Editing Vincente Minnelli

{{short description|American stage and film director (1903–1986)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Vincente Minnelli
| image              = Vincent Minelli - 1950s.jpg
| caption            = Vincente Minnelli, circa 1950s
| birth_name         = Lester Anthony Minnelli<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincente-Minnelli |last=Barson |first=Michael |date=July 21, 2020 |title=Vincente Minnelli – American director |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205062352/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincente-Minnelli |archive-date=February 5, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1903|02|28}}
| birth_place        = [[Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1986|07|25|1903|02|28}}
| death_place        = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Theatre director|film director}}
| yearsactive        = 1919–1976
| notable_works      = {{hlist|''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]''|''[[An American in Paris (film)|An American in Paris]]''|''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]''|''[[The Band Wagon]]''|''[[Gigi (1958 film)|Gigi]]''}}
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Judy Garland]]|1945|1951|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Georgette Magnani|1954|1958|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Denise Gigante|1962|1971|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Margaretta Lee Anderson|1980<!--Year omitted when marriage ends by death of subject per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}
}}
| children           = 2, including [[Liza Minnelli]]
}}
'''Vincente Minnelli''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɪ|n|s|ən|t|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Vincente Minnelli.wav}}; born '''Lester Anthony Minnelli'''; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American [[Theatre director|stage director]] and film director. From a career spanning over half a century, he is best known for his sophisticated innovation and artistry in [[musical films]]. {{As of|2025}}, six of his films have been selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]].{{efn|The films selected for the [[National Film Registry]] are ''Cabin in the Sky'' (1943), ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), ''An American in Paris'' (1951), ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952), ''The Band Wagon'' (1953) and ''Gigi'' (1958).<ref name=loc>{{cite web |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=April 11, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411144616/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |archive-date=April 11, 2025}}</ref>}}

Minnelli made his stage debut as an actor in a production of ''[[East Lynne]]'', staged by the Minnelli Brothers' Tent Theater (co-founded by his father and paternal uncle). After graduating from high school, he worked as an apprentice window designer at [[Marshall Field's]] department store in [[Chicago]]. There, he attended the [[Art Institute of Chicago]] and became a costume designer for the [[Balaban and Katz]] theater chain. By the early 1930s, he moved to [[New York City]] and served as the art director for the [[Radio City Music Hall]].

In 1935, Minnelli became a theatre director with ''[[At Home Abroad]]'' (1935), starring [[Beatrice Lillie]] and [[Eleanor Powell]]. In 1937, Minnelli moved to Hollywood and served a brief stint at [[Paramount Pictures]] before returning to Broadway. In 1940, Minnelli was hired by [[Arthur Freed]] to work for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], where he directed sequences in ''[[Babes on Broadway]]'' (1941) and ''[[Panama Hattie (film)|Panama Hattie]]'' (1942). He made his directorial film debut with ''[[Cabin in the Sky (film)|Cabin in the Sky]]'' (1943). A year later, Minnelli directed ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' (1944) starring [[Judy Garland]]. He married Garland a year later, and their daughter [[Liza Minnelli|Liza]] was born in 1946. He subsequently directed Garland in ''[[The Clock (1945 film)|The Clock]]'' (1945), ''[[Ziegfeld Follies (film)|Ziegfeld Follies]]'' (1945) and ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]'' (1948). He divorced Garland in 1951.

Throughout the 1950s, Minnelli directed numerous comedies, dramas and musicals, including ''[[Father of the Bride (1950 film)|Father of the Bride]]'' (1950), ''[[An American in Paris (film)|An American in Paris]]'' (1951), ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952), ''[[Lust for Life (1956 film)|Lust for Life]]'' (1956) and ''[[Gigi (1958 film)|Gigi]]'' (1958). ''An American in Paris'' and ''Gigi'' respectively both won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]], with Minnelli winning the [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director Oscar]] for the latter film. For over 26 years, Minnelli became the longest-tenured film director for MGM.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=191}}

By 1962, Minnelli's relationship with MGM worsened due to the commercial failures of ''[[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (film)|The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]]'' and ''[[Two Weeks in Another Town]]''. He formed his production company called Venice Productions, partnering with MGM and [[20th Century Fox]] on ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (film)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' (1963) and ''[[Goodbye Charlie]]'' (1964). He directed his final film ''[[A Matter of Time (film)|A Matter of Time]]'' (1976), starring his daughter Liza. Ten years later, in 1986, Minnelli died at his Beverly Hills residence, at age 83.

==Early life==
Lester Anthony Minnelli was born on February 28, 1903, to Marie Émilie Odile Lebeau and Vincent Charles Minnelli.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=1–3}} He was baptized in Chicago, and was the youngest of four known sons, only two of whom survived to adulthood. His mother, whose stage name was Mina Gennell,{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=32}} was born in Chicago. She was of [[French Canadians|French-Canadian]] descent, and there is a likelihood of [[Anishinaabe]] lineage through her mother, who was born on [[Mackinac Island, Michigan]].{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=3}} His father co-founded the Minnelli Brothers' Tent Theater, serving as the [[Conducting|musical conductor]]. Both had met each other at a musical revue; although they initially argued over her accompaniment, they grew closer and were married in November 1894. Following the marriage, she joined the Minnelli Brothers troupe.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=33}}{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=3–4}}

His paternal grandfather, Vincenzo Minnelli, and grand-uncle, Domenico Minnelli, both [[List of people from Sicily|Sicilian]] [[Revolutionary|revolutionaries]], were forced to leave [[Sicily]] after the collapse of the provisional Sicilian government that arose from the [[Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848|1848 revolution]] against [[Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies|Ferdinand II and Bourbon rule]]. Domenico Minnelli had been Vice-Chancellor of the Gran Corte Civile in [[Palermo]] at the time he helped organize the January 12, 1848, uprising there.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cospirazioni e rivolte di Francesco Bentivegna e compagni|year=1891|publisher=tipografia del "Giornale di Sicilia"|pages=23–24}}</ref> After the Bourbon return to power Vincenzo reportedly hid in the [[Catacombe dei Cappuccini|catacombs of Palermo]] for 18 months before being successfully smuggled onto a New York-bound fruit [[Steamship|steamer]].<ref>{{cite news |title=A Delaware Saga Moves From Torchlit Tent Show to Broadway |work=[[Columbus Dispatch]] |date=November 10, 1935}}</ref>

At three years old, Minnelli made his debut stage performance portraying Little Willie in ''[[East Lynne]]'', alongside his mother performing dual roles as Lady Isabel and Madame Vine.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=28–29}} During the performance, Minnelli [[Breaking character|broke character]] when his character was supposed to have died.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=5}} His family moved to [[Delaware, Ohio]], where he spent the first three years of high school at St. Mary's. Since St. Mary's had no twelfth grade, he spent his last year at Willis High School [https://ohio5.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15963coll29/id/5896/] in [[Delaware, Ohio|Delaware]], graduating at 16 years of age.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=13–14}} There, he appeared in a school production of ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' and starred in ''The Fortune Hunter'' at the Delaware Opera House.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=42}}

==Career==
===1919–1936: Theatre career===
Following his high school graduation, Minnelli moved to Chicago, where he lived briefly with his maternal grandmother Le Beau and his aunt Amy. In search for a job, Minnelli took his portfolio of watercolor paintings to the [[Marshall Field's]] [[department store]]. Arthur Valair Fraser, the store's display director, reviewed his portfolio and hired him immediately as an apprentice [[window dresser]].{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=14–15}} There, the store windows were changed four times a year with elaborate themes matched to each corresponding season. Minnelli was first assigned to design the men's store, but he instead asked to design windows on Wabash Avenue where furniture and decorative antique items were frequently rearranged.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=43–46}} Meanwhile, Minnelli enrolled in the [[Art Institute of Chicago]] with personal ambitions to become a painter. However, he dropped out due to his work schedule and lack of interest in the curriculum.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=46}} 

While working at Marshall Field's, a blind female customer arrived to rent stage props for the Radical Playhouse. She asked Minnelli to join their acting group where they were performing one-act plays by [[Eugene O'Neill]]. Minnelli agreed, and read for the part of a retired sea captain in O'Neill's ''Where the Cross is Made''.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=17}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=18}} He disliked this acting job, but Minnelli remained a frequent attendee of [[Chicago Loop|Chicago's theatre district]]. In his spare time, he painted watercolor sketches of contemporary theatre actors, including [[Ina Claire]] and [[Mary Nash (actress)|Mary Nash]]. Encouraged by his friends, he sold his paintings backstage, and earned enough money to live on his own. One night, while selling his artwork backstage, he was approached by Paul Stone, who admired Minnelli's pictorial composition. "If you can do this sort of thing, you can become a fine photographer," Stone told him.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=47–48}} 

Minnelli left his Marshall Field's job, and worked for Stone as an assistant photographer. Stone specialized in photographing actors and socialites from Chicago's theater district at theatrical luminaries, society matrons and wedding parties.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=17}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=19}} At Stone's Raymor studio, Minnelli photographed numerous celebrities, including Ina Claire, where he coaxed them into capturing their best angles. Minnelli reflected, "Stone's photography was soft, but in sharp focus, so that it could reproduce on the printed page. This taught me a way of creating mood."{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=49}} Months later, Stone suffered a [[Mental disorder|nervous breakdown]], and Minnelli assumed his photography duties. Feeling photography was not his suited profession, Minnelli grew dissatisfied and began reading [[Elizabeth Robins Pennell|Elizabeth]] and [[Joseph Pennell]]'s 1911 biography of [[James McNeill Whistler]], an American painter. Inspired by Whistler's art techniques, Minnelli immersed himself in [[Impressionism|impressionist]] and [[Surrealism|surrealist]] painters, such as [[Henri Matisse]], [[Marcel Duchamp]], [[Max Ernst]] and [[Salvador Dalí]]. He also admired the experimental films of [[Jean Cocteau]] and [[Luis Buñuel]], and the writings of [[Sigmund Freud]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=19}} Around this time, Minnelli dropped Lester from his name, replacing it with "Vincente"; the final "e" was added in order to seem more sophisticated and elegant.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=19}}

One day, Minnelli approached Frank Cambria, who headed the [[Chicago Theatre]], which was a part of the [[Balaban and Katz]] theater chain. He told Cambria that he should open his own costume department, and allow him to run it. Cambria took Minnelli to [[A. J. Balaban]]'s office, where he was hired as a [[Costume design|costume]] and [[Scenic design|set designer]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=51–52}} Assigned to give the stage productions "a custom touch", Minnelli was shocked the costume department operated on meager budgets. At the time, theatre productions ran one week at the Chicago Theatre where the sets and costumes were disassembled and reused at the [[Tivoli Theatre (Chicago)|Tivoli]] and [[Uptown Theatre (Chicago)|Uptown Theatre]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=53–54}}

In 1931, Balaban and Katz merged with the [[Paramount Pictures##Publix, Balaban and Katz, Loew's_competition and_wonder theaters|Paramount-Publix]] theater chain, and Minnelli was asked to work on New York stage productions for $150 a week. He left Chicago and rented a tiny [[Greenwich Village]] apartment. At Paramount, Minnelli worked exclusively in costumes, and was restricted from designing sets because he wasn't in the set designers' union. He was eventually accepted into the union membership thanks to sponsorship from J. Woodman Thompson, a prominent stage designer.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=28}} His first Broadway assignment was designing the show curtain for [[Earl Carroll]]'s 1931 edition of the ''[[The Earl Carroll Vanities|Vanities]]'' musical revue. Taking inspiration from [[Léon Bakst]]'s designs for the [[Ballets Russes]], Minnelli fashioned a {{convert|300|ft}}–tall green and silver curtain to accompany the [[Art Deco]] theatrical style. Impressed, Carroll rehired Minnelli as a costume and set designer for the 1932 ''Vanities''.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=27}}{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=57}} 

By this time, [[Grace Moore]] asked Minnelli to supervise the art direction for the operetta, ''The Dubarry''. During rehearsals, Minnelli and Moore had creative differences but remained cordial. The operetta had [[Tryout (theatre)|tryouts]] in [[Boston]], and premiered in New York in November 1932 where it ran for 87 performances.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=30}} Based on his success, Paramount executives selected him for costume and set design for the 1933 edition of ''[[Ziegfeld Follies]]''. However, by 1933, Paramount-Publix filed for bankruptcy protection, in which [[Adolph Zukor]] fired [[B. P. Schulberg]] as the studio's head of production and began a corporate restructuring.<ref>{{cite news |last=Doherty |first=Thomas |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-pictures-studio-hollywood-movies-1235838109/ |title=The Ruthless Rise and Fall of Paramount Pictures During Hollywood's Golden Age |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=February 29, 2024 |access-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229164952/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-pictures-studio-hollywood-movies-1235838109/ |archive-date=February 29, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Paramount's East Coast studios were relocated to [[Astoria, Queens|Astoria, New York]], but it was decided their [[touring theatre]] unit was no longer profitable and was closed down in favor of touring [[big bands]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=60}} 

