Originally Posted By: olivant
In New York, it was about 2:30 PM on December 7 when the Japanese attacked Pearl (and Vito's birthday). So, how is it that anyone enlisted "this morning" as Tessio states in the flashback scene in response to the attack? Also, I attributed Michael's enlistment in the Marines as a response to the Pearl Harbor attack, an enlistment which took place before the attack.


You're off by one hour, oli, but your argument is correct. It was 1:00 in the afternoon NYC time when the attack on Pearl Harbor took place. And since it was a Sunday the local enlistment offices would probably have been closed.

To add to the error in film detail, it was still light out when that scene took place (you can see daylight in the window behind the dining room). Sunset in NY in early December is at 4:30 in the afternoon - only three hours after the attack took place.

You REALLY wanna split hairs? That day was unseasonably warm in NYC. My mother used to tell the story that because it was so warm she put my sister in the baby carriage (my sister was six months old then) and took her outside to get some sunshine and fresh air in the afternoon. As my mom was pushing the carriage down the block she was singing to my sister. One of the neighbors yelled at my mother for singing on such a day. My mom had no idea what she meant and she asked the neighbor why she was yelling. The neighbor told her that it had been on the radio for 30 minutes already that the base in Hawaii had been attacked. Anyway, it's doubtful Tessio would have been wearing a heavy overcoat then. (OK, OK, that's dumping on details).


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