Les Joyeux Voleurs

Having been to the Prado Museum in Madrid I was looking forward to seeing The Happy Thieves which was produced by Rita Hayworth's final husband James Hill and starring Hayworth and Rex Harrison. But this turned out to be a disappointment for me. I expected more from these stars and director George Marshall.

For all the sophisticated dialog that Rex Harrison delivers he's also a guy who countenances murder as a diversion for him to steal a Goya painting from the museum. It didn't quite compute with his character.

After training her in the art of thievery, Rex finds Rita balking at the more disagreeable parts of his profession. So she can never testify against him, he marries her. Apparently that must be a part of the Spanish legal system as well, even under Francisco Franco. Later on she turns the tables on him, but you have to see the film to find out how and why.

Color cinematography might have helped especially since a good deal of this film was done in the Prado Museum and the movie audiences could have gotten a look at some of the great old masters like, Goya, El Greco, and Velasquez.

In the end The Happy Thieves depends on the charm of its leads and they're not up to it. No one would have been.

One of two feature films released in 1962 based on novels by Richard Condon. This is the other one.

Dismissed as "absolute rubbish" by Rex Harrison, despite Mario Nascimbene's twee score's attempts to convince us otherwise it's garrulous and unfunny but painless enough. The stars got an expenses paid holiday in Madrid out of it, and as photographed by Paul Beeson it's good to look at; as as are two handsome actresses then in the autumn of their careers who share one scene together. Alida Valli is wasted in a supporting role as a countess but Rita Hayworth - whose problem drinking is unchivilrously referred by her co-star in the film itself - is rather touching and chicly dressed in Pierre Balmain.

I've always had great affection for this film, for its whimsical score by Mario Nascimbene , for being able to see both Joseph Wiseman and Rita Hayworth play comedy at all and in the same film, for being able to see Rex Harrison play the same character but pulled back a bit that he did in THE HONEY POT a few years later, for the affection and attention it gives to the museum scene, and for its ingenious art theft. Most of all, I admire it for the surprising and yet convincing ending and Hayworth's reaction.

With Rex Harrison and Rita Hayworth, you might tend to think you'll see a pretty good film but unfortunately the film only barely manages to earn a 5 and most of this is due to these actors. Try as they might, the film is just an amazingly listless film. Plus throughout the film I kept expecting a payoff to make my time investment worth while. Sadly, when the film was over, my first thought was "is that all there is to it?!". No magic, no chemistry...just a rather bland caper about stolen masterpieces. If you are looking for a good crime film or some of the excitement of GILDA, keep looking. This film features second-rate writing and barely enough energy to keep your interest. It isn't that the film is bad, but it certainly wasn't good either.

Jimmy Bourne (Rex Harrison) and Eve Lewis (Rita Hayworth) are thieves. It helps that he's the owner of Hotel Bourne. In Madrid, they and forger Jean Marie Calbert are blackmailed by Victor Muñoz into stealing a famous Goya painting, Second of May, showing in the Prado Museum.

Rex is doing nothing other than being cool. The most problematic is that it's trying to be comedic but there's nothing funny here. Director George Marshall started in the silent age and his best work may be behind him by this time. As a heist movie, this could work if it's treated seriously. It doesn't have a driving narrative. It lacks energy. I don't think the scheme is particularly brilliant. The museum is letting them in to paint for some reason. I don't understand how they got in. The bullfighting is interesting on its own but that's some kind of crazy distraction. They may as well rob all the banks in Madrid. This could still work if it doesn't have that screwball music cue trying to declare it funny. It's not funny.