Ride a Crooked Mile (1938)

Another completely peculiar film from Paramount, ostensibly made to capitalize on Akim Tamiroff's growing reputation, but of interest today mostly for the only screen pairing of then-married Frances Farmer and Leif Erickson (billed as Erikson in the film). This film takes the cake plot-wise, dealing with former Cossacks (whatever those are!) who have become cattle rustlers in the USA. Erickson plays the estranged son of Tamiroff, who has to choose between helping his father escape from Leavenworth or pursuing a military career. Farmer, in one of her more interesting screen roles, plays a Russian emigre saloon singer (there must have been a lot of those, don't you think?), doing a credible accent (much like her radio appearance with Errol Flynn in "British Agent"), and singing a wonderful duet in Russian with Leif (who was a professional singer before breaking into movies). The press materials for this film actually spend a lot of time mentioning Farmer's recent stage success with "Golden Boy" (even naming her braided hairstyle "The Golden Girl"), pretty much relegating Erickson and even Tamiroff to the sidelines. A strange, strange motion picture, but indispensable for Farmer fans.