Minnelli, Vincente (1910-1986), was one of the greatest directors in the history of American motion pictures. He was especially famous for his movie musicals. Minnelli won the 1958 Academy Award as best director for the romantic musical Gigi (1958). Gigi also received the Academy Award for best picture, as did an earlier film that Minnelli directed, An American in Paris (1951). Minnelli also directed a number of acclaimed film dramas and comedies.
Minnelli was born on Feb. 28, 1903, in Chicago. His real name was Lester Anthony Minnelli. During the 1930’s, he was a noted costume and set designer for the New York City stage. In 1935, he became a stage director. His shows on Broadway included the hit musicals At Home Abroad (1935), The Show Is On (1936), and Hooray for What! (1937).
In 1940, Minnelli moved to Hollywood. He began his film career staging dance numbers in the musicals Strike Up the Band (1940) and Babes on Broadway (1941), both starring Judy Garland . Minnelli was married to Garland from 1945 to 1951. Their daughter, Liza Minnelli , became a stage and film star.
Vincente Minnelli made his debut as a director with Cabin in the Sky (1943). Several of Minnelli musicals have become classics, notably Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and The Bandwagon (1953). His other musicals included The Pirate (1948), Brigadoon (1954), and Kismet (1955).
Although Minnelli is best known for his musicals, more than half of the films he directed were nonmusicals. The romantic drama The Clock (1945) provided Garland with one of her finest roles. Father of the Bride (1950) ranks among the best comedies of the 1950’s. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) is a highly praised drama about life in Hollywood. Lust for Life (1956) is a famous film biography of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Among Minnelli’s other nonmusical films are Designing Woman (1957), Home From the Hill (1960), The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), and The Sandpiper (1965). He wrote an autobiography, I Remember It Well (1974).
