Blake Edwards

Born William Blake McEdwards in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of a stage director. He was originally an actor and script-writer (seven Richard Quine film scripts). As a director his early films were black-to-grey comedies handled with a certain perceptive flair.

Specialising in comedies, some critics consider he should have stopped around 1968 in terms of quality, although some among his biggest hits were yet to come (10 and Victor/Victoria). On the other side, Edwards is appreciated instead for his direction of Peter Sellers in the Panther movies.

His post-Peter Sellers stretch of the Pink Panther films are widely considered indicators of a serious decline.

His second wife (from 1969) was Julie Andrews, star of a number of his films including the notorious Darling Lili.

Filmography

• Bring Your Smile Along (1955),
• He Laughed Last (1956),
• Mister Cory (1957),
• This Happy Feeling (1958),
• Operation Petticoat (1959),
• High Time (1959),
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961),
• The Grip of Fear (1962),
• Days of Wine and Roses (1963),
• The Pink Panther (1964),
• A Shot in the Dark (1964),
• The Great Race (1965),
• What Did you Do in the War, Daddy? (1966),
• Gunn (1967),
• The Party (1968),
• Darling Lili (1969),
• Wild rovers (1971),
• The Carey Treatment (1972),
• The Tamarind Seed (1974),
• The Return of the Pink Panther (1974),
• The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976),
• The Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978),
• 10 (1979),
• S.O.B. (1981),
• Trail of the Pink Panther (1982),
• Victor/Victoria (1982),
• Curse of the Pink Panther (1983),
• The Man Who Loved Women (1983),
• Micki and Maude (1984),
• A Fine Mess (1986),
• That's Life (1986),
• Blind Date (1987),
• Sunset (1988),
• Skin Deep (1989),
• Switch (1991),
• Son of the Pink Panther (1993)