Mark Griffin
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When asked if he was directing the proceedings, Vincente told reporter Jody Jacobs, “I’m just one of the … well, company.” To which Liza responded, “Daddy … you’re the star.”7 And befitting an MGM production, the star was backed by a glittering supporting cast. MCA founder Jules Stein was best man. The reception was attended by the likes of Al and Betsy Bloomingdale, Charlton and Lydia Heston, and Henry and Ginny Mancini. The orange blossoms came courtesy of Tony Duquette. The red velvet cushion that housed the wedding bands was a gift from designer Luis Estevez. Every detail had been attended to—except one. Hollywood’s greatest director of musicals would have to get married without musical accompaniment. But nobody seemed to mind, especially not the groom.
“I think I’m the happiest man in the world,” Vincente told his guests.8
“MY FATHER IS FURIOUS,” Liza Minnelli announced to the star-studded crowd attending Vincente’s eightieth birthday party at the Museum of Modern Art in March 1983. The guest of honor was unable to attend his own celebration because he was in a Los Angeles hospital undergoing tests for the respiratory problems that had been plaguing him. “He’s the sweetest, gentlest man in the world, but he has a temper and I’m sure he’s driving the nurses mad,” Liza told the more than two hundred well-wishers who had gathered to pay tribute to the absent director. Several of Vincente’s stars were in attendance, including Joan Bennett, Hermione Gingold, and Farley Granger. Lillian Gish, who had appeared in The Cobweb, hailed Liza as “Vincente’s greatest production.”9
A month earlier, Minnelli had attended an even glitzier event in his honor at the Palm Springs Desert Museum, which was presenting a retrospective of Vincente’s films along with an exhibition of his artwork. At $1,000 per person, the swanky affair seemed to have taken MGM’s philosophy to heart: “Do it big, do it right, and give it class.” Artist Frances Balcomb was tasked with transforming the museum’s Annenberg Wing into the Maxim’s of Gigi. Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, and Lucille Ball looked on as Liza serenaded her father with a medley of her mother’s songs from Meet Me in St. Louis. “Tonight was the first time I could get through it,” she admitted, having choked up during rehearsals.10
Vincente escorts fourth wife Lee Anderson to an industry event. Before they tied the knot in 1980, Minnelli wasn’t exactly eager to marry again: “Why ruin a beautiful friendship?” PHOTO COURTESY OF PHOTOFEST
The evening’s most poignant moment came when Liza brought her father on stage and persuaded him to perform “Embraceable You,” the winsome Gershwin tune that Vincente had been known to sing during intimate gatherings with friends. As Vincente performed the song in his own inimitable style (and in his unmistakable voice), Liza sat before him cross-legged and completely enraptured. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. As honorary chair Leonore Annenberg observed, “You’ll never see anything like that again, it was such a show of love.”11
BY THE SUMMER OF 1986, Vincente’s health was rapidly deteriorating. For nearly a year, he had been in and out of the hospital, battling emphysema, pneumonia, and what would now be recognized as Alzheimer’s disease. In June, Liza postponed a series of concerts in Indianapolis to be at her father’s bedside at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The press began providing daily updates on his condition, and there was an outpouring of support and get-well wishes from the Hollywood community.
In late July, Vincente and Liza shared another two days together before she flew to France for a concert engagement. After Liza’s departure on Friday, July 25, Lee prepared Vincente’s favorite dinner (baby scallops with tomato and fresh basil sauce). Minnelli, now gravely ill, barely touched a bite. “He didn’t eat much and that surprised me,” Lee told reporters, adding that she phoned for an ambulance after Vincente fell asleep as she “didn’t like the color of his face.”12 Minnelli went to sleep and never woke up. At 6:30 P.M., the director was rushed from his Crescent Drive home to Cedars-Sinai, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Within hours, the news of Vincente’s passing hit the wires. When Frank Sinatra heard the reports, he contacted the airport in Nice so that Liza could receive the news of her father’s death from a family friend instead of the paparazzi. After speaking with Sinatra, Liza reboarded and headed back to Los Angeles.
The same consideration and sensitivity that Sinatra had shown Liza was not extended to Minnelli’s other daughter, Tina Nina. Tina, who resided in Mexico with Vincente’s grandchildren, Vincente and Xeminia, would receive the news of her father’s death from her stepfather, who happened to catch an announcement on the radio.
