''Three Russian Girls'' (also known as ''She Who Dares'') is a 1943 American

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

pro-Soviet propaganda film produced by R-F Productions and distributed by

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

. It is a remake of the Soviet film '' The Girl from Leningrad'' (1941). It was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

in 1945 for best musical score. It stars Anna Sten.

Plot

The film depicts the life of a group of volunteer nurses for the Red Cross in 1941. Anna Sten portrays a Russian nurse, Natasha, who is one of the volunteers taking care of the Allied soldiers near Stalingrad. As part of her job, she takes care of a newly arrived American flier John Hill, interpreted by Kent Smith. Even though Natasha is betrothed to Sergei Korovin, she starts to fall in love with the American under her care. When the enemy's forces attack the hospital, the patients and the crew are ordered to evacuate the battleground. Given that there are not enough vehicles, Natasha, John, and other wounded men stay behind waiting to be rescued.

Cast

* Anna Sten as Natasha *

Kent Smith Frank Kent SmithGordon, Dr. Roger L. (2018). Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures: Volume II'. Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing. pp. 130, 131. . "Kent Smith: Frank Kent Smith was born on March 19, 1907, in New York City. ..He was marrie ...

as John Hill *Mimi Forsythe as Tamara *

Alexander Granach Alexander Granach (April 18, 1890 – March 14, 1945) was a German-Austrian actor in the 1920s and 1930s who emigrated to the United States in 1938. Life and career Granach was born Schaje Granoch in Werbowitz (Wierzbowce/Werbiwci) ( Austr ...

as Major Braginski *Kathy Frye as Chijik * Kane Richmond as Sergei *Manart Kippen as Doctor *Jack Gardner as Misha *Marcia Lenack as Shoora *Mary Herriot as Zina

Production

In September 1942,

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

tried to purchase the film rights to ''The Girl from Leningrad'' from Eugene Frenke and Gregor Rabinovich. The studio intended to hire

Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was best known for his role as producer "Max Fabian" in ''All About Eve'' (195 ...

as director and

Michèle Morgan Michèle Morgan (; born Simone Renée Roussel; 29 February 1920 – 20 December 2016) was a French film actress, who was a leading lady for three decades in both French cinema and Hollywood features. She is considered one of the greatest Fren ...

and

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

as the stars. Rabinovich ultimately decided to produce the film independently. He initially hired E. Stork and Igor Vushenko as screenwriters. Maria Manton,

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a pr ...

Leonid Kinskey Leonid Kinskey (18 April 1903 – September 8, 1998) was a Russian-born American film and television actor, best known for his role as Sascha in the film ''Casablanca'' (1942). His last name was sometimes spelled Kinsky. Life and career Kinskey ...

Tamara Shayne Tamara Shayne (25 November 1902 – 23 October 1983), also known as Tamara Nikoulina, was a Russian-born actress and long-time resident in the United States. Early life Tamara Shayne was born Tamara Veniaminovna Olkenitskaya on 25 November 1902 ...

, E. Grusskin, Melva Doney and Diane Duval were announced as initial cast members of the film but were replaced. Rabinovich wanted to cast

Luise Rainer Luise Rainer ( , ; 12 January 1910 – 30 December 2014) was a German-born film actress. She was the first thespian to win multiple Academy Awards, and the first to win back-to-back; at the time of her death, thirteen days shy of her 105th birt ...

as Natasha before hiring Anna Sten.

Oona O'Neill Oona O'Neill, Lady Chaplin (14 May 1925 – 27 September 1991) was a British actress, the daughter of American playwright Eugene O'Neill and English-born writer Agnes Boulton, and the fourth and last wife of actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. ...

and Leo Bulgakov were cast as Tamara and Misha.

References

External links

* * 1943 films American pro-Soviet propaganda films American black-and-white films Films directed by Fedor Ozep Eastern Front of World War II films Films about the Soviet Union in the Stalin era American war comedy films 1940s war comedy films 1943 comedy films 1940s American films 1940s English-language films Films scored by W. Franke Harling English-language war comedy films {{WWII-film-stub