Marlon Brando & Sophia Loren in A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)

This charming and gentle, if strange film was Charlie Chaplin's last directorial effort. Natascha (Loren) is exiled Russian royalty - a countess - working as a dance hall girl in Hong Kong. She's part of an underclass of people such as herself who have no identity papers and therefore cannot leave. They have no prospects and very little future. Enter Ogden Mears (Brando), heir to a petroleum fortune. He's just been appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia and has arrived in Hong Kong on business. He's traveling by ocean liner and is met by a friend of the family who bring with him three of the royal underclass, including Natascha. After a drunken night on the town Ogden and his entourage depart for home, only to discover that Natascha has stowed away in Ogden's closet. She appeals to his better instincts, but when that doesn't work, she blackmails him let her stay. Of course, the close quarters of a stateroom lead to love, and complications. Will Ogden throw away his career for Natascha?

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There's a strange quality to this film. It's shot through with Chaplin's charm and sophisticated physical comedy, most deftly performed by Sidney Cargill as a dotty butler, but Brando as Mears strikes an odd note. His comedic style is a bit heavy handed, in a part more suited to Cary Grant (who had retired from films a year earlier, and also had a stormy relationship with Loren). Not only did Chaplin direct, he also scored the entire film and cast his son, Sidney Chaplin, as Mear's associate. Look for Tippi Hedren as Ogden's wife and Margaret Rutherford in a cameo as a passenger.

This film is available on DVD and can be seen in full on YouTube. Part one is above, uploaded by Longoaiphong.

Obscurity factor: 8 (not well known, available on DVD & YouTube)

Sophia Loren & Vittorio Gassman in Ghosts Italian Style (1969)

Now that Halloween is over, I thought this film would be a fitting one to feature - not because it's scary, but because it's misnamed. There's very little supernatural phenomena in this film, it's really a bedroom farce with Maria (Loren) being pursued by two men - her husband, Pasquale (Gassman) and a rich suitor (Mario Adorf) who wants her to get a divorce and marry him. The young couple, who are having financial problems, move into a villa that seems too good to be true - it's vast, with many rooms and classical detailing, but run down and it's rumored to be haunted. The only ghost haunting this house is Maria's suitor who sneaks around and is caught by Pasquale, who assumes he's the ghost.

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There are oh, so many misunderstandings and a good deal of Italian scenery chewing. Speaking of scenery, it's quite nice, both feminine and masculine - Loren is in beautiful form and both Gassman and Adorf are quite delectable. Margaret Lee plays Sayonara, a singer/prostitute who rents one of the rooms in the villa, and she is quite the character, wearing some pretty outlandish outfits. Look for an outrageous cameo by Italian film legend Marcello Mastroianni at the end of the film.

This film has yet to make it to DVD. It can be found on television occasionally and the trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by OurManInHavana.

Obscurity factor: 10 (largely unknown, not on DVD or YouTube)

Gregory Peck & Sophia Loren in Arabesque (1966)

Obscurity factor: -3

David Pollock (Peck) is a professor at Oxford, specializing in Egyptology, specifically, hieroglyphics. He's approached by the prime minister of a middle eastern country and asked to accept a forthcoming invitation from a shady businessman to study a hieroglyph. Little does he know the intrigue that awaits him when that simple job leads to threats on his life, all sorts of unsavory characters and a beguiling, but treacherous spy, Yasmine Azir (Loren). Will he be able to decipher the hieroglyph, and if he does, will he be able to stay alive?

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This film is a tour de force for director Stanley Donen. The visuals are unparalleled, if a trifle gimicky. Look for sensational camera angles, creative use of mirrors, chandeliers, camera lenses and fish tanks. Also look for gorgeous costumes for Loren by Dior and an incredible scene where the villain delivers veiled threats while plying Yasmine with beautiful shoes. The music is just right and by Henry Mancini.

This film is a dubious fit for this blog. It's well known by film buffs and was singled out as an example of Loren's work by the AFI. It's not as well known as Donen's other 60's thriller Charade, however, and there is a large swath of the population that has yet to discover it, so I decided it was worthy of inclusion. It's been released on DVD, but is out of print, and a bit hard to find - there are only 3 copies available on Amazon right now.

Obscurity factor: -3 (on DVD, though hard to find, known to film buffs, critically acclaimed)