Charlie's JFK Connection

In the early stages of the screenplay for A Countess From Hong Kong, the character of Ogden Mears, played by Marlon Brando, was loosely based on President John F. Kennedy (in the original story, Mears was planning to run for president.) After Kennedy was assassinated, however, Chaplin revised the story because he didn’t want to offend the Kennedy family, especially Mrs. Kennedy.

Charlie with Marlon Brando on the set of A Countess From Hong Kong

Several years after Countess was released, producer and Chaplin family friend, Jerry Epstein, met Pierre Salinger, Kennedy’s press secretary. Epstein recalled their conversation in his book, Remembering Charlie:

"He said that Kennedy had planned to do something about Chaplin’s exile. Salinger was supposed to visit him and invite him back to the United States. But of course in the meantime Kennedy had been killed. Salinger also mentioned that he’d seen A Countess From Hong Kong. ‘I know who that picture was based on’ he told me. ‘Mr. Chaplin captured it very accurately.' So I guess we didn’t disguise the Kennedy aspect too well."

Photos from the London premiere of Chaplin's final film, A Countess From Hong Kong, January 5th, 1967

Sophia Loren was pregnant & unable to attend.

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