In his will, Minnelli had requested that there be no funeral service, but there certainly was one, and it was the kind of high-profile, star-studded event that Louis B. Mayer would have been proud of. “The King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, escorted Liza and Lee Anderson into the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather chapel. After Father George O’Brien performed a brief Catholic service, Minnelli was eulogized by Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck.
“Goodbyes don’t always have to be sad,” Kirk Douglas said. “Because Vincente left us with much to be happy about … adventures in love, laughter and wonderment.” The actor also talked about the man he knew—or at least attempted to know. “I loved Vincente but I found that he was a difficult man to know… . He was a man of mystery; the mystery unfolds in his work, in the vivid memories he has given the world for generations to come.” Peck honored Minnelli as “a man who literally gave his life to reach for the distant star, to create works that 100 years later will glow with life and power.”13
The Douglas and Peck tributes were piped over loud speakers outside the chapel for the benefit of the news media. This drew large crowds that lingered. Many admitted that they didn’t really know who Minnelli was. They were there to ogle such celebrities as Jimmy Stewart, Kenny Rogers, and Bob Hope. As mourners filed out of the chapel, the organist played “Embraceable You.”
Although Minnelli had stipulated that his remains be cremated, he was instead buried in Glendale’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Vincente had often joked that he wanted his tombstone to read, “Here Lies Vincente Minnelli. He Died of Hard Work.” But instead the epitaph would read:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
VINCENTE MINNELLI
1903-1986
beloved father and husband, weaver of dreams,
you filled our hearts with love,
you touched our souls,
you made this world more beautiful.
our lives were enriched by knowing you.
you are missed. our best beloved.14
A WEEK AFTER VINCENTE’S DEATH, the details of his will (dated March 25, 1982) were made public. The bulk of Minnelli’s $1.1 million estate (including artwork, jewelry, house furnishings, and memorabilia) was left to Liza. Wife Lee Anderson would receive $100,000. Under the conditions of the will, Lee would be allowed to reside in the Crescent Drive mansion for as long as she wanted. Tina Nina was bequeathed the comparatively modest sum of $5,000. A note from Minnelli explained that he knew that his youngest daughter was “already well provided for” (presumably by Georgette’s immediate family—her Aunt Christiane, the former Miss Universe, was now married to an affluent businessman).15
Eventually Tina Nina would contest the will on the grounds that Liza had “exercised undue influence” over the ailing Vincente and that her father was of unsound mind when he prepared the document. While some rushed to Liza’s defense—she had made mortgage payments on her father’s Crescent Drive house and always footed the bill for Vincente and Lee’s travel expenses—others believed Tina Nina had a legitimate complaint. After all, wasn’t it Georgette—Tina’s mother—who had arranged Vincente’s MGM pension for him? And, according to Tina Nina, Vincente had always stressed that he wanted her to receive her fair share. Tina told writer Wendy Leigh: “I didn’t question the will for the money. I questioned it because I wanted to do what daddy wanted. And he always wanted Liza and me to share the house. Many times, my father told me, ‘I want you to know that in my will, the h
ouse will be half for you and half for Liza.’ … He knew I was in financial need and that Liza didn’t need money and that my children were his only grandchildren.” Eventually, Tina Nina’s lawsuit was resolved through an out-of-court settlement and her two children were named beneficiaries. Although the legal wrangling was over, the sibling rivalry remained. “There was always a power struggle between us,” Tina Nina would say of her relationship with her older sister. “Liza was always jealous of me because all her life she has wanted to be Vincente Minnelli’s only daughter.”16
MAY 1987. CARNEGIE HALL. In a series of sold-out performances, Liza Minnelli captivated her audiences with powerhouse renditions of some of her trademark tunes—“New York, New York,” “Cabaret,” and “Ring Them Bells.” At one point, in between the high-voltage hits, she turned the volume down and performed a lovely though obscure song called “Lonely Feet.” It had been written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II for a forgotten 1934 musical entitled Three Sisters. Only the most erudite musical theater buffs might recognize the tune, and yet Liza had included it as a tribute to her father.
“He taught me this song when I was six,” she explained. “It was not a very well-known song but he just loved it. So, I would like to sing it … for him.”17 The wistful ballad, which concerned a wallflower’s romantic longings, seemed like a mini Minnelli movie set to music:
Lonely feet
While others go gliding by
Here am I, waiting to dance …
Lonely waist, intended for arms to hold
Lonely waist, un-embraced, waits for a dance
If any boy would be
Willing to dance with me
Wouldn’t we dance
And wouldn’t I find him simply divine?