Minnelli was eventually employed as a set designer at [[Radio City Music Hall]], after it opened in December 1932. During rehearsals, theatre businessman [[Samuel Roxy Rothafel|Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel]] harshly criticized Minnelli, art director Clark Robinson, and dance director Russell Markert. Following another heated discussion, Robinson immediately resigned, to which Minnelli assumed Robinson's former position.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=26}} In July 1933, Minnelli's first art direction assignment was designing a "Water Lily" ballet, a Cuban potpourri illustrated with a backdrop of [[Cockfight|fighting cocks]], a Big Top interior for a circus number, and a [[Rue de la Paix, Paris|Rue de la Paix]] dress shop to display [[The Rockettes|the Roxettes]].{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=29}} In December 1933, Minnelli art-directed a production of the ''[[Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)|Scheherazade]]'' suite by [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]. His efforts were applauded in the mainstream press, including ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]''.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=31}}{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=36}} 

Despite this, Rothafel was later fired and was replaced by W. G. Van Schmus. In 1934, Schmus selected Minnelli to produce his first stage show titled ''Coast to Coast'', which opened on October 25. Accompanied with music from [[E. Y. Harburg]] and [[Duke Ellington]], the show displayed several sets, 
illustrating the [[French Riviera]], the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|British Gold Coast]], [[Ivory Coast]] and the [[Barbary Coast]]. Backstage, Minnelli was offered a directing job by [[Lee Shubert]] for his stage company.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=62–67}} Despite the offer, Minnelli continued working for Radio City Music Hall until he left in April 1935. After months of considering, he joined Shubert's organization, signing a contract to produce three musical shows over eighteen months.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=31}}

Minnelli was handed his first directorial project titled ''[[At Home Abroad]]'', with music composed by [[Arthur Schwartz]] and [[Howard Dietz]]. Starring [[Beatrice Lillie]], [[Ethel Waters]], and [[Eleanor Powell]], the Broadway musical centered on a married couple who flee the United States, and travel across Europe, Africa, [[Japan]], and the [[West Indies]]. The musical had a try-out in Boston and opened at the [[Winter Garden Theatre]] on September 19, 1935.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=41–42}} In his ''New York Times'' review, [[Brooks Atkinson]] praised Minnelli's efforts, writing: "Without resorting to opulence he has filled the stage with rich, glowing colors that give the whole work an extraordinary loveliness. Nothing quite so exhilarating as this has borne the Shubert seal before."<ref>{{cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Brooks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/09/20/archives/beatrice-lillie-and-ethel-waters-in-a-musical-travelogue-entitled-a.html |title=The Play: Beatrice Lillie and Ethel Waters in a Musical Travelogue Entitled 'At Home Abroad.' |newspaper=The New York Times |page=17 |date=September 20, 1935 |access-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509013527/https://www.nytimes.com/1935/09/20/archives/beatrice-lillie-and-ethel-waters-in-a-musical-travelogue-entitled-a.html |archive-date=May 9, 2024 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref>

While ''At Home Aboard'' continued its Broadway run, Minnelli returned to costume and scenic design for the ''[[Ziegfeld Follies of 1936]]'', starring [[Fannie Brice]]. [[John Murray Anderson]] was the director, but during rehearsals, he transferred directing duties to Minnelli. To update the look, Minnelli used the [[1880s]] as inspiration for the hair styles and elegant costumes.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=75–77}} Opening on January 30, 1936, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a commercial success, running for five months and reopened for another five months after a summer hiatus. Minnelli was not involved in the revival, but instead chose to direct a musical revue titled ''The Show Must Go''. Minnelli devised an original story, featuring new songs from a team of [[Tin Pan Alley]] lyricists. The show premiered on Christmas Day 1936 and ran for 237 performances during its initial run.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=82–86}} A reprise opened in September 1937 and played for two weeks.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=54}}

===1937: Brief stint at Paramount Pictures===
Based on his Broadway success, Hollywood had taken notice of Minnelli as a rising director. [[Samuel Goldwyn]] tentatively approached Minnelli to direct ''[[The Goldwyn Follies]]'' (1938), and in 1937, [[Paramount Pictures]] offered him a contract to produce and direct films.{{sfn|Naremore|1993|p=24}} Although he was initially reluctant,{{sfn|Knox|1973|p=19}} Minnelli accepted the offer and was paid $2,500 a week. His first project was ''Times Squares'', a mystery film set on Broadway. [[Leo Birinski]] was hired to write the script, with the plot detailing characters venturing throughout various musical numbers from Broadway shows to piece together vital clues.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=58}} Minnelli also proposed a surrealist ballet featuring Paramount's contract actors, and held conversations with [[Kurt Weill]] about a potential musical film.{{sfn|Naremore|1993|p=25}} Minnelli discussed the project with [[Adolph Zukor]], the head of Paramount, but he was uninterested; discussions with [[William LeBaron]], the studio's head of production, did not move the project forward.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=58}}

Meanwhile, Minnelli proposed the title ''[[Shall We Dance (1937 film)|Shall We Dance]]'' (1937) to the [[Fred Astaire]]–[[Ginger Rogers]] film. He consulted on [[Raoul Walsh]]'s 1937 film ''[[Artists and Models (1937 film)|Artists and Models]]'' devising the "Public Melody No. 1" number, featuring [[Louis Armstrong]] and [[Martha Raye]].{{sfn|Naremore|1993|p=25}}

===1937–1939: Return to Broadway===
After six months of negotiating, Minnelli was released from his contract and returned to Broadway. Lee Shubert offered him the musical ''[[Hooray for What!]]'', which starred [[Ed Wynn]] and featured music and lyrics by [[Harold Arlen]] and E. Y. Harburg. Minnelli was given only three months for preparation before its premiere on December 1, 1937. The musical was well-received,{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=63}} with ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine calling it "the funniest show of the year."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pD8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 |title=New York Hoorays for Ed Wynn |magazine=Life |date=December 20, 1937 |pages=44–46 |via=[[Google Books]] |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222034630/https://books.google.com/books?id=pD8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine also applauded: "Sharing credit with Wynn for the show's success is able Vincente Minnelli, trained in the hard school of movie stage-shows, who directed it and designed the scenery."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,758633,00.html |title=The Theatre: New Plays in Manhattan |magazine=Time |date=December 13, 1937 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222034630/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,758633,00.html |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Inspired by the musicals ''[[Pins and Needles]]'' and ''[[Four Saints in Three Acts]]'', Minnelli began developing a surrealist fantasy titled ''The Light Fantastic'', with Beatrice Lillie in mind to star. He offered her four musical numbers and four sketches outlining his vision, but Lillie, then in England, had not responded in time. He then shifted to a musicalization of [[S. N. Behrman]]'s play ''Serena Blandish'', wanting to feature Black American actors. [[Cole Porter]] was hired to write the musical score. Sid Perelman wrote the libretto, while [[Lena Horne]] read for the title role. After six months of development, Minnelli abandoned the project.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=103–106}} Exhausted, Minnelli took a sabbatical break until producer Max Gordon offered him to direct ''[[Very Warm for May]]''. [[Oscar Hammerstein II]] and [[Jerome Kern]] were hired to write the lyrics and compose the musical score, respectively. Pleased with the musical's first act, Minnelli unsuccessfully tried to rearrange the second act. The musical opened at the [[Alvin Theatre]] on November 17, 1939,{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=107}} with musical critic Brooks Atkinson writing in his review that Minnelli had not "solved the confusion of the story."<ref>{{cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Brooks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/11/18/archives/the-play-very-warm-for-may-with-score-by-jerome-kern-and-book-by.html |title=THE PLAY: 'Very Warm for May,' With Score by Jerome Kern and Book by Oscar Hammerstein 2d |newspaper=The New York Times |page=23 |date=November 18, 1939 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222034630/https://www.nytimes.com/1939/11/18/archives/the-play-very-warm-for-may-with-score-by-jerome-kern-and-book-by.html |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Adjacent of this time, [[William Saroyan]]'s play ''[[The Time of Your Life]]'' had opened three weeks before and was well-regarded. Minnelli became friends with Saroyan and they partnered on a black surrealist musical comedy, with [[Richard Rodgers]] and [[Lorenz Hart]] composing the score. Both men collaborated with [[David Freeman (screenwriter)|David Freeman]] on the script, but Saroyan exited the project.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=109}} During the spring of 1940, Harburg brought [[Arthur Freed]] into Minnelli's studio on East 54th Street.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=70}} Minnelli remembered, "Then Arthur Freed came to see me at my studio and convinced me to come to MGM to do the kind of thing that I liked, you know?"{{sfn|Knox|1973|p=19}} After a discussion, Minnelli agreed to be paid $300 a week.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=110–112}}

===1940–1949: Early MGM films===
On April 2, 1940, Minnelli began working for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=74}} In 1941, he did minor consulting work, which included critiquing [[Norman Z. McLeod]]'s ''[[Lady Be Good (1941 film)|Lady Be Good]]'' (1941) and advising [[Pandro Berman]] to change the beginning of ''[[Rio Rita (1942 film)|Rio Rita]]'' (1942). Sometime later, McLeod had filmed ''[[Panama Hattie (film)|Panama Hattie]]'' (1942) but received lackluster responses during test screenings. In reaction, Freed hired [[Roy Del Ruth]] to film reshoots and Minnelli to direct the musical numbers featuring [[Lena Horne]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=76–77}}

Meanwhile, Minnelli visited the set for ''[[Strike Up the Band (film)|Strike Up the Band]]'' (1940), starring [[Mickey Rooney]] and [[Judy Garland]]. Freed mentioned they needed a musical number for a scene where Rooney's character aspires to be like [[Paul Whiteman]], a bandleader. Minnelli suggested using a bowl of fruits, having spotted one on set.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=60}} Freed liked the idea and hired Henry Fox to create a tabletop,{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=116–117}} while [[George Pal]] provided the [[stop motion]] animation of the musicians made of fruit. During filming, Minnelli met Garland, who had just turned 18 years old, for the first time.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=81}} Minnelli subsequently worked on [[Busby Berkeley]]'s ''[[Babes on Broadway]]'' (1941), which also starred Rooney and Garland, for the "Ghost Theater" sequence. Minnelli suggested they imitate veteran Broadway stars, but Berkeley rejected the idea.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=61}}

====''Cabin in the Sky''====
{{Main|Cabin in the Sky (film)}}
[[File:I Dood It (1943) trailer 1.jpg|thumb|right|Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell in ''I Dood It'' (1943)]]
In 1942, Minnelli was called to Freed's office where he was offered to direct ''Cabin in the Sky'' (1943). Minnelli accepted, writing he "interpreted the assignment, with more freedom than I'd dreamed possible, as just reward for past contributions."{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=119}} Based on the 1940 musical by [[Vernon Duke]] and [[John La Touche (musician)|John La Touche]], ''Cabin in the Sky'' tells the story of Petunia ([[Ethel Waters]]), a devout woman, who prays for the soul of her gambler-husband "Little" Joe Jackson ([[Eddie "Rochester" Anderson]]).{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=88}} 

Filming began in August 1942, with only Waters and [[Rex Ingram (actor)|Rex Ingram]] reprising their Broadway roles. Lena Horne was cast as Georgia Brown, a seductive woman who tempts Jackson.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=41}} During production, Minnelli had shot a musical number "Ain't It the Truth," featuring Horne in a bubble bath. [[Joseph Breen]] of the [[Hays Code|Motion Picture Production Code]] objected to the scene, which was then excised from the film.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=90}} Modestly budgeted at $679,260 (in 1942 dollars), ''Cabin in the Sky'' earned $1.6 million at the box office.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=40, 42}}

====''I Dood It''====
{{Main|I Dood It}} 
Three weeks after he finished filming ''Cabin in the Sky'', Minnelli was assigned to direct ''I Dood It'' (1943), starring [[Red Skelton]] and [[Eleanor Powell]]. Del Ruth was the film's original director but he had been drafted into the [[United States Army]], leaving the film unfinished, and MGM dissatisfied with his cut.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=45}} The film's producer [[Jack Cummings (director)|Jack Cummings]] hoped Minnelli would inject his style into the film. Onboard as director, Minnelli hired [[Sig Herzig]] and [[Fred Saidy]] to rewrite the script.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=127}} 

