The only child of a traveling tent-show conductor, Vincente Minnelli was born in Chicago on Feb. 28, 1903, and spent most of his childhood on the road. After starting out in set and costume design, he diversified by directing Broadway musicals, catching the eye of theater critics who would later dub him the father of the modern musical.

His first film, Cabin in the Sky (1943), led to the high-profile Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), where he met future wife Judy Garland; their daughter, Liza Minnelli, would grow up to become a talented star in her own right.

Minnelli went on to direct some of the most stylized and celebrated films in Hollywood history, including Father of the Bride (1950), An American in Paris (1951), Brigadoon (1954), Kismet (1955), Gigi (1958) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970). He died July 25, 1986, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.