A COUNTESS FROM HING KONG

A COUNTESS FROM HING KONG Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando (1967, MCA/ Universal, unrated, $14.98) Charlie Chaplin's last film as director is a doddering affair made by a genius long past his prime. Even worse for home viewers, Countess was shot in wide-screen and, available for the first time on video, looks strangely squeezed. The story is absurdly slight: A Russian countess -- cum -- dance-hall girl (Loren) stows away in the ship's stateroom of a jaded millionaire-cum-diplomat (Brando) and eventually wins his heart. Loren, at the peak of her physical beauty, is a charming presence, but Brando has all the comic timing of a pound of liver. (Chaplin appears briefly in a cameo as a steward.) To call Countess old-fashioned would be an understatement. Yet painfully restricted to a soundstage, it is so out of step that it's almost fascinating. C+