Yolanda and the Thief

[Moraldo Rubini]

I saw a beautiful print of Vincent Minnelli's Yolanda and the Thief last night. In fact, the print was so pristine, I wondered if it'd been restored for a DVD release. This surreal musical foreshadows so many later MGM musicals. There were several details that I noticed that would pop up in later works:

1. In the dream sequence, Yolanda (Lucille Bremer) appears in billowing fabric that seemed to be choreographed by a large wind machine in the same manner as Cyd Charisse's billowing train from the surreal ballet portion of Singin' in the Rain five years later. The very unusual pallette of both segments from these movies are quite similar as well. Pinkish taupes and other hues, seemingly inspired by Salvador Dalí's dreamscapes.

2. In the dance numbers, a "sun"-shaped spotlight was used to follow the leads. It looks like a gobo is used to attain the ragged edge of light. The same spotlight is used to follow Gene Kelly in The Pirate ballet. Both films were directed by Vincent Minnelli, whose gift was art direction.

Many of the extras costumes looked like they might have originated from Oz' Emerald City. The green coated police uniforms, for instance. I wonder...

Toward the end of the movie, future Snoop Sister Mildred Natwick sees a priest and stops him to ask why he looks familiar. "Were you in Going My Way?", she asks. I was surprised they included this line, since Going My Way was made by a competing studio.

Anyway, this movie is all about "Coffee Time", one of my all-time favorite musical numbers. I hope this is transferred to disk soon, I'd love to study it...

[mrsl]

Moraldo:

I don't know. In most cases when you're enthralled with a movie and digest it, it's usually one I have no trouble getting excited about with you, except when you go high-toned on me with your opera and high-classical things that are way out of my class. But Yolanda . . . I saw that when it was on a couple of months ago, probably for Fred's birthday or something, and after about 45 minutes I turned it off. It was so simple and childish I couldn't see anything in it to cheer about, kind of like The Pirate - another childrens' story. You naturally see the photography during the dance, and I'm sorry I didn't see that, but when a movie bores me like this one did, I'm afraid I don't see any specialties in it. What is it about it that you find makes it worthy of praise?

My points against it:

1. Premise so simple minded and childish.
2. Photography too bright - I had to tone down my TV 'color' option.
3. The first few numbers didn't seem to fit the desert setting.

Anne

(these opinions are those of the individual poster and not supported by the SSO board).

[mrsl]

Johnm:

I do like MGM musicals and I also like Lucille Bremmer, not as a leading lady, but as a strong second lead, like Rose Smith in Meet Me In St. Louis, or the part she played in Til The Clouds Roll By. She's pretty and a good singer and dancer - she just doesn't have that 'Star' Quality - something is lacking.

Anne

[Moraldo Rubini]

You're not alone, Anne. The jury decided long ago that this experiment by Vincent Minnelli and Arthur Freed was a disappointment. WBHV hero George Feltenstein wrote,

Yolanda and the Thief was one of the few financial failures ever associated with Astaire, Minnellli, or producer Arthur Freed.

.
But I find it fascinating. I cited some reasons above: it's a table of contents of notions and effects that we'll see in later MGM musicals. And you know I'm an academic freak... I won't try to convince you that this is worthy of your praise (I save that for the many foreign films that I think you'd like), but I'll revel in it.

One of the reasons that I found it especially enjoyable this time was that I saw it on a big screen -- just as MGM intended. To be able to see the film with this clarity and detail couldn't be repeated on my television at home.

And the details are there. I'm fascinated by the creative process. This movie was not filmed on location; every bit of this magical land is devised by Vincent Minnelli (and his team); it's a view into his mind. I love that the movie looks unlike any other. He's created his own realm (just as he did in The Pirate). This is one of the reasons that I enjoy New York New York -- Scorsese's homage to MGM musicals.

I also appreciate that it's such a product of its time, both aesthetically and philosophically. Those mauve and yellow and brown sets and costumes scream 1945. They seem strange to our eye today, but I find vestiges of these color combinations at vintage clothing/fabric stores where old draperies harken back to the day when a chic salon would feature curtains of brown, yellow and sepia. Surreaslism was all the rage in 1945. This is the year that Salvador Dalí was helping Selznick and Hitchcock with Spellbound. André Breton (the "Pope of the Surrealists") was living and writing in America (one of the legion of brilliant minds who fled Europe and the Nazis). Exploring the subconcious was the new frontier. Eugène Ionesco hadn't written his first play yet, but the dialogues with Yolanda's aunt are all similar to the absurdist's; Dada humor. I guess you could say my heart belongs to Dada...

