Born: March 12, 1946
Yesterday Judy [Garland] gave birth to another little girl with an incessantly big voice. Delivered in a Caesarean operation at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, the baby weighed 6 pounds 10 ½ ounces. The actress-mother and Vincente Minnelli, 33-year-old screen director to whom she was married last June, said they will name the baby Liza. The Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1946
Liza with a Z was famous from the day she was born, and her young years were chronicled in newspapers across the country. Minnelli made her screen debut when she was just 14-months old …
When Judy Garland learned that “The Pirate” script called for her to pause in a crowd scene and pat the head of a beautiful baby she asked that the infant’s role be played by Miss Liza Minelli – 14 months old daughter of the picture’s director, Vincent Minnelli, and the star, Miss Garland. Liza joined the Screen Actor’s Guild and accepted the part. Gene Kelly co-stars with her mother. The Biggs News, Biggs, California, June 27, 1947
Minnelli learned to walk a few months later …
Liza Minnelli, the 16-month-old daughter of Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland, has just started to walk. The proud parents described Liza’s efforts: “She walks like a polite drunk.” The Times, San Mateo, California, August 4, 1947
Minnelli next appeared in The Good Old Summertime, a 1949 musical starring Garland and Van Johnson. In the film’s final scene, little Liza is seen walking with Garland and Van Johnson, her parents in the film. FYI: Summertime was redone in 1998 as You’ve Got Mail and starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Click here to see Liza in Summertime.
Liza is all of 2 ½ years old now, but don’t expect her to become a film favorite just yet. “I’d like her to be an actress if she wants to,” explains her doting mother. “If she’s still interested when she gets to be about 14, she can go on her own and handle her career. I always did, Mother never hovered – and I won’t either.”
Judy told how her daughter’s camera debut came about: “I didn’t want Liza to feel left out. After all, her father (director Vincente Minelli) and mother both work. They rush off every day to a place called ‘the studio.’” … Proud Judy predicts she’ll be playing bit parts in Liza’s pictures and will become known as “Liza’s Mother” … “I can see in now,” she smiled. “I’ll walk in to see her and she’ll say, ‘mother, would you mind leaving the nursery – I’ve had a hard day at the studio.’” The Sault Daily Star, Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada, December 2, 1948
Small Liza will appear with her mother in “Annie Get Your Gun,” the big musical slated to go into production next week. Santa Barbara News-Press, California, March 17, 1949
Things didn’t work out as planned, for Garland or for Minelli …
Judy Garland got fired from her starring role in “Annie Get Your Gun” yesterday afternoon after languishing on suspension for 10 days. MGM signed bouncin’ Betty Hutton to start the picture over from the beginning … Miss Garland said they could take their picture and their money and toss it in the ashcan.” San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, California, May 20, 1949
While Garland was miffed at MGM boss Louis B. Mayer, she didn’t seem to hold a grudge against Hutton.
Betty Hutton’s shindig in honor of the second birthday of her second daughter, Candice Briskin, last Friday was a chichi affair with the tot set. Evening Vanguard, Venice, California, April 17, 1950.
Liza was invited, along with the children of Hollywood stars Pat O’Brien, Alan Ladd and Van Heflin. The ritzy affair featured a monkey and an organ grinder, a clown, a storyteller, and Bob Baker gave a show with his circus puppets. “Everybody also had supper and cake and ice cream!” the Vanguard reported. Baker and his puppets were quite famous back then.
Hollywood birthday parties were a big deal. Garland threw one for Liza for her 10th birthday. Hedda Hopper wrote about it in her Hollywood column …
Judy Garland gave a birthday party for her beautiful little daughter, Liza Minelli, at her home and my granddaughter, aged 10, attended. Joan [her granddaughter] tells me both Judy and Liza sang, after which the guests played kissing games. “With boys?” I asked. “Naturally,” she replied. “It was fun, too.” Most of the children attend the Buckley School. Joan said, “Judy opened the door for us. Their house is beautiful and they have the largest toy railroad in the world – but no trains were running during the party.” New York Daily News, March 20, 1957
By the time of the party, Garland was married to Sidney Luft (her third of five husbands).
Judy Garland’s little one, Liza Minnelli, practices dancing every day at mommy’s former studio, MGM. Right now, they say, “It’s just for fun.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 2, 1958
Back in 1942, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland had sung and danced their way through a rendition of For Me and My Gal, in the film of the same name.
Now, 17 years later he’ll reprise the number on television [in the one-hour special he hosted], only this time his partner will be Judy’s 13-year-old daughter, Liza Minelli. It will be Liza’s first pro appearance. The Valley Times, North Hollywood, April 24, 1959
Click here to watch Kelly and Minelli sing and dance.
You’d think Liza would have been a bit smitten with the hunky Gene Kelly. But no, instead …
Liza Minelli, daughter of Judy Garland … has a great crush on the new cinema heart throb, George Hamilton – and he seems to appreciate her, too … Fort Worth Star Telegram, Texas, March 28, 1960
Liza spent several weeks in France the summer of 1960. On the flight from New York to Paris …
“… it was announced that one of the engines was gone and they would have to return to New York. The panicky passengers were returned and sent to the Forest Hotel. During the wait, Liza and [her friend] Ellen [Schacktell] put on a show, singing and dancing, and cheered them up so much that when they took off again all the passengers went aboard … Liza, Ellen and their four girl friends are spending the summer in the French Alps after a visit with Vincente Minnelli in Paris. Buffalo Evening News, July 2, 1960
Show business was in her blood and Minelli continued to sing and dance and act …
Lisa Minelli made her stage debut last week, dancing in “Wish You Were Here” at the Hyannis Port Musical Tent. Her mother, Judy Garland, was in the audience. The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 24. 1961.
JERUSALEM, Israel [UPI] – Liza Minnelli, 16-year-old daughter of Judy Garland, starred Sunday night in “The Diary of Anne Frank” in the closing performance in Israel by New York’s Scarsdale High dramatic club. The group received six curtain calls. The Macon Telegraph, Georgia, July 31, 1962
Liza Minnelli’s Christmas present to her famous mama, Judy Garland, included a tape recording of special material sung by Liza to the accompaniment of piano and drums. Author of the special material was Marvin Hamlisch, a 17-year-old (Minnelli’s 1964 debut album included The Travelin’ Life, which was written by young Hamlisch, who would go on to great things and a long list of hit songs). Fort Worth Star Telegram, Texas, January 5, 1962
Minnelli made her New York stage debut in the 1963 Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward at Stage 73.
It was a distinguished production … because it introduced a bright new young star, name of Liza Minnelli. Miss Minnelli, a shapely lass in her late teens, is the daughter of Judy Garland. Liza is no May basket beautywise but, in addition to a splendid singing voice (a lucky heritage) she has a wonderful flare for comedy in the manner of a Martha Raye Nancy Walker composite. New York Daily News, April 3, 1963
Was it really necessary to take a shot at Minnelli’s looks? And say that her wonderful singing voice was a “lucky heritage?”
Click here to see Liza in Best Foot Forward. The male actor in the clip is none other than Christopher Walken, who back then was billed as Ronald Walken.
Miss Minnelli … was outstanding in a cast of extremely personable and talented youngsters. She proved to be a natural comedienne, a fine dancer (despite a recently broken foot bone that kept her slightly under wraps) and a singer with an appealing voice that reminded me of her mother’s singing at times.” Press and Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, New York, April 3, 1963
Another star was born.
Click here to read about the early year’s of Liza’s mother.
From Unknown To Famous 