April 14, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000
                       lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - Legendary director Vincente Minnelli - whose wide-ranging credits include glossy musicals, serious dramas, period films, comedies and melodramas - will be honored with a tribute program featuring Leslie Caron, Cyd Charisse and Kirk Douglas at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on April 30, at 8 p.m., in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The event is presented in honor of the centennial of Minnelli's birth.

Born to a family of touring entertainers, Minnelli began performing at the age of three with the "Minnelli Brothers Dramatic Tent Show." Later a costume and set designer for the theater, he began directing on Broadway in 1935. Invited to Hollywood in 1940 by producer Arthur Freed, Minnelli served an intensive apprenticeship at MGM, which laid the groundwork for his phenomenally successful career. He earned an Academy Award nomination in 1951 for directing "An American in Paris" and took home the directing Oscar statuette for "Gigi" in 1958. (Caron starred in both those films).

Among Minnelli's other impressive credits are "The Band Wagon" and "Brigadoon," in which Charisse starred, "Cabin in the Sky," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Madame Bovary," "Father of the Bride," "Tea and Sympathy" and "The Courtship of Eddie's Father." Douglas starred in three Minnelli films: "Lust for Life," "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Two Weeks in Another Town."

Film critic, author and television host Robert Osborne will serve as the evening's master of ceremonies.

The Academy's Centennial Tribute serves as the kick-off for a month-long, cross-town film series. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art Film Department will present "M is for Minnelli: The Musicals and Comedies," while the UCLA Film and Television Archive will feature "M is for Minnelli: The Melodramas."

Tickets for the Academy's Centennial Tribute to Vincente Minnelli are available to the public for $5, but quantities are limited. For availability and other information, please call 310-247-3600. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

For information on the Minnelli film series, please contact:

LACMA 323-857-6010 or www.lacma.org
UCLA 310-206-FILM or www.cinema.ucla.edu