Lucille Bremer, an actress and dancer who was Fred Astaire's partner in "Yolanda and the Thief" and "Ziegfeld Follies" during her brief film career in the 1940's, died on Tuesday at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif. She was 79 and lived in La Jolla and in Las Cruces, Baja California, Mexico.

The cause of death was complications after a heart attack, said Dale C. Olson, a friend.

Ms. Bremer was born in Amsterdam, N.Y., and grew up in Philadelphia. While dancing as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall, she was discovered by Arthur Freed, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer.

After making her movie debut in "Meet Me in St. Louis" in 1944, she played Yolanda in "Yolanda and the Thief" and was Astaire's principal dance partner in "Ziegfeld Follies."

While filming "The Adventures of Casanova" in Mexico City, she met Abelardo Rodriguez, the son of a former President of Mexico. When they were married in 1948, she retired from the movies. In 1971, they were divorced.

She is survived by four children, all of Baja California: two daughters, Christina Battaglia of Cabo San Jose and Karen Rodriguez of Todos Santos, and two sons, Nicholas Rodriguez of Las Cruces and Torre Rodriguez of Cabo San Jose. She is also survived by six grandchildren.

Photo: Lucille Bremer. (1945)

Lucille B Rodriguez