the past and making out with his own mom sort of allowed me to look past any historical inaccuracy that may exist.

Todd

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Fatstrat

Very cool you noticed IMO. I notice things like in movies pertaining to guns. Such Lucas McCain's (The Rifleman) rifle. Show is set in the 1880's. But the rifle (actually carbine) is a model 1892. Or the use of M-1 Garand rifles in the movie " The Thin Red Line". Marines on Guadalcanal were armed w/1903 Springfield's. Thanks for posting.

Also, watch the opening credits of the Rifleman...
See those hands speeding thru levering and shooting?
Hint: like Michael Landon, Chuck Conners was a lefty.

[pbla4024]

Originally Posted by Fatstrat

Very cool you noticed IMO. I notice things like in movies pertaining to guns. Such Lucas McCain's (The Rifleman) rifle. Show is set in the 1880's. But the rifle (actually carbine) is a model 1892. Or the use of M-1 Garand rifles in the movie " The Thin Red Line". Marines on Guadalcanal were armed w/1903 Springfield's. Thanks for posting.

You are wrong. Thin red line is not about USMC, but about US Army.

[Silly Moustache]

I'm a guitar nerd, and know little about guns but I have seen "westerns" where shooters were using Colt 45s before they were produced.

What has often offe3nded my nredery in movies is seeing WW1 dogfights using Tiger Moths which were never intended as fighters ad first produced in 1932.

[michaelnel]

Hope you didn't think Back to the Future was a documentary.

[FrankS]

Maybe there were more time travelers in the movie than the main stars. 2015 is when they traveled from 1985 so maybe the one next year will give more insight.

Frank Sanns

[leatherguy]

I know you won't like this but "Rudy" wasn't real either.

[Wade Hampton]

Wait....wait....so what you guys are saying is that there's some stuff in the "Back To The Future" movies that isn't actually TRUE?!?!?


Wade Hampton "Cruelly Disillusioned" Miller

[Luke_]

Good eyes fellas