two anecdotes

about "A Countess from Hong Kong" which I cannot verify. They were told to me by an old friend who has since passed away. Anyway. . .

The first one occurred during an interview with Marlon Brando. Brando was asked if he knew while filming "CfHK" how the movie would turn out. Marlon reportedly said that it wasn't how HE would have done the film but when you are working with a genius, you have to trust their instincts.

The second one concerns a screening during the film's original run. Supposedly the audience was not enjoying the movie until the projectionist accidentally turned off the sound. At this point, the audience began to laugh uproariously at the sight gags unencumbered by the stiff dialogue.

This anecdote is undoubtedly both true AND false. It's TRUE to the extent that many films and tv shows become unexpectedly comic if you turn off the sound. (Try it yourself; mute the sound on your favorite drama and laugh at the mugging expressions and outrageous stunts.) It's also FALSE because the lack of sound ruins some of the verbal gags ("consummated soup"; the Society Girl trying to talk and dance) and sound gags (Brando strumming his fingers while Loren is trying to read).