Yolanda and the Thief

Johnny Riggs is a smooth-talking small-time con who slips into the fictional Latin-American republic of Patria under a cloud of trouble. He overhears Yolanda, a sheltered heiress raised in a convent, asking for help with her tangled affairs, and decides to pose as the guardian angel she imagines. Using charm and theater, he earns her trust and hatches a plan to take advantage of her fortune. As his scheme moves forward, unexpected feelings complicate his thinking, and what seemed like an easy getaway becomes messier than anyone anticipated, with loyalties and intentions growing harder to untangle.

Released in 1945, the picture was directed by Vincente Minnelli and draws on contributions from Ludwig Bemelmans, Irving Brecher, and Jacques Théry. Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer lead a cast that includes Frank Morgan, Mildred Natwick, and Mary Nash, giving the film its star musical appeal.

At the time it did not click with mass audiences and never joined MGM's biggest earners. Despite its high production values and notable leads, the movie underperformed commercially and proved a curious entry in the studio's lineup.

Critics and viewers have been divided since the premiere, with some praising the ambition and others finding the tone uneven. The film tackles themes of deception, identity, romance and the tension between illusion and sincerity, leaning heavily on musical numbers and staged fantasy to carry its ideas.

The movie is remembered today for its bold visual design and unusual, dreamlike musical sequences, which set it apart from more conventional Astaire vehicles. While not a runaway classic, it surfaces in retrospectives and discussions about midcentury Hollywood experiments in color, set design and choreography, and it continues to interest collectors and fans of offbeat studio musicals.