A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG (1967)

Marlon Brando & Sophia Loren in a scene from A Countess From Hong Kong

The first time I saw this film, I expected it to be awful because everything I had ever read about it said so. But I was surprised. Sure, it’s not Chaplin’s best by a long shot, but it wasn’t terrible. I think it would have been a better film had he made it in the 1930s, as he had originally intended, with Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper in the leading roles. However, Sophia Loren did a wonderful job—she took Chaplin’s direction well and was able to be funny in some scenes and moving in others (I found her character at times to be very Tramp-like). Marlon Brando, on the other hand, seemed stiff and uncomfortable. I’m sure due to the fact that he disliked Chaplin’s directing methods. But it was fun to see him jumping around the room, obviously mimicking Chaplin’s every move.

Charlie directs his daughter Geraldine and Marlon Brando in a dance scene. His son Sydney and daughters Josephine and Victoria also appear in the film.

It was strange to see a Chaplin film in color. The beauty of black-and-white may have added something to this film. However, it’s quite impressive that during Chaplin’s long career he went from silents to talkies to technicolor.
Chaplin has a very brief cameo in the film as a seasick butler. For a fan, it’s a bittersweet moment because it’s the last time our hero ever appears on screen.

Charlie's cameo

Despite its flaws, Countess has some very funny scenes and the music is some of Chaplin’s best. I have read that the failure of this film affected him deeply and he never quite recovered from it. Were the critics expecting another City Lights?  They should have given the old man a break. It was the last film of his career, and I believe it deserves some respect.

Behind the camera for the last time