Was it any wonder that the song was one of Vincente’s favorites? It was told from the point of view of a character envisioning those lonely feet out on the dance floor … fantasizing about being partnered … imagining one’s deepest dreams taking flight. The sentiment behind the song was something Vincente understood all too well.
“Liza told me about this time she took him to see a show,” Tina Nina remembered. “When they came out, he suddenly stopped, clutched Liza’s arm, looked at her and said, ‘You know, I live inside myself.’”18 Even in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s, it was as though Vincente had experienced a moment of genuine revelation. He had suddenly figured out what everyone else had long suspected—that Vincente Minnelli had always been living two lives. There was the life that everyone could see, in which he directed Oscar-winning movies, married glamorous women, and attended all the right parties. Then there was the other life—the more important one—that he lived “inside himself.” It was by far the more important existence, and though most people (who didn’t know any better) would dismiss this as a fantasy life, it was actually the more authentic one.
Occasionally, he would venture out of this private world—but he wouldn’t head out as Vincente Minnelli (too conspicuous) and certainly not as Lester Minnelli (too dangerous). Instead, he would appear as an ecstatic doctor’s wife waltzing out of control … a terrified trick-or-treater taking on Halloween … a tormented artist desperately attempting to communicate on canvas … a clairvoyant coquette turning heads at the Royal Pavilion … a half-mad contessa randomly wandering through her memories … a senorita pining for the pirate of her dreams … a lonely schoolboy in need of tea and sympathy … and a courtesan that never was.
Yes, he had been living inside himself all these years, but even so, that life was there for everyone to see.
INTERVIEWS
Perry Sheehan Adair, India Adams, Cris Alexander, Jayne Meadows Allen, Eva Anderson, Evangela Anderson, John Angelo, Brian Avery, Lauren Bacall, Don Bachardy, David Balaban, Virginia Barber, Richard Barrios, Jeanine Basinger, Pam Beery, Patricia Beeson, Rudy Behlmer, William Berkson, Nita Bieber, Mary Bills, Judi Blacque, Betsy Blair (2003 interview), Scotty Bowers, Irving Brecher, Nadine Buchner, Don Burnett, Barbara Butler, Carleton Carpenter, Brent Carson, Dr. Drew Casper, Willy Cassell, Marge Champion, Esme Chandlee, Martin Charnin, David Chierichetti, Gerald Clarke (2000 interview), Bob Claunch, David Patrick Columbia, Betty Comden, Norman Corwin, Robert Crutchfield, Tony Curtis, Mary DeLiagre, Antony DeVecchi, Anne Dinovo, Mike Dinovo, Sam Dinovo, Kirk Douglas, R. Bobby Ducharme, David Ehrenstein, John Epperson, Luis Estevez, Nanette Fabray, David Fantle, Michael Feinstein (2003 interview), George Feltenstein, John Fitzpatrick, Polly Flahive, Tucker Fleming, Dorothy Florance, Nina Foch, Hugh Fordin, Harriet Frank Jr., John Fricke, David Galligan, Betty Garrett, John Gay, Ben Geary, Beth Genne, Dr. David Gerstner, William Gibson, Michael Grace, Farley Granger, Jess Gregg, Roberta Hagood, George Hamilton, Bill Hanrahan, Monika Henreid, Darryl Hickman, Clive Hirschhorn, Marian Horosko, Marsha Hunt, Jack Hurd, Kay Duke Ingalls, Sir Gerald Kaufman, Peter Keyes, Peggy King, Hilary Knight, Miles Krueger, Gavin Lambert (2000 interview), Angela Lansbury, Tony LaRocco, Jack Larson, John LeBold, John Leggett, June Lockhart, Carolyn Lopez, A. C. Lyles, Frank Lysinger, Jim Mahoney, Randal Malone, Howard Mandelbaum, Jon Marans, Gloria Marlen, Caren Marsh-Doll, Hugh Martin (1998 interview), Michael Maule, Bert May, Urie McCleary Jr., Joe McElhaney, John Meyer, Denny Miller, James Mitchell, Peggy Moffit, Hank Moonjean, Ethan Mordden (2001 interview), Robert K. Moyer, Morton Myles, Margaret O’Brien, Lawrence Paull, Gigi Perreau, John Poer, Meredith Ponedel, Rev. Lynn Ramey, Ann Rapp, Irving Ravetch, Jack Reavley, Charlene Regester, Gene Reynolds, Barbara Freed Saltzman, Richard Schickel, Mort Sheinman, Leonard Stanley, Skipper Steely, Stella Stevens, Thomas Sydes, Russ Tamblyn, Steve Terrell, Bob Thomas, Matthew Tinkcom, Audrey Totter, Judy Trott, Monique Van Vooren, Margaret Whiting, Stone “Budd” Widney, Jill Wiest, Judi B. Witty, Peter Woodburn.
