Charlie Chaplin would make his final film as a director a decade after his final film as a star, 1957's 'A King in New York'. 'A Countess from Hong Kong', in addition to being Chaplin's last film, would be his only movie in color and one of two he directed in which he didn't star, the other being 1923's 'A Woman of Paris'.
'A Countess from Hong Kong' is very losely inspired by a true story and a project Chaplin started developing in the 1930's as a vehicle for his then wife Paullett Goddard. Ultimately filmed in England the story concerns an American diplomat (Marlon Brando) who goes to a party in Hong Kong to get drunk after not being named Secretary of State. He comes to the next day in his state room on a ship bound for Hawaii, he quickly discovers stowed away Sophia Loren, a hereditary Russian Countess who has lived all her life as a stateless person and is desperate to get to America. The two had hit it off at the party only he dosen't remember her.
The comedy is mostly of the 'hide the girl in the closet' variety and is remarkably uninspired for the comic legend. The movie is dull if not unpleasent, the only character who really made me laugh was Patrick Cargill as Brando's valet. The two leads predictably fall in love with things complicated by Loren's lack of ticket and passport, and Brando's career ambitions and estranged wife played by Tippi Hedron.
Chaplin has a small cameo apperence, his children Sydney and Geraldine have supporting parts, and several other of Chaplin's eleven children have walk-ons. Production was apparently unpleasant with Chaplin old (in his mid 70's at the time of filming) and ornery. Brando, who suffered both appendicitis and the flu during filming had to be talked out of quiting mid production. The film got generally poor reviews and under performed at the box office. Of interest mostly as a curiosity, this is probably Chaplin's worst movie, a retiries vanity project. *1/2
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