A loose remake of ''[[Spite Marriage]]'' (1929), Skelton plays Joseph Renolds, a tailor's assistant, who becomes enamored with Constance Shaw (Powell), a Broadway star, and attends every performance of her Civil War melodrama. Shaw impulsively marries Renolds to spite her lover ([[Richard Ainley]]).{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=93}} Herzig and Saidy updated the plot by having Skelton's character reveal [[John Hodiak]]'s character to be a spy for the [[Axis powers]].{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=45}}

Between projects, Minnelli directed Lena Horne in her "[[Honeysuckle Rose (song)|Honeysuckle Rose]]" segment in ''[[Thousands Cheer]]'' (1943).{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=46}}

====Films with Judy Garland====
[[File:Judy Garland in Meet Me in St Louis trailer 2.jpg|thumb|left|Judy Garland in ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944)]]
For ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' (1944), Freed again hired Minnelli to direct. Framed around the four seasons, the film tells of the Smith family and their conflicts, with the conclusion focused on the family's celebration of the [[Louisiana Purchase Exposition|1904 St. Louis World's Fair]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=100}} Judy Garland was cast as Esther Smith, though she felt her role would be overshadowed by [[Margaret O'Brien]], who was portraying Tootie. Principal photography began on December 7, 1943 though continued filming was frequently delayed by Garland's tardiness and claims of illness.{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=280}} 

Determined to have Garland's physical beauty showcased, Minnelli requested make-up artist Dorothy Ponedel be assigned to Garland. Ponedel refined her appearance, which included extending and reshaping her eyebrows, changing her hairline, modifying her lip line and removing her nose discs and dental caps. Filming wrapped on April 7, 1944.{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=282}} During filming, Garland and Minnelli had some creative differences, though Garland grew closer to him after watching the [[dailies]]. At the time, Garland was married to [[David Rose (songwriter)|David Rose]], but after they divorced, she began dating [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]].{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=289}} Premiering in November 1944, the film received universal critical acclaim and exceeded box office expectations,{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=49}} earning $7.56 million worldwide during its initial run.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=118}}{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=81}}

Meanwhile, the 1945 musical ''[[Ziegfeld Follies (film)|Ziegfeld Follies]]'' was in production with [[George Sidney]] as the film's initial director. The film featured several musical numbers from the [[Ziegfeld Follies]] musical revues, starring many of MGM's contracted talents. Midway through filming, Sidney asked to leave the production and Minnelli was hired to finish filming.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=117}} Garland's segment was shot in July 1944,{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=289}} with principal photography concluding in August. Minnelli directed a total of ten segments, with the remaining four directed by Sidney, [[Lemuel Ayers]], Roy Del Ruth, and [[Robert Lewis (director)|Robert Lewis]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=142}}

''[[The Clock (1945 film)|The Clock]]'' (1945) was Garland's first straight dramatic film after starring in several musical films. [[Fred Zinnemann]] was initially hired to direct the film. By August 1944, he was removed at Garland's request after they could not get along and the dailes proved disappointing. When Freed asked who she wanted to replace him, Garland requested Minnelli to direct.{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=290}} Minnelli accepted the assignment on two conditions: Zinnemann would not object to his hiring and he would have creative control over Garland.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=121}} Zinnemann's footage was discarded aside from exterior shots of New York. The [[Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963)|Pennsylvania Station]] was recreated on the MGM soundstage while local New York sites were filmed using [[rear projection]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=146}} On January 9, 1945, before Garland was to film ''[[The Harvey Girls]]'' (1946), Minnelli and Garland were engaged to be married. The two married on June 15, inside Garland's mother's house in [[Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles|Wilshire, Los Angeles]].{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=290}}

[[File:Yolanda and the Thief (1945) trailer 1.jpg|thumb|right|Lucille Bremer and Fred Astaire in ''Yolanda and the Thief'' (1945)]]
Minnelli's next film was ''[[Yolanda and the Thief]]'' (1945) starring [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Lucille Bremer]]. Before he was hired for ''The Clock'', ''Yolanda and the Thief'' was intended to be Minnelli's next film.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=136}} Adapted from the 1943 magazine short story by [[Ludwig Bemelmans]] and [[Jacques Théry]], the film tells of two con men (Astaire and [[Frank Morgan]]) who are hiding from extradition in [[South America]]. Both men learn about Yolanda, a young heiress living a sheltered life in a convent and decide to con her. One night, Yolanda prays for a "guardian angel" which Astaire's character impersonates.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=146}} Freed had come across the magazine story and hired Bemelmans and Théry to write a treatment, and Robert Nathan to write the final screenplay.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|pp=162–163}} Filming began on January 15, 1945 and wrapped four months later.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=136}} Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews with criticism towards its script and was a commercial disappointment.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=169}}{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=167}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=139}}

By this point, Garland had become pregnant with her first daughter, [[Liza Minnelli|Liza]]. A musicalized biopic of [[Jerome Kern]] titled ''[[Till the Clouds Roll By]]'' (1946) was scheduled to begin production in October 1945. Garland had been cast as [[Marilyn Miller]] and Minnelli had been assigned to direct Garland's scenes. Her scenes took two weeks to complete and were finished on November 8, 1945.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=146–150}} However, one number "D'Ya Love Me?" was excised from the film.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=106–107}}

[[File:Till_the_clouds_roll_by-judy_garland.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Minnelli directed Garland's scenes in ''Till the Clouds Roll By'' (1946).]]
Minnelli was next approached to direct ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]'' (1946) by [[Pandro S. Berman|Pandro Berman]] with [[Katharine Hepburn]] and [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] cast in the lead roles. Based on a story by [[Thelma Strabel]], the film is about the daughter of a small-town college professor who marries an industrialist and moves into the city with him. She soon learns about her missing brother-in-law, whom her husband is suspected of murdering, and investigates his disappearance.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=169–170}} [[Robert Mitchum]], who portrayed the missing brother, was loaned out to MGM by [[RKO Radio Pictures]] to co-star in the film. During filming, Hepburn was initially displeased with Minnelli as her director, though both became cordial as production continued. Meanwhile, Taylor grew irritated at their developing friendship and was feeling overshadowed by Mitchum.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=170–174}}

The idea to adapt S. N. Behrman's play ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]'' originated with Minnelli, with Garland suggesting it be adapted into a musical during their honeymoon.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=160}} The story tells of Manuela, a local Caribbean woman, who daydreams of the pirate Macoco, better known as Mack the Black. She is unknowingly engaged to him, now identifying as Don Pedro, the portly and elderly village mayor. Serafin, a traveling actor, roleplays as the pirate to win Manuela's affection.{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=294}} Freed initially resisted the idea but reluctantly agreed to produce it after reading a treatment. To replicate the success of ''[[For Me and My Gal (film)|For Me and My Gal]]'' (1942), [[Gene Kelly]] was cast to reunite his pairing with Garland.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=160}}

On December 27, 1946, a recording session with Garland had to be cancelled due to her illness.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=160}}  Due to Garland's frequent absences, filming did not begin until February 1947. Out of 135 days for rehearsals, filming and reshoots, Garland was absent for 99.{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=294}} After a preview in October, Minnelli agreed to shorten the film's run time. Between October 21 and December 19, reshoots were taken with the musical number "Voodoo" replaced with a livelier reshoot of "Mack the Black". When filming concluded, the film had gone over budget, costing $3.7 million. The film earned over $2.9 million at the box office, but posted a net loss of $2.2 million.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=118–119}}{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=212}}

====''Madame Bovary''====
{{Main|Madame Bovary (1949 film)}} 
Despite the financial failure of ''The Pirate'', Minnelli was slated to direct ''[[Easter Parade (film)|Easter Parade]]'' (1948) with Garland and Gene Kelly cast in the lead roles (though Kelly was later replaced by Fred Astaire after a rehearsal injury). Rehearsals began on September 5, 1947, but five days later, Minnelli was called into Freed's office and removed from the film. Freed had cited Minnelli's removal based on the advice of Garland's psychiatrist. [[Charles Walters]] was hired to replace him.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=225}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=169}} For almost a year, Minnelli was without a film project while Garland filmed ''Easter Parade'' and ''[[In the Good Old Summertime]]'' (1949). Pandro Berman phoned Minnelli at his office, offering him to direct a film adaptation of [[Gustave Flaubert]]'s novel ''[[Madame Bovary]]''. Minnelli accepted as it was one of his favorite novels.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=200–201}}

[[Lana Turner]] was initially offered the lead role but Minnelli rejected the idea as Turner was perceived as a [[sex symbol]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=175}} The Production Code also warned that Turner's onscreen image, along with the novel's portrayal of marriage infidelity, would violate its guidelines.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=125}} [[Jennifer Jones]] was considered but was under contract to her husband [[David O. Selznick]], but MGM executive [[Benny Thau|Benjamin Thau]] successfully negotiated a stipulation deal to borrow her. [[James Mason]] had wanted to play the role of Flaubert, while [[Louis Jourdan]] and [[Alf Kjellin]] (billed as Christopher Kent) were lent onto the film courtesy of Selznick.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=202–204}} 

''Madame Bovary'' was shot from mid-December 1948 to February 1949.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=176}} During production, Minnelli notably filmed an elaborate waltz sequence, utilizing 360-degree [[Panning (camera)|pan camera movements]] accompanied to [[Miklós Rózsa]]'s pre-recorded instrumental score. Biographer [[Stephen Harvey (author)|Stephen Harvey]] called it "one of the audacious epiphanies in any Minnelli movie."{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=201}} Released in August 1949, critics deemed ''Madame Bovary'' as an unusually distinguished film, adapting its source material with considerable drama and atmosphere.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=201}} Sneak preview audiences responded favorably to the film and Jones's performance,{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=180}} though it earned $2 million at the box office.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=203}}

That same year, Minnelli reportedly directed the climax sequence in [[Robert Z. Leonard]]'s ''[[The Bribe]]'' (1949).{{sfn|McElhaney|2009|p=435}}

===1950–1958: Peak years===
====''Father of the Bride''====
{{Main|Father of the Bride (1950 film)}}
[[File:Father of the bride 1950 promo.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Minnelli directed Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor in ''Father of the Bride'' (1950).]]
Minnelli's subsequent collaboration with Berman was ''Father of the Bride'' (1950) based on the bestselling [[Father of the Bride (novel)|1949 novel]] by [[Edward Streeter]]. [[Jack Benny]] pursued the lead role and was given a screen test, but Minnelli wanted [[Spencer Tracy]] and cast him. [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Joan Bennett]] were cast as the bride and her mother respectively.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=217–218}} Filming began on January 16, 1950 and wrapped a month and a day later.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=200}} Released in May 1950, the film earned $4.15 million in distributor rentals at the box office.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety181-1951-01/page/n57/mode/1up |title=Top Grossers of 1950 |magazine=Variety |page=58 |date=January 3, 1951 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> 

Critical reception was positive, with [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' calling the film "equally wonderful" when compared to the book, with "all the warmth and poignancy and understanding that makes the Streeter treatise much beloved."<ref>{{cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/05/19/archives/the-screen-in-review-spencer-tracy-plays-father-of-the-bride-in-new.html |title=The Screen In Review |newspaper=The New York Times |page=39 |date=May 19, 1950 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122112322/https://www.nytimes.com/1950/05/19/archives/the-screen-in-review-spencer-tracy-plays-father-of-the-bride-in-new.html |archive-date=November 22, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=204}}

====''An American in Paris''====
{{Main|An American in Paris (film)}} 
The basis for ''An American in Paris'' (1951) began from Freed's friendship with [[Ira Gershwin]] at his residence. Freed told Ira he wanted to adapt his brother [[George Gershwin|George]]'s orchestral piece ''[[An American in Paris]]'' into a film and potentially include a ballet sequence.{{sfn|Knox|1973|p=37}} In 1949, MGM and the estate of George Gershwin entered negotiations, by which the studio acquired the rights to Gershwin's catalogue for $158,750 ({{Inflation|US|158750|1949|fmt=eq}}).{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=75}} The story was inspired by a ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine article of American [[G.I.]]s studying art in Paris on sponsorship from the [[G.I. Bill]], which Freed had remembered.{{sfn|Knox|1973|p=37}}

