Yolanda & The Thief

Fred 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 Bremer) that he's her guardian angel. It's a perfect plot to fleece the winsome mark, until love gets other ideas. Ahead of its time in tone and visual style and largely underappreciated at its release, this musical is a real find for fans of bold, inventive filmmaking.

• comedy