A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)

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:

Diplomat | Countess | Hong Kong | Russian | City Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

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
Arthur Gross	...	Immigration officer
Balbina	...	French maid
Anthony Chinn	...	Hawaiian (as Anthony Chin)
Jose Sukhum Boonlve	...	Hawaiian
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Girl at dance
Janine Hill	...	Second girl at dance
Burnell Tucker	...	Hotel receptionist
Leonard Trolley	...	Purser
Len Lowe	...	Electrician
Francis Dux	...	Head waiter
Cecil Cheng	...	Taxi driver
Ronald Rubin	...	American sailor
Michael Spice	...	American sailor
Ray Barlow	...	American sailor (as Ray Marlowe)
Josephine Chaplin	...	Young girl
Victoria Chaplin	...	Young girl
Kevin Manser	...	Photographer
Marianne Stone	...	Reporter
Lew Luton	...	Reporter
Larry Cross	...	Reporter
Bill Edwards	...	Reporter
Drew Russell	...	Reporter
John Sterland	...	Reporter
Paul Carson	...	Reporter
Paul Tamarin	...	Reporter
Carol Cleveland	...	Nurse
Charles Chaplin	...	An old steward
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jerome Epstein	...	Barman (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits
Charles Chaplin		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Jerome Epstein	....	producer
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin

Cinematography by
Arthur Ibbetson

Film Editing by
Gordon Hales

Production Design by
Donald M. Ashton		(as Don Ashton)

Art Direction by
Robert Cartwright		(as Bob Cartwright)

Set Decoration by
Vernon Dixon		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Helen Penfold	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Denis Johnson	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Causey	....	assistant director
Ariel Levy	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Vernon Dixon	....	set dresser
Alan Evans	....	scenic artist
Alan Roderick-Jones	....	set draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	sound recordist
Bill Daniels	....	sound recordist
Mike Hopkins	....	sound editor (as Michael Hopkins)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Wilson	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe supervisor
Olga Lehmann	....	costume designer: Tippi Hedren (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Richard Hiscott	....	assistant editor
Brian Sinclair	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Eric James	....	musical associate
Lambert Williamson	....	conductor
Lambert Williamson	....	music arranger
Milton Gabler	....	soundtrack album producer (uncredited)

Other crew
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Harry Mendelsohn	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Gordon Shadrick	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Chaplin Film Productions Ltd. (for)
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1967) (UK) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Universal Filmverleih (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Studios USA Television (USA)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Gordon Shadrick Enterprises  title design
• American President Lines  special thanks
• Pinewood Studios  movie studio

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min | USA:108 min (US version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Chaplin Film Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

Judy Huxtable was considered for various roles.

Goofs:

Continuity: During "everybody is getting sea-sick" scene Ogden, Natascha and Harvey push an ashtray around the table until Ogden angrily swipes it off the table. Shortly after it's back on the table in front of Natascha's chair and in the next shot it moves over to be in front of Ogden's chair, although nobody is at the table at that time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)

Soundtrack:

(Love,) This Is My Song

Daddy says it´s not so bad...

Not as dull as I was lead to believe... Brando is miscast, he seems to have participated as favour to the legendary Chaplin. (Chaplin shouldn´t have asked him. Maybe the stuffy Sydney Chaplin would have been better in the lead...) Sophia is a trouper, jumping out of chairs, pretending to be sick... very kind of her to sink to that level... Again, it must have been the honour of having been chosen by Chaplin...

The story has potential as a romantic comedy but the film is a bit too long and slow with the sometimes funny jokes far between...

Very interesting to see though, with many interesting side characters like the butler Hudson, Tippi Hedren from "The Birds" in a thankless role as the chilly wife, granddaughter Geraldine Chaplin in a bit part and the very underrated Angela Scoular as the society girl who steals the entire movie... The film must have seemed quite dated when it was released in the restless sixties. Worth checking out...