ASSISTANCE & CORRESPONDENCE
Charlene Abel (Madison-Jefferson Public Library),Woolsey Ackerman, Robert Anderson, Greg Astor, Lygia Bagdanovich, Joanne Bartlett, Craig Bentley, Bill Blackwell, Windy Bolduc, Bruce Broughton, Lea Carlson, Paula J. Carter, Maryann Chach, Steve Chou, Gerald Clarke, Tess Cleary, Ned Comstock, Julia Coopersmith, Vickie Copeland, Len J. Cortigiano, Robert Diamond, Adelaide Docx, Richard Dyer, Alan Eichler, Angela Encarnacion, Scott Eyman, Edward Field, Jean Flahive, Dena Flekman (Corymore Corporation), Arlene Flower, Tom Frederiksen, Chris Freeman, Peter Garza-Zavaleta, James Gavin, Susan Ginsburg, Rolande Griffin, May Haduong, Barbara Hall, Ernie Harburg, Susan M. Hart (University of Missouri), Peter Hay, Max D. Hipp (Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce), Steve Hodel, Stuart Hodes, Bob Hofler, Mark Horowitz (Library of Congress), Julie Houston (Delaware Historical Society), J. C. Johnson, Jim Johnson, Gai Jones, Marion Herwood Keyes, Ty King, Howard Kissel, Bob Kurtz, Richard Lamparski, Janet Landry, Nan Lansinger, Jaime Larkin (Motion Picture and Television Fund), Thomas Lee (Office for the Arts at Harvard), Dell Lemmon (a guardian angel in so many ways), Peter Levy, Jaelithe Lindblom (Louisville Free Public Library), Ron Mandelbaum, William J. Mann, Nick Markovich, Michael Mascioli, Laurence Maslon, Patrick McGilligan, Amy Meadows, Linda Harris Mehr, Lily Meltzer, Dee Michel, Joan Miller (Wesleyan Cinema Archives), David Moyer, Brian Mulcahy, Eric Myers, Ronald Neame, Keary Nichols (chef, chauffeur, graphic designer extraordinaire), Peggy Northcraft (Hannibal Free Public Library), Sandy Nyberg, Bob Oliver, Marvin Paige, Brent W. Phillips, Laura and Tony Ratcliff, Karen Richards, Jaydon Riendeau, Emily Saladino, Scott Schechter, Rebecca Sherman, Ed Sikov, (the very legendary) Charles Silver, Stephen M. Silverman, Larry Simms, Caroline Sisneros (AFI Library), Victoria Skurnick, Carol Ann Small, James Spada, Francine Stock (BBC), Kevin Stoehr, Henry Sweets (Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum), Lou Valentino, Judy Vardamis, Walter Vatter, Melissa Veilleux, Phet Walker, Marc Wannamaker, Ann Wikoff, Fredric Woodbridge Wilson, Charles Winecoff, Melissa Wolf, Lauren Wolk, Mike Wood, Sheryl Woodruff, Dan Works, Jack Wrangler, Larry Yudelson. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, American Film Institute, Boston University (Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center), Chicago History Museum, Delaware Historical Society (Delaware, Ohi
o), Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Harburg Foundation, Harvard Theatre Collection (Office for the Arts at Harvard), Library of Congress (Music Division), Lewiston Public Library, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, Margaret Herrick Library, Museum of Modern Art (Film Study Center), New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (Billy Rose Theatre Collection; Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound), Shubert Archive, St. Petersburg Museum, Turner Entertainment, University of California at Los Angeles (Film and Television Archive), University of Southern California.
NOTES
INTRODUCTION
1 Vincente Minnelli, with Hector Arce, I Remember It Well (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1974).
2 Jeanine Basinger, interview with author, April 2008.
3 Vincente Minnelli, interview with Richard Schickel for The Men Who Made the Movies, produced by WNET/13, aired November 4, 1973, on the Public Broadcasting Service.
4 Vincente Minnelli, interview with Henry Sheehan, available at “Henry Sheehan, Film Criticism and Commentator: Vincente Minnelli,” http://www.henrysheehan.com/interviews/mno/minnelli.html. Sheehan does not recall if the interview was in 1977 or 1978.