In the film, Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) is an artist studying in Paris. He meets Milo Roberts ([[Nina Foch]]), an heiress and arts patron who expresses a romantic and professional interest in Jerry. Meanwhile, Jerry romances Lise Bouvier ([[Leslie Caron]]), a young teen engaged to Henri Baurel ([[Georges Guétary]]), a friend of Jerry's.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=207}} Filming began on August 1, 1950 at the MGM studios, though production was halted on September 15 to prepare for the ballet sequence.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=210}} Minnelli left to direct another film, ''[[Father's Little Dividend]]'' (1951), the sequel to ''Father of the Bride''. Filming began on October 9 and was finished 23 days later.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=204}} After this, Minnelli returned to film the ballet sequence, starting on December 6 and wrapping on January 8, 1951.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=212}} The film proved popular with audiences, earning over $8 million in the United States. Kelly and Caron were praised by film critics, though the film's dramatic continuity was criticized.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=215}} At the [[24th Academy Awards|1952 Academy Awards]], ''An American in Paris'' was nominated for eight Oscars, winning six including Best Picture.{{sfn|Eames|1975|p=247}}

[[File:Lana Turner and Kirk Douglas.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Lana Turner and Kirk Douglas during filming for ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952)]]

On January 18, 1951, Minnelli was announced to direct a musical film adaptation of [[Mark Twain]]'s ''[[Huckleberry Finn]]''. [[Dean Stockwell]] was cast in the title role. [[William Warfield]] was cast as Jim, along with Gene Kelly and [[Danny Kaye]] as the Duke and Dauphin respectively. Rehearsals began in August;{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=230–231}} simultaneously, Minnelli was enlisted to film the fashion show finale for [[Mervyn LeRoy]]'s ''[[Lovely to Look At]]'' (1952). [[Adrian (costume designer)|Adrian Greenburg]] (also known as "Adrian") and [[Tony Duquette]] had designed costumes for the sequence, costing over $100,000 ({{Inflation|US|100000|1952|fmt=eq}}). Minnelli declined to be credited for the film.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=251}} On September 21, production on ''Huckleberry Finn'' was postponed indefinitely due to Kelly and Kaye's withdrawal.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=110–111}}

====''The Bad and the Beautiful''====
{{Main|The Bad and the Beautiful}} 
Due to similarities with ''An American in Paris'' (1951), Minnelli turned down the offer to direct ''[[Lili (1953 film)|Lili]]'' (1953). During a lunch meeting at the Romanoff's, MGM producer [[John Houseman]] showed Minnelli a screenplay draft titled ''Memorial to a Bad Man'' based on a short story by [[George Bradshaw (writer)|George Bradshaw]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=251–252}} It was later retitled ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952). Minnelli agreed to direct, with [[Kirk Douglas]] as his sole choice to portray ruthless film producer Jonathan Shields. However, MGM production head [[Dore Schary]] had offered the role to [[Clark Gable]] but he declined. Douglas read the script and accepted the role. Lana Turner was hired to portray Georgina Lorrison, the "beautiful"; when both casting choices were announced, the trades questioned: "when these two get together..."{{sfn|Douglas|1989|p=247}}

The story focuses on Jonathan Shields (Douglas) and his Hollywood rise by manipulating three individuals: actress Georgina (Turner) whom he deceives by professing his love, director Fred Amiel ([[Barry Sullivan (American actor)|Barry Sullivan]]) whose picture he expropriates, and screenwriter James Bartlow ([[Dick Powell]]) who loses his wife to a scandalous affair.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=252}} Upon its release, critics praised the film's seedy depiction of Hollywood and the performances from the cast, most particularly Douglas, Turner and [[Gloria Grahame]]. The scene of Georgina's emotional breakdown inside  a moving vehicle was highlighted.{{sfn|Johnson|1959|pp=34–35}}{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=215–216}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=227–228}} At the [[25th Academy Awards|1953 Academy Awards]], ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' was nominated for six Oscars, winning five including Grahame for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]].{{sfn|Eames|1975|p=252}}

At the behest of [[Sidney Franklin (director)|Sidney Franklin]], Minnelli was approached to direct two segments ("Mademoiselle" and "Why Should I Cry") for the 1953 anthology film ''[[The Story of Three Loves]]''. Minnelli agreed to direct the segment "Mademoiselle", adapted from the short story "Lucy and the Stranger" by [[Arnold Lippschitz]]. Reuniting with Leslie Caron, the segment featured [[Ricky Nelson]], [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]], [[Farley Granger]], and [[Ethel Barrymore]]. Filming lasted for three weeks before wrapping in February 1952.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=260}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=231–233}} The segment "Why Should I Cry" was dropped and reworked into ''[[Torch Song (1953 film)|Torch Song]]'' (1953), starring [[Joan Crawford]].{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=207}}

====''The Band Wagon''====
{{Main|The Band Wagon}} 
[[File:The Band Wagon (1953) trailer 3.jpg|thumb|right|The cast of ''The Band Wagon'' (1953) L–R: [[Oscar Levant]], [[Cyd Charisse]], [[Jack Buchanan]], [[Fred Astaire]], and [[Nanette Fabray]]]]
Because of the success of ''An American in Paris'' (1951) and ''[[Singin' in the Rain (film)|Singin' in the Rain]]'' (1952), Freed decided to produce another film adapting the musical catalogue of renowned composers.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=397}} For ''[[The Band Wagon]]'' (1953), it was decided to adapt the music and lyrics by [[Arthur Schwartz]] and [[Howard Dietz]]. To write a suitable storyline, Minnelli turned to the screenwriting team of [[Betty Comden]] and [[Adolph Green]] to devise the script.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=234–235}} The film tells of Tony Hunter, an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will restart his career. He meets with two writer friends and a Broadway producer who stage a musical, starring Hunter and a ballerina. Fred Astaire was cast as Troy Hunter, while the writers Lester and Lilly Marton (portrayed by [[Oscar Levant]] and [[Nanette Fabray]]) were loosely based by Comden and Green. [[Cyd Charisse]] was cast as the ballerina Gabrielle Gerard.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=236}}

Filming began on October 20, 1952 and was finished on January 28, 1953.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|pp=406, 418}} Premiering in July 1953, ''The Band Wagon'' received enthusiastic critical reception and earned $5.6 million at the box office.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=240}}{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=418}} [[Archer Winsten]], writing for the ''[[New York Post]]'', called the film "the best musical of the month, year, the decade, or, for all I know, of all time."{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=397}} The film received three Academy Award nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Story and Screenplay]], [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design (Color)]], and [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Scoring of a Musical Picture]].{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=112}}

Minnelli reteamed with Pandro Berman and the screenwriting team of [[Albert Hackett]] and [[Frances Goodrich]] for ''[[The Long, Long Trailer]]'' (1954), which starred [[Lucille Ball]] and [[Desi Arnaz]]. Adapted from the 1951 novel by Clinton Twiss, a married couple, Nicky and Tacy Collins, purchases a new [[travel trailer]] home and spend a year traveling across the United States. Shot during the summer hiatus for ''[[I Love Lucy]]'', filming began on June 18, 1953 and wrapped the next month.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=243}} On February 18, 1954, the film premiered at the Radio City Music Hall and earned $4.5 million in distributor rentals.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=129}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=245}}

====''Brigadoon''====
{{Main|Brigadoon (film)}}
In March 1951, MGM acquired the screen rights to [[Alan Jay Lerner]] and [[Frederick Loewe]]'s Broadway musical ''[[Brigadoon]]''. Gene Kelly and [[Kathryn Grayson]] were set to star, though Kelly's precommitments delayed production for two years. During the interim, Grayson departed and [[Moira Shearer]] was considered as a replacement, but Freed ultimately cast Cyd Charisse.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=128}} ''Brigadoon'' was also Minnelli's first film recorded in stereophonic sound and shot in the widescreen [[CinemaScope]] format, which Minnelli disliked due to concerns it would crop the actors' feet.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=279}} In 1953, Minnelli, Kelly and Freed initially planned to film on location in [[Scotland]] while interior scenes would be shot at the [[MGM-British Studios]] in [[Borehamwood]]. During the spring, they scouted potential filming locations, though Minnelli stayed behind as he was occupied with ''The Long, Long Trailer''. Kelly and Freed were convinced the Scottish climate was unreliable, and decided to film entirely on the MGM backlot in [[Culver City, California]].{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=128}}

The story concerns two Americans Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas (Kelly and [[Van Johnson]]) who get lost during a hunting trip in Scotland. They wander into the village of Brigadoon, which becomes visible once every century. During a joyful wedding, Tommy becomes smitten with a local woman Fiona Campbell (Charisse) despite his engagement to Jane Ashton ([[Elaine Stewart (actress)|Elaine Stewart]]) back home.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=246}} During filming, Minnelli admittedly felt "frustrated by the picture" as he was unsure on how to salvage Lerner's script.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=281}} Released in 1954, ''Brigadoon'' received a mixed reception from film critics.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=273}} In his ''New York Times'' review, Bosley Crowther dismissed the film as "curiously flat and out-of-joint, rambling all over creation and seldom generating warmth or charm."<ref>{{cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/09/17/archives/the-screen-in-review-brigadoon-cyd-charisse-gene-kelly-are-starred.html |title=The Screen in Review: 'Brigadoon' |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 17, 1954 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313235603/https://www.nytimes.com/1954/09/17/archives/the-screen-in-review-brigadoon-cyd-charisse-gene-kelly-are-starred.html |archive-date=March 13, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During the fall of 1953, Minnelli began developing a film adaptation of [[William Henry Hudson]]'s novel ''[[Green Mansions]]''. The next year, Lerner was recruited to write the screenplay. Intending to shoot on location in [[South America]], Minnelli scouted locations in [[Peru]], [[Panama]], [[British Guiana]], and [[Venezuela]]. There, he, art director [[E. Preston Ames]], and a skeletal film crew shot [[16 mm]] test footage of the jungles in Venezuela. [[Pier Angeli]] and [[Edmund Purdom]] were courted for the lead roles and given a screen test, but Freed was left unimpressed. The project was cancelled, though it later became a [[Green Mansions (film)|1959 film]] starring [[Audrey Hepburn]].{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=175–176}}

====''The Cobweb''====
{{Main|The Cobweb (1955 film)}} 
Minnelli then directed ''The Cobweb'' (1955) after John Houseman handed him the 1954 novel by [[William Gibson (playwright)|William Gibson]]. The story concerns the staff working at a psychiatry clinic, who are embroiled in a dispute over the latest draperies to be installed in the library. Minnelli read [[John Paxton]]'s script adaptation of the novel, but he felt it lacked "the flavor of the book." He then approached Gibson to write additional dialogue to the script.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=283–284}}

[[Richard Widmark]], [[Lauren Bacall]], Gloria Grahame, [[Lillian Gish]], and newcomers [[John Kerr (actor)|John Kerr]] and [[Susan Strasberg]] were cast in the ensemble.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=283–284}} The film was shot over seven weeks, starting in December 1954. Released in July 1955, the film received mixed reviews and failed at the box office, earning $1.5 million in distributor rentals.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=261–265}}

====''Lust for Life''====
{{Main|Lust for Life (1956 film)}}
While ''The Cobweb'' was being edited, Minnelli discussed with MGM president [[Dore Schary]] a film version of the novel ''[[Lust for Life (novel)|Lust for Life]]'' by [[Irving Stone]] as his next project. MGM had already obtained the film rights, though they requested an extension as its moratorium would lapse by December 1955.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=285}} In the meantime, Schary and Arthur Freed wanted Minnelli to shoot [[Kismet (1955 film)|a film adaptation]] of ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]]''. Minnelli resisted as he disliked the original Broadway production. Schary offered Minnelli creative autonomy to film ''Lust for Life'' provided he would film ''Kismet'' first.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=437}} ''Kismet'' (1955) tells of Haji, an opportunist street poet, whose powers are abused by the Wazir for personal gain. Meanwhile, Haji's daughter Marsinah falls in love with the young Caliph. The film began shooting on May 23, 1955. Ten days before filming was complete, Minnelli left for France to begin filming ''[[Lust for Life (1956 film)|Lust for Life]]'' (1956). [[Stanley Donen]] was brought in to finish the film, which was completed on July 22, 1955. ''Kismet'' premiered on October 8, 1955 at the Radio City Music Hall, earning $2.9 million at the box office (against a production budget of $2.6 million).{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=439}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=265–268}}

Simultaneously, Kirk Douglas' production company [[Byrna Productions]] announced they were producing ''Lust for Life'', with [[Jean Negulesco]] as director. Soon after, Douglas was contacted by MGM, who noted they held the rights. A compromise was reached to have Minnelli direct and Douglas star as [[Vincent van Gogh]].{{sfn|Douglas|1989|pp=238–239}} Filmed entirely on location in France, [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]], filming started in August 1955 and ended in December 1955. Throughout filming, Douglas notably remained in character.{{sfn|Douglas|1989|pp=241–242}} Minnelli called the film his personal favorite of the ones he directed.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=298}} Released in September 1956, the film was mildly received by audiences, earning nearly $1.6 million in box office rentals.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=244}} However, at the [[29th Academy Awards|1957 Academy Awards]], ''Lust for Life'' received four Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (Kirk Douglas), Best Supporting Actor ([[Anthony Quinn]]), Best Screenplay, and [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction/Set Decoration — Color]]. Quinn won for Best Supporting Actor.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=279}}

