Born in Charleston, South Carolina. He started out as a song plugger for a music publisher and later appeared with the Marx Brothers in vaudeville. After returning from WW I service, he went back to vaudeville and began writing songs and special material for nightclub revues, finally making it in 1923 with his first hit song, "I Cried for You." He was directing a stage musical in Hollywood when Irving Thalberg hired him as a lyricist for MGM in 1929, during the big outpouring of screen musicals at the dawn of the sound era. He wrote lyrics for numerous films, including THE BROADWAY MELODY (1929), THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 ("Singin' in the Rain," etc.), THE PAGAN (1929); LORD BYRON OF BROADWAY (1930), MONTANA MOON (1930); BLONDIE OF THE FOLLIES (1932); THE BARBARIAN (1933), HOLD YOUR MAN (1933), STAGE MOTHER (1933), GOING HOLLYWOOD (1933) ("Temptation," etc.,); SADIE MCKEE (1934), HOLLYWOOD PARTY (1934), STUDENT TOUR (1934); BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936 ("You Are My Lucky Star," etc.), A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935); SAN FRANCISCO (1936) ("Would You?"), and BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938. In 1939, after a successful tryout as the associate producer of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), Freed was elevated to producer and for the next two decades his name was synonymous with the glitter and high quality of the MGM musical. Freed's credits read like a list of landmarks in the history of the genre: BABES IN ARMS (1939), BABES ON BROADWAY (1941), FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942), CABIN IN THE SKY and GIRL CRAZY (both 1944), MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), THE HARVEY GIRLS, TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY and ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (all 1946), GOOD NEWS (1947), EASTER PARADE, WORDS AND MUSIC and THE PIRATE (all 1948), TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME, THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY and ON THE TOWN (all 1949), ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950), ROYAL WEDDING, SHOW BOAT and AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (all 1951), SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952), THE BAND WAGON (1953), BRIGADOON (1954), IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER and KISMET (both 1955), INVITATION TO THE DANCE (1956), SILK STOCKINGS (1957), GIGI (1958) and BELLS ARE RINGING (1960). No one else was as instrumental in the development of Hollywood's unique gift to the world of entertainment, the screen musical of the 40s and 50s. A great judge of talent, he surrounded himself with directors like Vincente Minnelli, Busby Berkeley, Stanley Donen, and Charles Walters, as well as dynamic choreographers (Michael Kidd for one) and skilled musical directors (André Previn and others), and helped shape the careers of such stars as Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, and June Allyson, among many, many others. Two of his films won best picture Oscars, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) and GIGI (1958), but his career waned in the early 60s with the demise of the screen musical. He was onetime (1963-66) president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and produced the annual Oscar ceremonies telecasts in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1968. He was decorated Chevalier of the French Légion d'Honneur in recognition of his cinema achievements.  Nominated for Music Best Song 1940: STRIKE UP THE BAND "Our Love Affair"-- Music & Lyrics (w. Roger Edens)  Best Picture 1951: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS - Producer at MGM  Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1951  Best Picture 1958: GIGI - Producer at Freed (Won 9 Awards. Swept every nominated category.)  Honorary Award 1967: "For distinguished service to the Academy and the production of six top-rated Awards telecasts." Winner presented a Statuette. 3 nominations, 2 Awards, 2 Honorary Awards