born Feb. 28, 1910, Chicago, Ill., U.S.
died July 25, 1986, Los Angeles, Calif.
U.S. film director.
He was a stage manager and costume designer from age 16, achieved success as a Broadway director 0441; 1935, and moved to Hollywood in 1940. He combined a daring use of colour with imaginative camera work in films such as Cabin in the Sky (1943), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), The Pirate (1948), An American in Paris (1951), and Gigi (1958, Academy Award), infusing a new sophistication and vitality into filmed musicals. He also made several notable dramas, including Father of the Bride (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1957). He was married to Judy Garland (194551). Their daughter, the singer and actress Liza Minnelli (b. 1946), won a Tony Award for her performance in Flora, the Red Menace (1965) and an Oscar for Cabaret (1972).