====''Tea and Sympathy''====
{{Main|Tea and Sympathy (film)}}
Before Minnelli left to Europe to film ''Lust for Life'', he agreed to direct [[Robert Anderson (playwright)|Robert Anderson]]'s 1953 play ''[[Tea and Sympathy (play)|Tea and Sympathy]]'' into a [[Tea and Sympathy (film)|feature film]]. The story tells of a young student named Tom who is accused of being a homosexual at a boys' prep school. The headmaster's wife Laura takes a keen interest in him hoping to strengthen his masculinity.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=280}} Due to the themes of homosexuality, Anderson, who was hired to rewrite his own play, had to sanitize the script due to regulations from the Production Code. [[Deborah Kerr]], John Kerr (who previously starred in 1955's ''The Cobweb''), and [[Leif Erickson (actor)|Leif Erickson]] reprised their roles from the stage production.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=299}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=283–284}} During its 1956 release, ''Tea and Sympathy'' received positive reviews from film critics. It earned nearly $2.2 million in box office rentals.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=289}}

====''Designing Woman''====
{{Main|Designing Woman}}
''[[Designing Woman]]'' (1957) began as an original story by [[Helen Rose]], MGM's costume designer, loosely taken from ''[[Woman of the Year]]'' (1942). Intended as a star vehicle for [[Grace Kelly]], [[James Stewart]] was cast opposite as the male lead and [[Joshua Logan]] was to direct. However, Kelly departed from the project when she retired from acting, two months after marrying [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco]]. Stewart and Logan departed accordingly. In haste, Schary hired Minnelli to direct the film. As the new director, Minnelli selected [[Gregory Peck]] and [[Lauren Bacall]] as the new leads.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=170}} Principal photography began on September 10, 1956 and was finished ten weeks later, with on-location filming at the [[Newport Beach, California|Newport Beach]], [[Beverly Hills Hotel]], and [[Marineland of the Pacific|Marineland]]. Released in May 1957, the film earned $3.7 million worldwide, but resulted in a loss of $136,000.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=170–171}}

During pre-production for ''[[Gigi (1958 film)|Gigi]]'' (1958), Minnelli replaced [[Ronald Neame]] during filming for ''[[The Seventh Sin]]'' (1957), a film adaptation of [[W. Somerset Maugham]]'s novel ''[[The Painted Veil (novel)|The Painted Veil]]''. Neame had developed creative differences with MGM producer [[David Lewis (producer)|David Lewis]]. Sidney Franklin replaced Lewis as producer. Despite his contributions, Minnelli personally requested not to be credited.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=308}}

====''Gigi''====
{{Main|Gigi (1958 film)}}
''Gigi'' originated as a [[Gigi (novella)|1944 novella]] by [[Colette]], which was adapted into a [[Gigi (1949 film)|1949 film]] starring [[Danièle Delorme]]. In 1951, playwright [[Anita Loos]] adapted the novella into a [[Gigi (play)|play]], which went to Broadway and starred [[Audrey Hepburn]] in her first major role.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|pp=453–454}} Minnelli and Arthur Freed had discussed adapting ''Gigi'' years prior, but in 1953, Freed's interest was renewed after seeing the Broadway play. Both approached Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, fresh off their success from ''[[My Fair Lady (musical)|My Fair Lady]]'', to compose songs for their adaptation. Lerner agreed on two conditions: to expand Honoré Lachaille's role and have [[Maurice Chevalier]] cast in the film.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=296–297}}

Hepburn was approached to reprise the role but declined. Minnelli instead cast Leslie Caron, having directed her in ''An American in Paris'' (1951). [[Louis Jourdan]] was cast as Gigi's lover Gaston, while Chevalier, [[Hermione Gingold]], [[Eva Gabor]] and [[Isabel Jeans]] filled the supporting roles.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=310}} Desiring to film entirely on location, Minnelli shot the film in Paris starting in July 1957 during a massive heat wave.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=300}} Because of the heavy period clothes, cast members grew overheated and even Minnelli contracted a case of [[whooping cough]]. Conflicts between Minnelli and Freed also arose. In September, having gone over budget, the crew decamped to California to film on the studio backlot; the [[Venice, Los Angeles|Venice Beach]] was also used to represent [[Trouville-sur-Mer|Trouville]].{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=216–217}} Filming was finished on October 30, 1957.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=303}}

In early 1958, test previews for ''Gigi'' were poorly received, in which MGM president [[Joseph Vogel (executive)|Joseph Vogel]] ordered nine days of reshoots. However, Minnelli was unavailable as he was filming ''[[The Reluctant Debutante (film)|The Reluctant Debutante]]'' (1958) overseas. [[Charles Walters]] was brought in to film the reshoots.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=303–304}} The film premiered on May 15, 1958 at the [[Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre|Royale Theatre]] in New York, and went on to receive critical acclaim. At the [[31st Academy Awards|1959 Academy Awards]], the film won all nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Minnelli was awarded his first Oscar for Best Director.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=309}}

By the time of ''Gigi''{{'s}} premiere, Minnelli had spent seven weeks filming ''The Reluctant Debutante'' (1958) from mid-February to early April.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=176}} Adapted from the [[The Reluctant Debutante (play)|1955 play]] by [[William Douglas Home]], the story centers on Jane Broadbent, an American teenage girl, who arrives in London to attend [[Queen Charlotte's Ball|debutante balls]] for her wealthy father Lord Jimmy Broadbent and stepmother Lady Sheila. During the fall of 1957, Pandro Berman showed Minnelli a first draft of the script, which displeased Minnelli who felt Americanizing the play was the wrong approach. The original London locale was reinstated back into the script. Regardless, he agreed to direct, and after Berman had recommended them, Minnelli approached [[Rex Harrison]] and [[Kay Kendall]] in New York with the central roles.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=318}} Berman nevertheless cast American actress [[Sandra Dee]] so it would broaden American appeal.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=311}} ''The Reluctant Debutante'' premiered at Radio City Music Hall in August 1958 to indifferent box office.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=315}}

====''Some Came Running''====
{{Main|Some Came Running (film)}}
In spring 1958, MGM purchased the film rights to [[James Jones (author)|James Jones]]'s 1957 novel ''[[Some Came Running (novel)|Some Came Running]]''. [[Sol C. Siegel|Sol Siegel]], who had succeeded Schary as the new production head, hired Minnelli to direct the [[Some Came Running (film)|film adaptation]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=323–324}} The novel tells of David Hirsh, an Army veteran and novelist, who returns home to the fictional town of Parkman, Indiana. He romances Gwen French, an emotionally repressed high school teacher, and befriends Ginny, a young, uneducated girl with loose morals.{{sfn|Johnson|1959|p=41}} [[Frank Sinatra]] was cast as David Hirsh, alongside [[Shirley MacLaine]], [[Martha Hyer]], and fellow [[Rat Pack]] member [[Dean Martin]] as Bama Dillert. Because of its potential as an [[Oscar bait|Oscar contender]], Minnelli was given six months to complete the film for its winter 1958 release. During filming in [[Madison, Indiana]], Sinatra and Martin grew tired of Minnelli's meticulous shooting and walked off the film. Siegel however brought them back to finish the film.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=317–320}}

Critical response was mostly positive, though a review in ''Time'' magazine gave the film a mixed critique. The review praised the first half but felt after that it shows "occasional flickers of brilliant overacting by Shirley MacLaine, the chance to watch Frank Sinatra play Frank Sinatra, and the spectacle of Director Vincente Minnelli's talents dissolving in the general mess of the story, like sunlight in a slag heap."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,937105,00.html |title=Cinema: The New Pictures |magazine=Time |date=January 12, 1959 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312211247/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,937105,00.html |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Competing against ''Gigi'' (1958) at the Academy Awards, ''Some Came Running'' garnered Best Supporting acting nominations for MacLaine, Hyer, and [[Arthur Kennedy]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=329–330}}

===1959–1963: Last years at MGM===
====''Home from the Hill''====
{{Main|Home from the Hill (film)}}
[[File:Vincente Minnelli Hollywood Walk of Fame.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Vincente Minnelli's honorary star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].]] 
The dual success of ''Gigi'' and ''Some Came Running'' solidified Minnelli's tenureship as director for MGM.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=323}} On February 8, 1960, Minnelli received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his contributions to the film industry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkoffame.com/vincente-minnelli|title=Vincente Minnelli|website=Hollywood Walk of Fame|access-date=June 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314000558/https://walkoffame.com/vincente-minnelli/|archive-date=March 14, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/vincente-minnelli|title=Vincente Minnelli|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=June 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314000806/https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/vincente-minnelli/|archive-date=March 14, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> Overseas, his films had been acclaimed by French critics, some of whom published for the ''[[Cahiers du Cinéma]]'' film magazine. French critic [[Jacques Doniol-Valcroze]] wrote a lengthy critique for ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952), as did [[Jean Douchet]] for ''Lust for Life'' (1956). Douchet and Jean Domarchi had written assessment essays on Minnelli's filmography and jointly interviewed him in 1962.{{sfn|McElhaney|2009|p=6}}

''[[Home from the Hill (film)|Home from the Hill]]'' (1960) was an adaptation of the [[Home from the Hill (novel)|1958 novel of the same title]] by [[William Humphrey (writer)|William Humphrey]]. It tells the story of a Texas family headed by patriarch Captain Wade Hunnicutt ([[Robert Mitchum]]), who is married to Hannah ([[Eleanor Parker]]), an embittered and sexually withdrawn wife, and the father to Theron ([[George Hamilton (actor)|George Hamilton]]) and an illegitimate son Rafe ([[George Peppard]]).{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=325}} The film was shot on location in [[Oxford, Mississippi]], followed by a month of filming on the MGM backlot, and then shot in [[Paris, Texas]].{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=331–333}} A review in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film a "powerful and absorbing story, and its production has the added interest of creating a vital and promising young star, George Peppard."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Film Reviews: Home from the Hill |magazine=Variety |date=February 10, 1960 |page=6}}</ref>

====''Bells Are Ringing''====
{{Main|Bells Are Ringing (film)}} 
In 1958, Arthur Freed purchased the film rights to the Broadway musical ''[[Bells Are Ringing (musical)|Bells Are Ringing]]'', with its book and lyrics written by [[Betty Comden]] and [[Adolph Green]] and music by [[Jule Styne]].{{sfn|Fordin|1996|p=496}} Comden and Green were hired to adapt the musical into a screenplay with instructions that the script be no longer than 110 pages and delivered by December 31, 1958.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|pp=504–505}} Comden and Green met the deadline but delivered a 159-paged script, which Minnelli felt was too long. Filming was delayed twice until the script was ready. [[Judy Holliday]] reprised her Broadway role as Ella Peterson, a switchboard operator who listens in on the lives of private clients. She involves herself with playwright Jeffrey Moss (Dean Martin), and falls in love with him.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=332}} Filming began on October 7, 1959 and lasted until December 24.{{sfn|Fordin|1996|pp=508–509}} Throughout filming, Holliday held creative differences with Minnelli as she disliked the script and his cinematic approach to the film.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=333}}

A review in ''Variety'' felt the musical adaptation was "ideally suited to the intimacy of the film medium" and complemented Freed for remaining "faithful to the buoyant spirit and whimsical personality of the original"; Minnelli's direction was praised as inserting "spirit and snap into the musical sequences[,] warmth and humor into the straight passages and manages to knit it all together without any traces of awkwardness in transition".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Tube. |url=https://archive.org/details/variety219-1960-06/page/n85/mode/1up |title=Film Reviews: Bells Are Ringing |magazine=Variety |date=June 8, 1960 |page=6 |access-date=November 9, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> A review in ''Time'' magazine praised Holliday for her "showmanly style" while noting Minnelli "manages to jog and jazz and jigger a merely middling book and some fairly forgettable tunes into one of the year's liveliest and wittiest cinemusicals."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/archive/6622610/cinema-the-new-pictures-jun-20-1960/ |title=Cinema: The New Pictures |magazine=Time |date=June 20, 1960 |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110184348/https://time.com/archive/6622610/cinema-the-new-pictures-jun-20-1960/ |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> By January 1961, ''Bells Are Ringing'' had earned $2.825 million in anticipated box office rentals from the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety221-1961-01/page/n45/mode/2up|title=Rental Potentials of 1960|magazine=Variety|date=January 4, 1961|page=47|access-date=November 9, 2024|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

