Vincente Minnelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli, circa 1950s
Born	Lester Anthony Minnelli (1903-02-28)February 28, 1903 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	July 25, 1986(1986-07-25) (aged 83) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Occupation	Theatre director film director
Years active	1928–1976
Notable work	Meet Me in St. Louis An American in Paris The Bad and the Beautiful The Band Wagon Gigi
Spouse(s)	Judy Garland ​ ​ (m. 1945; div. 1951)​ Georgette Magnani ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1958)​ Denise Hale ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1971)​ Margaretta Lee Anderson ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	2, including Liza Minnelli

Vincente Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli) was a famous American director for both stage and film. He was born on February 28, 1903, and passed away on July 25, 1986. He directed many classic movie musicals like Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), An American in Paris (1951), The Band Wagon (1953), and Gigi (1958).

Two of his films, An American in Paris and Gigi, won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Minnelli himself won the Best Director award for Gigi. Besides musicals, he also directed many comedies and dramas. He was married to the famous actress and singer Judy Garland from 1945 to 1951. Their daughter, Liza Minnelli, also became a well-known actress and singer.

Early Life and Family Background

Vincente Minnelli was born Lester Anthony Minnelli in Chicago on February 28, 1903. He was the youngest of four sons. His mother, Marie Émilie Odile Lebeau, used the stage name Mina Gennell. His father, Vincent Charles Minnelli, was a musical conductor for a traveling theater group called the Minnelli Brothers' Tent Theater.

His mother was from Chicago and had French-Canadian roots. His family traveled to many small towns in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before settling in Delaware, Ohio.

His paternal grandfather, Vincenzo Minnelli, and great-uncle, Domenico Minnelli, were from Sicily. They had to leave their home after a political uprising in 1848. Vincenzo later met his future wife, Nina Picket, in Delaware, Ohio, while working as a piano demonstrator. Vincenzo was a music teacher and composer. Some of his musical works are kept in important collections like the Library of Congress.

Beginning His Career

After finishing high school, Minnelli moved to Chicago. He first worked as a window dresser at a large department store called Marshall Field's. Later, he became a photographer for Paul Stone, who took pictures of actors in Chicago's theater area. Minnelli became very interested in theater and spent a lot of time learning about art.

His first job in theater was at the Chicago Theatre. There, he designed costumes and sets for plays. The theater chain he worked for soon joined a larger national company, Paramount Pictures. This led Minnelli to work on shows in New York City. He then moved to New York and rented a small apartment in Greenwich Village.

He later got a job at Radio City Music Hall when it opened in 1932. He started as a set designer and worked his way up to become a stage director. He even helped choose the colors for the famous Rainbow Room inside the building.

Directing on Stage and Screen

After leaving Radio City Music Hall, Minnelli directed his first play, a musical show called At Home Abroad. It opened in 1935 and was very popular, running for two years. He then worked on other successful shows like Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. His reputation grew, and in 1940, he was offered a job at MGM, a major film studio, by producer Arthur Freed.

Because of his strong background in theater, Minnelli brought a unique style to his films. His first movie, Cabin in the Sky (1943), clearly showed his theater experience. He also directed I Dood It (1943) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). While making Meet Me in St. Louis, he fell in love with the film's star, Judy Garland. They had first met earlier when Minnelli helped design a musical scene for a film Garland was in. They got married in June 1945.

Their only child together was Liza Minnelli, who became a famous actress and singer. The Minnelli family is special because Vincente, Judy, and Liza all won Oscars.

Minnelli is best known for directing musicals like An American in Paris (1951), Brigadoon (1954), and Gigi (1958). But he also directed many comedies and dramas. Some of these include Father of the Bride (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1956). His last film was A Matter of Time in 1976.

Throughout his career, he directed seven actors who were nominated for Oscars. Two of them, Gloria Grahame and Anthony Quinn, won. Minnelli himself was nominated for Best Director for An American in Paris and won the Best Director Oscar for Gigi.

In 1986, just weeks before he passed away, France gave him its highest civilian honor, the Commandeur of the Legion of Honor. Many film experts admired his work, with some calling him "the greatest director of motion picture musicals."

On February 8, 1960, Vincente Minnelli received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his important contributions to movies. You can find his star at 6676 Hollywood Boulevard.

Personal Life

Vincente Minnelli was married four times:

• Judy Garland (June 15, 1945 – March 29, 1951): They had one child, Liza May Minnelli (born 1946). Their marriage ended in divorce.
• Georgette Magnani (February 1, 1954 – January 1, 1958): They had one child, Christiane Nina Minnelli (born 1955). This marriage also ended in divorce.
• Danica ("Denise") Radosavljević Gay Giulianelli de Gigante (January 15, 1962 – August 1, 1971): This marriage ended in divorce.
• Margaretta Lee Anderson (April 1, 1980 – July 25, 1986): This was his fourth and final marriage. They were married for six years until his death in 1986. Margaretta passed away in 2009 at 100 years old.

Later Years and Passing

Vincente Minnelli passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on July 25, 1986, at the age of 83. He had been suffering from lung problems, including emphysema and pneumonia. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Minnelli left most of his money to his daughter, Liza. He also left money to his widow and asked that she continue to live in his Beverly Hills home.

Filmography

Theatre Credits

Published Works

• Minnelli, Vincente (1974). Vincente Minnelli's I Remember It Well. Doubleday & Co.. ISBN 978-0-573-60607-6.

See also

In Spanish: Vincente Minnelli para niños