Yolanda and The Thief

Yolanda and The ThiefFred Astaire gracing an imaginative, surreal 16 minute ballet with his wit and unerring dance mastery; a jazzy, glorious in Technicolor street carnival pulsing with movement and music; director Vincente Minnelli's lush, savvy sophistication evident in every scene these elements highlight Yolanda and the Thief, a ravishingly beautiful fantasy about a con artist (Astaire) in a mythical Latin American country who convinces a naive heiress (Lucille

he must find other ventures

Shirer's monumental best-seller

until they get the chance to close a deal between a giant U

Karl Lang (Eddy) and Maria Lanyi (Stevens) are married to the stage as well as to each other

Gwen has learned of her husband's illness and is torn between staying with him or respecting his wishes

yet the chance of her gaining the attention of busy impresario Eric Wainwright (Van Johnson) hovers somewhere between none and never

Tabloids of the day had their opinions

Lorn joins forces with Owen Forbes

In a change of pace from his offbeat thrillers and Hitchcock homages

" Donning a simple costume and counting on his natural coloration to carry him the rest of the way

Yet who can blame them for having fun

whose 371-credit (some say over 500-credit) career includes some of the Bowery Boys' best features