====''Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse''====
{{Main|The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962 film)}}
While promoting ''Home from the Hill'' (1960), Minnelli was informed he was to direct a remake of the 1921 silent film ''[[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921 film)|The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]]''.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=337}} For the [[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962 film)|1962 remake]], the script was to occur during [[World War II]] although it retained the events cultiminating in [[World War I]]. Minnelli disagreed with this change; while [[John Gay (screenwriter)|John Gay]] was hired for rewrites, the revised script retained the updated setting. For the lead role, Minnelli had wanted French actor [[Alain Delon]] but Sol Siegel disagreed. [[Glenn Ford]] was cast instead after he had signed a new multi-picture contract with MGM.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=339–340}} As typical with Minnelli's films, the film was shot in Paris with interior scenes filmed in California. Shot from October 1960 to March 1961, it was scheduled for released by winter 1961; however, there were reshoots done during the summer.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=269}} 

Postponed for release in February 1962, the film received criticism for its script and production values.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=271}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=338}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/03/10/archives/screen-4-horsemen-of-apocalypsenew-version-of-work-by-blasco-ibanez.html |title=Screen: '4 Horsemen of Apocalypse' |newspaper=The New York Times |page=10 |date=March 12, 1962 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312231017/https://www.nytimes.com/1962/03/10/archives/screen-4-horsemen-of-apocalypsenew-version-of-work-by-blasco-ibanez.html |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> It earned $2 million in distributor rentals,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1963-01-09_229_7/page/12/mode/2up |title=Big Rental Features of 1962 |magazine=Variety |page=13 |date=January 9, 1963 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> against its $7 million production budget. Overseas, the film was appreciated by European critics and said to have influenced [[Bernardo Bertolucci]]'s ''[[The Conformist (1970 film)|The Conformist]]'' (1970) and [[Vittorio De Sica]]'s ''[[The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (film)|The Garden of the Finzi-Continis]]'' (1970).{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=345}}

====''Two Weeks in Another Town''====
{{Main|Two Weeks in Another Town}} 
In 1960, MGM purchased the film rights to [[Irwin Shaw]]'s novel ''Two Weeks in Another Town'' for $55,000.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=272}} [[John Houseman]] was appointed producer and approached Minnelli to direct.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=345}} Minnelli recognized the novel's similarities to ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952) and hired the film's screenwriter [[Charles Schnee]] and composer [[David Raksin]].{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=254}} The story tells of Jack Andrus, a washed-up actor, who arrives in [[Rome]] to help his old mentor Maurice Kruger and supervise the dubbing of his latest film. Minnelli offered the lead role to Kirk Douglas, while [[Edward G. Robinson]] and [[Cyd Charisse]] portrayed Kruger and Carlotta, Jack's ex-wife, respectively.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=339–340}} Filming began in October 1961 in Rome with a scheduled nineteen-day on-location shoot. However, Minnelli did not finish until a month later. Filming resumed on the MGM backlot for eleven weeks, starting on November 9.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=275}}

Minnelli had also shot an orgy sequence, which infuriated Siegel. In spring 1962, the film received poor test responses during sneak previews. Siegel was replaced by [[Robert M. Weitman|Robert Weitman]] as production head, while [[Joseph Vogel (executive)|Joseph Vogel]] appointed studio editor [[Margaret Booth]] to drastically re-edit the film.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=275}}{{sfn|Douglas|1989|pp=315–316}} The orgy sequence was condensed while Charisse's ending monologue was also removed. Minnelli and Houseman were not consulted during most of the film's post-production. The film was released without fanfare and was another box office failure.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=342–343}}

By 1962, MGM was in financial turmoil due to severe commercial flops, including ''[[Cimarron (1960 film)|Cimarron]]'' (1960), ''[[Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)|Mutiny on the Bounty]]'' (1962), and Minnelli's own ''Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'' (1962). This, along with the re-editing of ''Two Weeks in Another Town'' (1962), fractured Minnelli's relationship with MGM.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=344}} His contract with the studio was up for renewal, in which Minnelli formed his own production company Venice Productions to leverage greater [[bargaining power]]. He negotiated to earn 25 percent of any net box office profits, in addition to his salary as director, as well as retain [[final cut privilege]] through the second previews. In April 1962, MGM and Venice Productions agreed to a co-production deal to produce six films over four years.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=345}}

====''The Courtship of Eddie's Father''====
{{Main|The Courtship of Eddie's Father (film)}}
Under his new contract, Minnelli directed ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' (1963), having read the 1961 novel about a young son wanting his widowed father to remarry to be "warm and winning."{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=350}} The film's producer, [[Joe Pasternak]], cast [[Glenn Ford]] and [[Ron Howard]] as the father and son respectively. Released in 1963, film critics found the film sentimental and mildly engaging.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=347}} It earned $2 million in distributor rentals.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1964-01/page/n128/mode/1up?q=courtship |title=Top Rental Features of 1963 |magazine=Variety |page=71 |date=January 8, 1964 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> 

Minnelli's next project was meant to be ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]'' (1964), but [[Warner Bros.]] had outbid MGM for the film rights at $5.5 million. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe pleaded with [[Jack L. Warner|Jack Warner]] to hire Minnelli as director, but negotiations broke down due to salary disagreements; Warner instead hired [[George Cukor]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=348}}

===1964–1976: Later years===
====''Goodbye Charlie''====
{{Main|Goodbye Charlie}}
For most of 1963, Minnelli was without a film project. MGM allowed Minnelli to accept outside directing jobs, in which he selected [[20th Century Pictures|Twentieth Century Fox]]'s offer to direct ''[[Goodbye Charlie]]'' (1964) starring [[Tony Curtis]] and [[Debbie Reynolds]]. This was his first film produced outside of MGM.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/21/archives/film-director-moves-to-fox.html |title=Film Director Moves to Fox |newspaper=The New York Times |page=24 |date=January 21, 1964 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313021102/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/21/archives/film-director-moves-to-fox.html |archive-date=March 13, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Adapted from [[George Axelrod]]'s 1959 play, the story involves Charlie Sorrel, a womanizer who is shot by a jealous husband and returns to Earth reincarnated as a beautiful blonde. As a woman, Charlie meets with his friend George Tracy (Curtis) to consult about her new identity.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=353}} Pre-production and filming lasted from January to July 1964 on Fox's studio backlot with location shoots in [[Malibu, California]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=349–350}} 

Released in November 1964, it received mixed reviews from film critics, with Bosley Crowther negatively stating "Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis [are] so sadly cast in distasteful roles that it causes even a hardened moviegoer to turn away from it in pain and shame."<ref>{{cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/19/archives/debbie-reynolds-stars-in-goodbye-charlie.html |title=The Screen: Licentious Reincarnation |newspaper=The New York Times |page=49 |date=November 19, 1964 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529180934/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/19/archives/debbie-reynolds-stars-in-goodbye-charlie.html |archive-date=May 29, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> By January 1966, the film had earned $3.7 million in distributor rentals from the United States and Canada.<ref name="BigRentalPicturesof1965">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1966-01-05_241_7/page/6 |title=Big Rental Pictures of 1965 |magazine=Variety |page=6 |date=January 5, 1966 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> 

====''The Sandpiper''====
{{Main|The Sandpiper}}
[[File:Richard Burton talking with director Vincent Minnelli on set of The Sandpiper.jpg|thumb|right|[[Richard Burton]] (left) in conversation with Minnelli (with cigarette) during filming]]
Minnelli returned to MGM to direct ''[[The Sandpiper]]'' (1965) starring [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Richard Burton]]. Intended as a vehicle for the star couple, [[Martin Ransohoff]] devised an original story of a love affair between a married Episcopalian minister and a free-spirited single mother. The couple first turned to [[William Wyler]], but he declined the offer. Taylor and Burton then asked Minnelli, who had previously directed Taylor in ''Father of the Bride'' (1950) and ''Father's Little Dividend'' (1951). Needing a box office success, Minnelli accepted the offer.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=354–355}} The film was shot on location in [[Big Sur]], California before filming in Paris.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=357}} 

The film was released in 1965 and was a box office success earning $6.4 million in distributor rentals.<ref name="BigRentalPicturesof1965" /> This was the last film produced under the MGM–Venice Productions deal. While the films were moderately successful, they failed to generate enough profit.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=358}}

====''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever''====
{{Main|On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (film)}}
Minnelli then developed a musical film titled ''Say It With Music'', a biographical film of [[Irving Berlin]] he had been contemplating for several years. Frank Sinatra and [[Julie Andrews]] were considered for the lead roles, but MGM president [[James T. Aubrey|James Aubrey]] shut down development by 1969 due to the declining commercial success of musical films. The Freed Unit was closed, and MGM and Minnelli agreed to part ways.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=358–360}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=334}}

In 1964, producer [[Arthur P. Jacobs]] asked Minnelli to direct a [[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969 film)|musical adaptation]] of the novel ''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]'' with Rex Harrison in mind for the title role. Minnelli however declined the offer.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=359}} According to film historian [[Mark Harris (journalist)|Mark Harris]], he agreed to direct ''[[Doctor Dolittle (1967 film)|Doctor Dolittle]]'' (1967), which would have reunited him with Harrison and Alan Jay Lerner.{{sfn|Harris|2008|p=42}} The film was tentatively scheduled for a Christmas 1966 release, but Minnelli left the project and was replaced by [[Richard Fleischer]].{{sfn|Harris|2008|pp=46, 79, 123}} 

Lerner's then-latest Broadway musical ''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]'' was optioned for a [[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (film)|film adaptation]] by Paramount Pictures, with [[Barbra Streisand]] considered for the lead role. After failing to get Minnelli hired for ''My Fair Lady'' (1964), Lerner successfully campaigned to have Minnelli direct the adaptation. Filming began on January 6, 1969 for an intended 82-day shoot.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=285–286}} The film was originally scheduled for a fall 1970 [[Roadshow theatrical release|roadshow release]], but after 1969's ''[[Hello, Dolly! (1969 film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (which also starred Streisand) had disappointed at the box office, the film's release was pushed up to the summer. Fifteen minutes were removed from the film's run time.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=288}} 

Released in June 1970, the film received decent reviews from film critics.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=372}} [[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote the film "is just about as good as it could be. It is bright, it is romantic, it is solidly produced, it centers on an expertly comedic performance by Barbra Streisand and a charming if remarkably unpersuasive turn by [[Yves Montand]] as a psychiatrist, it is inventive, it is innocent."<ref>{{cite news |last=Champlin |first=Charles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-charles-champlins/146883782/ |title=La Streisand Sings Along in 'Clear Day' |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |at=Part IV, pp. 1, 13 |date=July 8, 1970 |access-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509031224/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-charles-champlins/146883782/  |archive-date=May 9, 2024 |url-status=live |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref> By January 1971, the film had earned $4.75 million in box office rentals in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1971-01-06_261_8/page/11/mode/1up|title=Big Rental Films of 1970|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 6, 1971|page=11|access-date=May 8, 2024|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

====''A Matter of Time''====
{{Main|A Matter of Time (film)}}
Minnelli then turned to a film project, which would star his daughter [[Liza Minnelli]], who had been nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for ''[[The Sterile Cuckoo]]'' (1969). They brainstormed a biographical film of [[Zelda Fitzgerald]], but it failed to proceed after discussions with Paramount Pictures president [[Frank Yablans]]. He concurrently began developing a biographical film of [[Bessie Smith]] with [[Tina Turner]] in mind, but it fell through.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|pp=367–368}}

[[File:Liza Minnelli & Ingrid Bergman A Matter of Time.jpg|thumb|right|Liza Minnelli and Ingrid Bergman in ''A Matter of Time'' (1976)]]
In 1974, Minnelli became interested in adapting [[Maurice Druon]]'s 1954 novel ''The Film of Memory'' (''La Volupté d'être''). Retitled ''[[A Matter of Time (film)|A Matter of Time]]'' (1976), it tells of a financially distressed contessa who tutors a young chambermaid. He turned to veteran collaborators, including screenwriter John Gay and producer [[Edmund Grainger]]. After several major studios declined, [[American International Pictures]] (AIP) agreed to finance the film with a $5 million production budget. [[Ingrid Bergman]], who had won her third Academy Award for ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'' (1974), was cast as the Contessa.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=379–380}}

