Good grief! What different does it make? I've heard doctors today, in the 21st century, make worse mistakes, say things that were untrue because they were out of their area of expertise even
in medicine
. Happens all the timel. Even scientists make gross errors in judgment, especially when speaking casually, by which I mean in a non-professional setting. Also, people tend to reflect their age, their generation, as well as their country of origin. The woman was elderly and British. There didn't seem to be anything "off" about her. As to the five continents business, I think that was actually
good writing
, what one might expect from a person of her generation and nationality.

North America
South America
Australia
Africa
Eurasia (Europe and Asia are really one big continent with an imaginary line dividing them, but one big landmass)
No Antarctica because I doubt any annual Christmas counts were done there.

Australia was considered an island in those days, not a continent; and Australasia an archipelago.

there was a folded up map in the classroom that was showing antarctica. could be related.

I heard and wondered the same thing. Thought maybe they did not split continents in 2 back then like they di now? Could America have been judge one, and Eurasia? I got mad at all the attacks. It was a good question!

At the conclusion of the film "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" Caesar gives a militant type speech and mentions "the five continents". I guess Caesar is misinformed or just doesn't agree with your assertion.
"Go out there and win just one for the Zipper". Leslie Nielsen in Airplane!

I started school in 1964 and there were always 7 continents.
If we want to get picky, Africa is attached to Asia via Sinai so Afeurasia would be only 1 continent, the Americas just 1. Then downgrade Australia to an island like Greenland and we only have 3 continents

"the americas" (north and south) were one, not 2 and antartica was not counted (since it's unpopulated by humans, basically).
Only living to die

according to whom? what source?
which TWO continents were not included 40 years ago?

this was standard in europe 40 years ago.
Only living to die

and what year was that.

I was 16 when this movie came out - when we were in school they only taught us about 5 continents. Dont ask me why - they just did.

She was very old. There were only five discovered continents when she went to school.
LOL!!
"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna *beep* wit me!"- Hudson in Aliens.

AND it's an aspect of her characterizationthe know it all who DOESN'T. And I join those of you who feel the OP is a troll. This is a ridiculous conversation.

It's really not that complicated. Several posters have it right. The Olympic rings alone should be enough to convince people that in the 60s, kids were taught pretty much everywhere that there were 5 continents. I know, I was one of those schoolkids.
So, to recap: Europe, Asia, Africa, America (which
is
one piece of land, even with the Panama Canal) and Oceania, which includes not only Australia and New Zealand but all the South Pacific islands. Antarctica wasn't counted because is was uninhabited.
This isn't necessarily correct, but that was the common understanding back then.

She was very old. There were only five discovered continents when she went to school.
I have two tickets to crazy town. Who wants one?

It's quite simple and not a mistake on the character's part - at the time the movie was made, 1963, Australia and Antarctica were not classified as continents, so there were only five - Europe, Asia, Arica, North and South America.