Blake Edwards

Did You Know?

• Edwards struggled for 15 years with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, as described in the documentary I Remember Me (2000).
• He and Peter Sellers attempted to recreate silent-film comedy styles in their work, notably in The Party (1968).
• His first wife, Patricia Walker, appeared in the comedy All Ashore (1953), for which Edwards was a screenwriter.

Early life and education

He claimed descent from poet William Blake. His father left before his birth, and his mother married Jack McEdward, son of silent-film director J. Gordon Edwards. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1925, where McEdward worked as a film production manager. Edwards graduated from Beverly Hills High School in winter 1941 and began acting during World War II. He served in the United States Coast Guard, where he sustained a severe back injury that caused lasting pain.

Career

Edwards debuted as a director in 1952 on Four Star Playhouse. He co-created The Mickey Rooney Show and wrote scripts for Richard Diamond, Private Detective. He created, wrote, and directed the TV series Peter Gunn and produced Mr. Lucky. His film career included Operation Petticoat, which became Universal's biggest box-office success of the decade. Breakfast at Tiffany's established him as a cult figure, and Days of Wine and Roses boosted his reputation. His most dynamic collaboration was with Peter Sellers on six Pink Panther films. He also directed 10 and Victor/Victoria.

Death and legacy

Edwards died on December 15, 2010, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, from complications of pneumonia. He was 88. Critics were divided on his work; some saw him as a popular entertainer, while others, such as British critic Peter Lloyd, called him the finest director working in American commercial cinema. Edwards described his approach as sticking to one's guns, making necessary compromises, and keeping half a conscience.

Awards and honors

In 2004, Edwards received an Honorary Academy Award for cumulative achievements. That same year, he received The Life Career Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for Victor/Victoria, which also won Best Foreign Film in France and Best Foreign Screenplay in Italy. He received the Creative Achievement Award from the American Comedy Awards in 1988, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, and the Preston Sturges Award in 1993. He earned the Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award in 2000, the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement and the Special Edgar in 2002. He won Writers Guild awards for The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria.