A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (original screenplay)

Release Date:

15 March 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Fun at Sea! His Cabin, His PJs, Her Move!

Plot:

Natascha, a White Russian countess, stows away on a luxury liner at Hong Kong, determined to seek a new life in America...

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Beautiful Woman | City Name In Title | Music Score Composed By Director | Title In Title

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Ogden Mears
Sophia Loren	...	Natascha
Sydney Chaplin	...	Harvey
Tippi Hedren	...	Martha
Patrick Cargill	...	Hudson
Michael Medwin	...	John Felix
Oliver Johnston	...	Clark
John Paul	...	The Captain
Angela Scoular	...	The Society Girl
Margaret Rutherford	...	Miss Gaulswallow
Peter Bartlett	...	Steward
Bill Nagy	...	Crawford
Dilys Laye	...	Saleswoman
Angela Pringle	...	Baroness
Jenny Bridges	...	Countess

Runtime:

120 min | USA:108 min (US version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:13 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (2005) | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Chaplin Film Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

It was the first film by Charles Chaplin to be not only in widescreen (which he disliked - see A King in New York (1957)) but in color as well.

Goofs:

Continuity: Toward the end of the film Ogden, Natascha, Harvey and Martha sit around a restaurant table. Ogden and Natascha sit with their backs to the camera and very far from each other so they won't obscure Harvey and Martha at the other side of the table. When they get up to dance, the camera cuts to a close up of Ogden and Natascha which are suddenly almost touching shoulders.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Best Friend's Birthday (1987)

Soundtrack:

(Love,) This Is My Song

Pleasant surprise - and what music !!!

I finally got round to seeing this one recently though it has often appeared on French TV and is noted above all for being Chaplin's last film and first and last colour film. I was enchanted by it ; the music is fantastic and the physique and voice of Sophia Loren (especially in pyjamas) is just.........so loveable gorrrrrrgeous and erotic ! Marlon Brando seems a little out of it all at times was perhaps not the right actor for the Role ; Margaret Rutherford in the personage of " Mrs Gaulswallow " ( just where to God's name did they think up a name like that ?? ) had me in total fits of laughter during her short appearance. The film is strange as it is in modern colour with good picture quality but the sound and dialogues as well as being poor acoustically are reminiscent of the 40s or 50s but obviously in keeping with Chaplin's style. I have always liked most of Chaplin's (talking) films but it is the quality of his musical scores that really get me. The score from Limelight and "This is My Song" which comes from A Countess in N.Y. are absolute masterpieces of Romanticism. Lovely !!!