The dream sequence may be Dalíesque, but the interiors are fashioned after Tiepolo, the 18th century Italian fresco master. When I was in art school, he was a favorite of mine and I wrote a couple of papers on him; so this aspect attracts me too. You'll note Tiepolo works in the background of many of the interiors, and Yolanda's over-the-top bathroom (I want a bathtub with cascading waterfalls!) was born of this vision.

There's a lot of symbolism in this movie. Anyone know what all the candles were about? It wasn't just the candles used in the interior sets. There was the scene when Astaire and Bremer would share dialogue while behind them a man is making candles, dipping the wicks in hot wax and hanging them. At one point, they stand next to a candle that's as big as Astaire. *SPOILER* And the "conman" (Leon Ames) -- who turns out to truly be the guardian angel -- is named "Mr. Candle".

I will say, Anne, if you haven't see the "Coffee Time" number, then you haven't seen Yolanda and the Thief. When you get your DVR player, just fast forward to the number. It's a dilly! This arrangement has an awesome rhythmic complexity, set in 5/4 time. It's the best dance duo since Astaire and Powell's "Begin the Beguine" in Broadway Melody of 1940. This was Bremer's follow-up to Meet Me in St. Louis and also around the time that she paired with Astaire for the "This Heart of Mine" number that was used in Ziegfeld Follies. She didn't last much longer -- perhaps due to the failure of this film?

Yup, the story's simple. It's a child's fairy tale! Remember, that's how the movie begins, with the old teacher telling the tale to the school children? The original story was written by the Tyrolian, Ludwig Bemelmans, whom producer Arthur Freed described as "a charming writer, just beautiful -- childlike in his way -- I called him a minor Molnár."* Irving Brecher wrote the script, and he shared JohnM's disdain for Bremer. He refused to work on the project until [MGM executive in charge of musicals] Sam Katz offered him a four-year contract at $2,000 per week. I find the notion of a guardian angel watching over the naive Yolanda charming. But then, I'm a sap!

I suppose because it's so bizarre and unique is what I most enjoy about watching it. And I'm not done with it. I want to view it more, study it and then maybe I'll join you in dismissing it. Until then -- vive la difference!
_______
* Today Ferenc Molnár is known primarily for his fanciful tales Liliom, the story of an angel that returns to Earth; which became Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.

[knitwit45]

Good Morning!
Sitting here with my first of many coffees, this has been a particularly great way to wake up-with Astaire, Ames, Bremer and Natwick. I remember seeing this the first time on a snowy Saturday afternoon, and being swept into the charming fantasy of it.

I am no film scholar, and don't aspire to be one. I just enjoy movies. But thanks to our resident film authorities, Jondaris, Moira, Mongo and Moraldo/Jack, I have learned a lot about why I like or dislike movies.

I, too, think "Coffee Time" is one of Fred's best.

Thanks, Jack, for the insights, and keep checking in with further notes on this one.

Nancy

[Ayres]

You're not alone, Marco. Though Yolanda is by no means one of my faves, I find it rather fascinating. Maybe because FA is a kind of guardian angel to me. ; }

I am crazy about the harp number. It's not the greatest song--and it doesn't even make sense for him to suddenly woo her the way he does--but the way he sings it to her, and strums the harp (music dubbed by Bobby Maxwell, but Fred pantomimes most convincingly). Be still my heart...

My friend Patricia likes the film so much that she plans to do a presentation on it at a conference next year.

[feaito]

I saw "Yolanda and the Thief" only once when it was aired by public TV channel in the 1980s and I loved the film; it's surreal quality, the color, the dancing, the fairy-tale plot and Lucille Bremer, whom I hadn't seen before.

It became on of my favorite "offbeat", "unique", "sophisticated" (IMO) MGM musicals along with "The Pirate". It is definitely not everybody's cup of tea -not at all- and it certainly wasn't popular with audiences, but it has a kind of "uncanny", intriguing quality that attracted me. I'd love to have it on DVD.

But then, many of my favorite films are those that weren't popular with audiences of its day and have that type of surreal quality, like "Peter Ibbetson", "The Devil is a Woman" or "Portrait of Jennie". They have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that enthralls me completely.

[mrsl]

Some of you have convinced me to make sure I sit through it next time I see it's on, however, I have to add. I like childish movies - Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks etc. The difference is, they're aimed at children, but also remember adults have to bring those kids to the theater, but Yolanda and The Pirate both make me feel like someone is putting me on. ie., trying to make a serious movie out of a fairy tale. In one Yolanda believes she has a fairy godfather, and in the Pirate, Garland believes a long dead legend has come back to life. These two clunk heads actually believe in their fantasies, whereas in the others, the children are the believers and the adults are only brought along for the ride.

Besides, I'm curious what could be so wondrous about the coffee skit.

Anne