Search - Various Artists, Victor Schertzinger, Johnny Mercer :: Yolanda And The Thief (1945 Film) / The Fleet's In (1942 Film) [2 on 1]

A wonderful MGM Technicolor musical

Stephen H. Wood | South San Francisco, CA | 09/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

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If you love MGM color musicals, do give the underrated and neglected YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945) a chance. I am reviewing it from old videocassette, but am sure it is on DVD by now. It was made by the very prestigious Arthur Freed Unit and directed by Vincente Minnelli one year after both men did MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. And it stars Fred Astaire, Frank Morgan and, also one year after ST. LOUIS, both Leon Ames and Lucille Bremer.



YOLANDA has Bremer in the title role and Astaire as the thief. Actually, Astaire and Morgan are a pair of charming con artists in the fictitious South American country of Patria. Yolanda is a virgin princess who has never left the country and trusts everyone-especially Astaire when he claims to be Yolanda's personal guardian angel. She is about to turn eighteen, at which time she will inherit a fortune she doesn't seem to want. Ah. but Astaire and Morgan sure want it. Morgan is too greedy for his own good, but Astaire is...well, Astaire: suave, charming, elegant. As Yolanda's guardian angel, Astaire is delighted to remove both money and financial worry from her pretty young head. But something goes wrong, and Ames as a mystery figure gets all the money. Now Astaire has to get Yolanda's money away from HIM! Don't worry, this has a happy ending. It is an MGM musical, for heaven's sake. Or is that hell's sake?



YOLANDA has glorious Technicolor production design and costumes, as befitting a Freed and Minnelli musical. Elaborate, tuneful,. and colorful dance numbers include Astaire and Bremer dancing to "Marry Me" and the wondrous "Coffee Time", and the exquisite "This is a Day For Love" sung by children in the opening scene. This is a fun and lovely movie, one I often play on my birthday because it IS so colorful and happy. And if you can't guess who Ames is playing, that is taken care of in the last scene. Running 108 minutes, YOLANDA AND THE THIEF is one gorgeous piece of filmmaking from MGM's golden age.



YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945) appears to be on home video moratorium including, incredibly, used video. Request it on DVD, and watch for it on Turner Classic Movies. In the meanwhile, this sounds like a lovely CD of the soundtrack.





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A Forgotten Gem

Frankie | Los Angeles, Ca. United States | 06/28/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"When I came across this CD I bought it Instantly for "Yolonda and the thief". The score is a little weak (which is one of the factors of it's faliure in theaters)but one good song is "coffee time" a swing-type number that has well written music and is a show stopper. The songs "angel" and "yolonda" are okay, but "this is a day for love" is cheesy and has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. "The fleets in" is great for any Betty Hutton fan and it has some good upbeat numbers like "if you build me a better mousetrap" and "Arthur Murry taught me a dance in a hurry". The quality isn't too good. It sounds like someone held a tape recorder to a TV and taped it off the movie. This is probably why the price it a steal. The only way I can see one would by it is for Betty Hutton or because they are a fan off the offbeat but forgotten movie "yolanda and the thief" with Fred Astaire(which is my reason)."