Tres chicas rusas

I got a chance to view the BFI's VHS copy of this elusive 1944 music score Oscar nominee. The title might suggest a balalaika musical but it's a lot grimmer than the poster indicates. It's really in the vein of SO PROUDLY WE HAIL!--remember that one? The nurses caught in the crossfire of the Pacific war? I'm pretty sure the Paramount epic influenced or inspired UA here. There actually are a lot more than three Russian girls in white in this propaganda melodrama. But however many, we follow them from volunteering to extremely hazardous duty at the front, captured through a mix of documentary footage and extremely unnerving F/X. Naturally, there's time for a romance between our heroine (Anna Sten, the poor man's Garbo) and a downed Canadian flier (Kent Smith, the poor man's Robert Taylor). And come to think of it, there's a great deal of choral singing along the way (yes, accompanied by the balalaika!), which must have influenced the nomination. (The credited scorer, Franke Harling, had previously won for helping to stitch together all of the traditional tunes in STAGECOACH, beating out Max Steiner for GWTW which I still can/t fathom.) Anyway, THREE RUSSIAN GIRLS disappeared in the wake of the postwar anti-Soviet purge of Hollywood, but at least this version of a print exists; I had to pay a bundle to view it--the BFI charges, as I guess it should--but I wasn't sorry.

People have recently been trying to put this title up on YouTube under three account names, but nothing is viewable yet. So someone has it! Anna Sten fans may soon have cause for rejoicing.

I got intrigued with this film while looking up Dolores Moran, who no, isn't in it. But Mimi Forsythe is, and this was the first of her three films, the others being "Sensations of 1945" and "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (this last as only an extra). She received decent billing on the poster for "Russian Girls" (though her name was misspelled), and had a very good role (replacing Oona O'Neill), cast on the basis of her appearance in a 16mm amateur film. She abandoned her career to marry producer Benedict Bogeaus, who soon got involved with the very beautiful Dolores Moran and divorced Mimi to marry his new flame.

Mimi Forsythe committed suicide a few years later after two subsequent marriages (widowed after two months, divorced)... I'd like to see her performance in "Three Russian Girls"! And fans of the supremely bland Kent Smith might want a look as well. Also interesting that Feodor Chaliapin Jr. is in it. So let's see it!