Filming began in August 1975 in Rome and [[Venice]] for a 14-week shoot. However, filming lasted 20 weeks due to harsh winter conditions, labor strikes, and mandated shorter production hours. Minnelli's first assembly cut was over three hours.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=381}}{{sfn|Segaloff|2013|pp=203–206}} AIP president [[Samuel Z. Arkoff]] subsequently wrestled control of the film away from Minnelli, deleting several flashbacks and restructuring the film entirely. Alarmed by the news, [[Martin Scorsese]] had a petition signed by several prominent Hollywood directors, protesting Arkoff's treatment of Minnelli. Flattered by the support, Minnelli nevertheless disowned the film. The film premiered at the Radio City Music Hall on October 7, 1976 but was a financial disappointment.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|pp=293–294}}

==Personal life==
===Marriages===
Minnelli first met [[Judy Garland]] during the filming for ''Strike Up the Band'' (1940).{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=81}} They married on June 15, 1945 in Garland's mother's house in Wilshire, Los Angeles.{{sfn|Clarke|2000|p=290}} They had one child, [[Liza Minnelli|Liza May Minnelli]] (born 1946).{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=174}} The marriage fractured during the filming for ''The Pirate'' (1948). In 1949, Minnelli and Garland temporarily separated.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=184}} On June 16, 1950, MGM suspended Garland; three days later, Garland attempted suicide by slashing her throat with a piece of glass. On December 7, they announced their legal separation and intent to divorce. The divorce was finalized on March 29, 1951 with Garland retaining parental custody of Liza.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=192–194}}

On February 16, 1954, Minnelli married Georgette Magnani, the sister of [[Miss Universe 1953]] [[Christiane Martel]]. After winning for Miss Universe, Christiane was offered an acting contract with [[Universal Pictures]] and Georgette was assigned by their parents to  chaperone her. At a Hollywood party, [[Vernon Duke]] introduced Minnelli to Georgette.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=168–169}} Smitten by her appearance, Minnelli offered Georgette a screen test, which she turned down.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=250}}{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=129}} The couple had one child, Christiane Nina Minnelli (born 1955).{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=251}} During post-production on ''Gigi'' (1958), Magnani filed for divorce.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=312}}

During his 1960 vacation in Italy, Minnelli met Danica ("Denise") Radosavljević Gay Giulianelli de Gigante, a Yugoslavian-born divorceé.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=339}} She accompanied him during the filming of ''Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'' (1962), and they were married in January 1962.{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=344}}{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=269}} Minnelli and Gigante co-founded their production company Venice Productions, partnering with MGM on a new contract to produce six films over four years.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=179}}{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=345}} By 1970, Minnelli had heard rumors Denise was having adulterous affairs with other men, which she denied. They divorced in August 1971.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=373}}

Minnelli met his fourth wife, Margaretta Lee Anderson, through his third wife who befriended her during the 1960s. After her divorce, Gigante encouraged Anderson to move in with Minnelli.{{sfn|Griffin|2010|p=300}} After three failed marriages, Minnelli vowed never to marry again though they continued to be [[Domestic partnership|domestic partners]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=373}} Minnelli was married to her from 1980 until his death in 1986.{{sfn|Harvey|1989|p=297}}

===Sexual orientation===
For years, there was speculation in the entertainment community that Minnelli was gay or [[Bisexuality|bisexual]].<ref name="musto 1">{{cite web|last=Musto|first=Michael|title=Vincente Minnelli and Gene Kelly Had an Affair?|url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2010/04/vincente_minnel.php|work=The Village Voice|date=April 20, 2010|access-date=July 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504121041/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2010/04/vincente_minnel.php|archive-date=May 4, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="musto 2">{{cite web|last=Musto|first=Michael|title=Was Vincente Minnelli A Gay?|url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2010/02/was_vincente_mi.php|website=The Village Voice|date=February 26, 2010|access-date=July 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301213344/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2010/02/was_vincente_mi.php|archive-date=March 1, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=mcelhaney>{{cite web|last=McElhaney|first=Joe|title=Images of Magic and Transformation|url=http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/great-directors/minnelli/|work=Senses of Cinema|date=April 18, 2012|access-date=July 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129161938/http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/great-directors/minnelli/|archive-date=November 29, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Minnelli biographer [[Emanuel Levy]] claimed existing evidence that Minnelli did, in fact, live as an openly gay man in New York prior to his arrival in Hollywood, where the town that made him a film legend also pressured him back into the closet. According to Levy: "He was openly gay in New York – we were able to document names of companions and stories from [[Dorothy Parker]]. But when he came to Hollywood, I think he made the decision to repress that part of himself or to become bisexual."<ref name=advocate>{{cite web|last=Pierce|first=Harrison|title=The Real Vincente Minnelli|url=http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/film/2009/05/15/real-vincente-minnelli|website=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]|date=May 15, 2009|access-date=July 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104221943/https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/film/2009/05/15/real-vincente-minnelli|archive-date=January 4, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/books/review/Stevens-t.html|title=Book Review &#124; 'Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood's Dark Dreamer,' by Emanuel Levy|first=Dana|last=Stevens|date=April 24, 2009|website=The New York Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314002049/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/books/review/Stevens-t.html|archive-date=March 14, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Lester Gaba]], a retail display designer who knew Minnelli in New York, was reported to have frequently claimed having an affair with Minnelli, although the same person who related Gaba's claim also admitted that Gaba "was known to embellish quite a bit."{{sfn|Griffin|2010|pp=15–16}}

===Death===
He had a [[pacemaker]] fitted at Christmas 1982.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=December 28, 1982|page=3|title=Just For Variety|last=Archerd|first=Army|author-link=Army Archerd}}</ref>

On July 25, 1986, Minnelli died in his [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]] home, aged 83, from [[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease|emphysema]] and [[pneumonia]], which had caused him to be repeatedly hospitalized in his final year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Director Vincente Minnelli, 83, dies |work=Chicago Tribune |date=July 26, 1986 |page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Harvey |first=Steve |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-vincente-minnelli-19860726-snap-story.html |title=Oscar Winner Vincente Minnelli Dies |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 26, 1986 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207015610/https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-vincente-minnelli-19860726-snap-story.html |archive-date=December 7, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> He is interred in [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in [[Glendale, California]].{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=392}}

Minnelli left an estate valued at slightly over US$1.1&nbsp;million, the bulk of which was left to his daughter, Liza. He bequeathed US$100,000 to his widow. While his home in Beverly Hills was left to his daughter Liza, Minnelli requested in his will that his widow continue to live there.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-01-mn-19185-story.html|title=His Wish for Cremation Ignored: Minnelli Leaves Bulk of Estate to Liza|date=August 1, 1986|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314002656/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-01-mn-19185-story.html|archive-date=March 14, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Legacy==
===Perception as an auteur===
Despite his varied filmography of musicals, comedies and melodramas, Minnelli has been criticized as being a decorative artist than an [[auteur]] filmmaker, elevating artistic imagery while distracting audiences from the narrative and dialogue with elaborate camera angles.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=398}} In his 1968 book ''The American Cinema'', [[Andrew Sarris]] called Minnelli a "pure stylist" who "believes more in beauty than in art." Sarris further wrote: "Minnelli has always required relatively luxurious projects upon which to lavish his taste. If he has a fatal flaw as an artist, it is his naϊve belief that style can invariably transcend substance and that our way of looking at the world is important than the world itself."<ref>{{cite book|title=The American Cinema: Directors and Directions, 1929–1968|last=Sarris|first=Andrew|year=1968|publisher=[[E. P. Dutton]]|location=New York|isbn=0-525-47227-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/americancinemadi0000sarr/page/102/mode/2up 102]|url=https://archive.org/details/americancinemadi0000sarr/}}</ref> In 1975, [[Richard Schickel]] wrote Minnelli is "not by nature a storyteller. He does not have a very good eye—or memory—for revealing anecdotes. Nor does he have an analytical turn of mind. He seems mainly to feel his way toward the solution of creative problems, clued more by visual ideas (and of course, musical ones) than by any of the signs one might term 'literary.{{' "}}{{sfn|Schickel|1975|p=243}} 

[[File:An American in Paris (1951) trailer 1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Leslie Caron]] and [[Gene Kelly]] in ''[[An American in Paris (film)|An American in Paris]]'' (1951). Minnelli's films often centered around creative individuals, exploring their innate talents as well as their moral and professional fears.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=404}}]]
Emmanuel Levy sharply disagreed, writing Minnelli was "an auteur in thematic, stylistic, and ideological terms. His films demonstrate vividly that concepts of art and artificiality run throughout his work."{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=399}} In 1959, Albert Johnson, in an article for ''[[Film Quarterly]]'', called Minnelli "a master of the decorative image", to which he belongs "neither to the old school nor to the new, but remains in a special position of accomplishment, one which permits all spheres of the visual and decorative arts to embellish his films."{{sfn|Johnson|1959|p=22}} In a foreword for Minnelli's memoir ''I Remember It Well'', [[Alan Jay Lerner]] (of [[Lerner and Loewe]]) called Minnelli "the greatest director of motion picture musicals the screen has ever seen."{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=x}} Film historian [[Jeanine Basinger]] called Minnelli "a visual artist. His films have wit and charm and beauty, but they also have cinematic style. His ability just to ''decorate'', make everything in the frame look right, look beautiful, look appropriate and complementary to other things inside it, was unparalleled. He was one of the few directors who could develop his own personal vision in musicals, a difficult genre for a director because there is no more collaborative genre, none more dependent on the talents of so many others to succeed."{{sfn|Basinger|2019|p=445}} 

[[Stanley Donen]], a contemporary of Minnelli's and fellow director of musical films, once criticized Minnelli's musicals for their "sloppy" stories, and adopted a more bold, no-nonsense, and realistic style compared to Minnelli's impressionist visual style.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=239}} [[Stephen M. Silverman]] also distinguished both filmmakers' camerawork, observing Minnelli tends to track forward or backwards while Donen frequently uses horizontal tracking and crane shots to support the story and choreography. On the contrary, Minnelli did not mind interrupting the stories for a grand and visual performance.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=239}}{{sfn|Silverman|1996|p=191}} [[Michael Kidd]], a choreographer for MGM's most noted musicals, stated he preferred collaborating with Donen than Minnelli. He stated, "Vincente was a difficult person to communicate with. He was not very articulate, he would leave sentences unfinished. He had a great love of the visual aspects of moviemaking—he was originally a set designer, and people used to complain all the time, 'He shoots the scenery'—but Vincente was not one to engage in collaborative work."{{sfn|Silverman|1996|pp=191–192}} 

In 2012, film historian [[Ronald Bergan]] contrastingly wrote: "What distinguished Minnelli from most of the other directors on the MGM roster was his ''[[mise-en-scène]]'' – his elegant compositions within an individual frame – the relation of objects and people, the interplay of light and dark, the pattern of colour."<ref>{{cite web |last=Bergan |first=Ronald |url=https://theartsdesk.com/film/vincente-minnelli-celebrating-mr-hollywood |title=Vincente Minnelli: Celebrating Mr Hollywood |website=The Arts Desk |date=April 2, 2012 |access-date=April 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404050024/https://theartsdesk.com/film/vincente-minnelli-celebrating-mr-hollywood |archive-date=April 4, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Drew Casper|Joseph Andrew Casper]] noted Minnelli's ''[[metteur en scène]]'' as "essentially expressionistic" by which he uses decor to create "a spatial-temporal continuum, albeit researched and dramatically related, filtered through the director's spirit. As such, one gets the distillation or the essence of a place and period imbibing attitudes and feelings ... Minnelli holds no mirror up to nature but places a lamp next to it. His is the recreative rather than the mimetic tradition of art."{{sfn|Casper|1977|pp=104–105}} Basinger agreed: "His filmed universe was one of fantasy and reality mixed, of dreams and deceptions, and of a decor that is always carefully researched, designed, and executed with the purpose not only of being rewarding in and of itself, but also of defining character and setting."{{sfn|Basinger|2019|p=446}} 

===Approach with actors===
Throughout his career, Minnelli directed seven different actors in [[Academy Award|Oscar]]-nominated performances: [[Spencer Tracy]], [[Gloria Grahame]], [[Kirk Douglas]], [[Anthony Quinn]], [[Arthur Kennedy (actor)|Arthur Kennedy]], [[Shirley MacLaine]], and [[Martha Hyer]]. Grahame and Quinn were the two to win. Despite this, Minnelli is often perceived as not emphasizing enough of the actors' performances in his films.{{sfn|Levy|2009|p=405}} During filming for ''Some Came Running'' (1959), Minnelli spent hours setting up a single shot because he wanted a Ferris wheel in the background, or a vase to hold the right kind of flowers. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin both grew frustrated with multiple takes for a brief scene, and stormed off the set.{{sfn|Levy|2009|pp=317–320}} 

