Goofs

Evelyn's hair in her nude scene shifts over her shoulder momentarily.

During the 11th Street scene, when Mandy Patinkin learns of his wife's infidelity, the same man with a mustache, bowler hat, vest, and cigar walks past him twice in a few seconds.

At about 4:33, the view through the doorkeeper's peephole at the ground level of Madison Square Garden when Harry Kendall Thaw holds up his business card is of the street outside at night. Thaw and his accomplices rush through the opened door and up the circular stairway to the rooftop nightclub. The background when they first enter the building before going up the stairs is no longer of the street street at night but of a brightly lit interior wall and hallway.

Charles W. Fairbanks was not Vice President when he ran with Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. He was a Senator from Indiana, chosen as Roosevelt's running mate that year. Roosevelt was William McKinley's Vice President; he became president when McKinley was assassinated, and had no Vice President for his first term.

The newsreel mentions an assassination attempt on President Theodore Roosevelt, presumably in 1904 when he was the incumbent running for a full term. It actually happened in 1912 when, as a former president, he ran again as the candidate of The Progressive Party.

The song that Coalhouse is playing on his first night at the Clef Club has a "swing beat", which won't appear for another 30 years.

Actually, it's a "ragtime beat", kind of like the movie's title.

While negotiating with Coalhouse Walker Jr., the earpiece hook on the phone hangs in the off position while Conklin is talking.

When Sarah is in the back of the crowd at the train station, trying to listen to Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks, a small 50-star American flag appears to the right of her. In 1904, the U.S. flag had 45 stars.

When Coalhouse's car is blocked in front of the fire station, the flag hanging from the station has 50 stars, which wasn't adopted until July 4, 1960.

One pre-WWI newspaper headline refers to Vice President Charles Curtis. Curtis was Vice President under Herbert Hoover, who was elected in 1928.

When Mandy Patinkin's character chases his wife's lover outside, the naked lover pulls up his pants. A tan line from bikini briefs is visible. Bikini briefs weren't worn in that era.

When Coalhouse Walker, Jr. strikes keys on the piano of the "family's" house, he announces that the piano is terribly out of tune and admonishes Father to take better care of the instrument. Not only is there nothing to indicate that the piano is out of tune (the struck notes suggest that the piano is in tune), but moments later, Coalhouse plays a Chopin waltz on the same piano, and it is in perfect tune.