[[George Peppard]], an alumnus of the [[Actors Studio]], clashed with Minnelli during filming for ''Home from the Hill'' (1960). During one take of the last scene, Minnelli told Peppard: "George, you might be a seething volcano inside. But I've got news for you. Nothing's happening. You'll have to do it my way."{{sfn|Minnelli|Arce|1974|p=332}} [[Shirley Jones]], who co-starred in 1963's ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', recalled Minnelli never gave her specific directions for her character during filming. She stated, "Vincente liked to draw pretty pictures with the camera, and it was always for me to move to a certain point, put my hand here when I say this line but never any direction about character, and I missed that."<ref>{{cite book |last=Ford |first=Peter |title=Glenn Ford: A Life |page=212 |year=2011 |publisher=[[University of Wisconsin Press]] |isbn=978-0-299-28153-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ICIPWfsWt4wC}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="font-size:90%;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Studio
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Genre
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1943 || ''[[Cabin in the Sky (film)|Cabin in the Sky]]'' || rowspan="31" | [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] || [[Musical film|Musical]] ||
|-
| ''[[I Dood It]]'' || Musical-[[Comedy film|comedy]] || Alternate title: ''By Hook or by Crook''
|-
| 1944 || ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' || Musical ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1945 || ''[[The Clock (1945 film)|The Clock]]'' || [[Romantic Drama|Romantic drama]]|| Alternate title: ''Under the Clock''
|-
| ''[[Ziegfeld Follies (film)|Ziegfeld Follies]]'' || rowspan="2" | Musical comedy || Primary director
|-
| ''[[Yolanda and the Thief]]'' ||
|-
| 1946 || ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]'' || [[Film noir]] ||
|-
| 1948 || ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]'' || Musical ||
|-
| 1949 || ''[[Madame Bovary (1949 film)|Madame Bovary]]'' || Romantic drama ||
|-
| 1950 || ''[[Father of the Bride (1950 film)|Father of the Bride]]'' || rowspan="2" | Comedy ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1951 || ''[[Father's Little Dividend]]'' ||
|-
| ''[[An American in Paris (film)|An American in Paris]]'' || Musical ||
|-
| 1952 || ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' || [[Melodrama]] ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1953 || ''[[The Story of Three Loves]]'' || [[Anthology film|Anthology]] || "Mademoiselle" segment
|-
| ''[[The Band Wagon]]'' || Musical comedy ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1954 || ''[[The Long, Long Trailer]]'' || Comedy ||
|-
| ''[[Brigadoon (film)|Brigadoon]]'' || Musical ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1955 || ''[[The Cobweb (1955 film)|The Cobweb]]'' || [[Drama (film and television)|Drama]] ||
|-
| ''[[Kismet (1955 film)|Kismet]]'' || Musical comedy ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1956 || ''[[Lust for Life (1956 film)|Lust for Life]]'' || [[Biographical film|Biographical]] ||
|-
| ''[[Tea and Sympathy (film)|Tea and Sympathy]]'' || Drama ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1957 || ''[[Designing Woman]]'' || [[Romantic comedy]] ||
|-
| ''[[The Seventh Sin]]'' || Drama || Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1958 || ''[[Gigi (1958 film)|Gigi]]'' || Musical-romance ||
|-
| ''[[The Reluctant Debutante (film)|The Reluctant Debutante]]'' || Comedy ||
|-
| ''[[Some Came Running (film)|Some Came Running]]'' || rowspan="2" | Drama ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1960 || ''[[Home from the Hill (film)|Home from the Hill]]'' ||
|-
| ''[[Bells Are Ringing (film)|Bells Are Ringing]]'' || Romantic comedy-musical ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1962 || ''[[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (film)|The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]]'' || rowspan="2" | Drama ||
|-
| ''[[Two Weeks in Another Town]]'' ||
|-
| 1963 || ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (film)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' || Romantic comedy ||
|-
| 1964 || ''[[Goodbye Charlie]]'' || [[20th Century Fox]] || Comedy ||
|-
| 1965 || ''[[The Sandpiper]]'' || Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer || Drama ||
|-
| 1970 || ''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (film)|On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]'' || [[Paramount Pictures]] || Musical [[comedy drama]] ||
|-
| 1976 || ''[[A Matter of Time (film)|A Matter of Time]]'' || [[American International Pictures]] || Musical [[fantasy film|fantasy]] || Minnelli later disowned this film.{{sfn|Segaloff|2013|pp=203–206}}
|-
|}

== Theatre credits ==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="font-size:90%;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Run(s)
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Theatre
!Director
!Set designer
!Costume<br>designer
!Sketches
|-
| ''[[The Earl Carroll Vanities|Earl Carroll's Vanities]] of 1930''
| July 1, 1930 – January 3, 1931 || [[New Amsterdam Theatre]]
|
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Earl Carroll Vanities|Earl Carroll's Vanities]] of 1931''
| August 27, 1931 – April 9, 1932 || [[44th Street Theatre]]
|
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Earl Carroll Vanities|Earl Carroll's Vanities]] of 1932''
| September 27, 1932 – December 10, 1932 || [[Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)]]
|
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| ''The DuBarry''
| November 22, 1932 – February 4, 1933 || George M. Cohan's Theatre
|
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[At Home Abroad]]''
| September 19, 1935 – March 7, 1936 || rowspan="4" | [[Winter Garden Theatre]]
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| ''[[Ziegfeld Follies of 1936]]''
|
# January 30, 1936 – May 9, 1936
# September 14, 1936 – December 19, 1936
|
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|-
| ''The Show is On''
|
# December 25, 1936 – July 17, 1937
# September 18, 1937 – October 2, 1937
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| ''[[Hooray for What!]]''
| December 1, 1937 – May 21, 1938
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| ''[[Very Warm for May]]''
| November 17, 1939 – January 6, 1940 || [[Neil Simon Theatre|Alvin Theatre]]
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|
|
|-
| ''Dance Me a Song''
| January 20, 1950 – February 18, 1950 || [[Royale Theatre]]
|
|
|
|{{yes}}
|-
| ''[[Mata Hari (1967 musical)|Mata Hari]]''
| November 20, 1967 – December 9, 1967<ref>{{cite web |title=Mata Hari |url=https://ovrtur.com/production/2881158 |website=Ovrtur |access-date=2023-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314003640/https://ovrtur.com/production/2881158 |archive-date=2024-03-14 |url-status=live}}</ref> || [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)]]
|{{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
|}

==Sources and notes==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===References===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Works cited===
'''Biographies''' ''(chronological)''
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last1=Minnelli |first1=Vincente |last2=Arce |first2=Hector |title=I Remember it Well |year=1974 |publisher=Doubleday |location=[[Garden City, New York|Garden City]] |isbn=0-385-09522-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/irememberitwell00minn |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Wakeman |first=John |title=World Film Directors: Volume 1—1890–1945 |chapter=Vincente Minnelli |year=1987 |publisher=[[H. W. Wilson Company|H. W. Wilson]] |pages=778–787 |isbn=978-0-824-20757-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/worldfilmdirecto0000unse/ |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Stephen |title=Directed by Vincente Minnelli |year=1989 |publisher=Museum of Modern Art; Harper & Row |location=New York |isbn=978-0-87070-474-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/directedbyvincen0000harv |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Naremore |first=James |title=The Films of Vincente Minnelli |year=1993 |location=New York |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-38770-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oj1syNO_hpoC}}
* {{cite book |last=Levy |first=Emmanuel |title=Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood's Dark Dreamer |year=2009 |publisher=St. Martins Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-312-32925-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/vincenteminnelli00levy}}
* {{cite book |last=Griffin|first=Mark |title=A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli |year=2010 |publisher=Da Capo Press |location=Cambridge, MA |isbn=978-0-7867-2099-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/hundredormorehid00grif}}
{{Refend}}

'''Miscellaneous'''
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|last=Bart|first=Peter|title=The Gross: The Hits, The Flops|year=1999|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=0-312-19894-9|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/gross00pete/}}
* {{cite book |last=Basinger |first=Jeanine |author-link=Jeanine Basinger |title=The Movie Musical! |year=2019 |publisher=Alfred P. Knopf |location=New York |isbn=978-1-1018-7406-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ol2PEAAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book |last=Casper |first=Joseph Andrew |author-link=Drew Casper |title=Vincente Minnelli and the Film Musical |year=1977 |publisher=A. S. Barnes & Company |location=South Brunswick, NJ |isbn=978-0-498-01784-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/vincenteminnelli0000casp/ |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Clarke |first=Geralde |url=https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2000/04/01/till-mgm-do-us-part |title=Till MGM Do Us Part |date=April 2000 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |pages=278–309}}
* {{cite journal |last=Dalle-Vacche |first=Angela |title=A Painter in Hollywood: Vincente Minnelli's ''An American in Paris'' |journal=[[Journal of Cinema and Media Studies|Cinema Journal]] |publisher=University of Texas Press |volume=32 |issue=1 |year=1992 |pages=63–83 |doi=10.2307/1225862 |jstor=1225862}}
* {{cite book |last=Delameter |first=Jerome |title=Dance in the Hollywood Musical |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |publisher=[[Northwestern University]] |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-8357-1198-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/danceinhollywood0000dela/ |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Douglas |first=Kirk |title=The Ragman's Son: An Autobiography |url=https://archive.org/details/ragmanssonaut00doug_0/ |year=1989 |location=New York |publisher=[[Pocket Books]] |isbn=0-671-63718-5 |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Eames |first=John Douglas |title=The MGM Story: The Complete History of Fifty Roaring Years |year=1975 |publisher=Crown |location=New York |isbn=0517523892 |url=https://archive.org/details/mgmstorycomplete0000eame/ |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Fordin |first=Hugh |title=M-G-M's Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit |year=1996 |orig-year=1975 |publisher=Da Capo Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-306-80730-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/mgmsgreatestmusi0000ford/}}
* {{cite book |last=Harris |first=Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/picturesatrevolu00harr_0 |title=Pictures at A Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of a New Hollywood |location=New York |publisher=Penguin Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-143-11503-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Higham |first1=Charles |last2=Greenberg |first2=Joel |title=The Celluloid Muse: Hollywood Directors Speak |chapter=Vincente Minnelli |url=https://archive.org/details/celluloidmusehol00high/ |publisher=[[New American Library]] |year=1969 |pages=197–208 |isbn=978-0-207-95123-7 |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite journal |last=Johnston |first=Albert |title=The Films of Vincente Minnelli: Part I |journal=[[Film Quarterly]] |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |date=December 1958 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=21–35 |doi=10.2307/3186050 |jstor=3186050}}
* {{cite journal |last=Johnson |first=Albert |title=The Films of Vincente Minnelli: Part II |journal=Film Quarterly |publisher=University of California Press |date=April 1959 |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=32–42 |doi=10.2307/3185981 |jstor=3185981}}
* {{cite book |last=Knox |first=Donald |title=The Magic Factory: How MGM Made An American in Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/magicfactory0000dona/ |year=1973 |location=New York |publisher=Praeger Publishers |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Robert |title=American Film Melodrama: Griffith, Vidor, Minnelli |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-691-04759-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmmelo0000lang/ |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=McElhaney |first=Joe |title=The Death of Classical Cinema: Hitchcock, Lang, Minnelli |year=2006 |location=Albany |publisher=[[State University of New York Press|SUNY Press]] |isbn=978-0-791-46888-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/deathofclassical0000mcel |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=McElhaney |editor-first=Joe |title=Vincente Minnelli: The Art of Entertainment |year=2009 |location=Detroit |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn=978-0-814-33307-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UxrbJiOIcy0C}}
* {{cite book |last=Schickel |first=Richard |title=The Men Who Made the Movies |year=1975 |publisher=Atheneum |location=New York |isbn=978-0-241-89583-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/menwhomademovies00capr |url-access=registration }}
* {{cite book |last=Segaloff |first=Ned |title=Final Cuts: The Last Films of 50 Great Directors |publisher=Bear Manor Media |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-593-93233-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2wFWDwAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book |last=Silverman |first=Stephen M. |author-link=Stephen M. Silverman |title=Dancing On the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and His Movies |publisher=Alfred P. Knopf |year=1996 |isbn=0-679-41412-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/dancingonceiling0000silv/ |url-access=registration}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|591486}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* [http://catalog.oscars.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=66022 Vincente Minnelli papers], Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

{{Vincente Minnelli}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Vincente Minnelli
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestDirector 1941–1960}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardFeatureFilm 1948–1959}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director 1943–1965}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minnelli, Vincente}}
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