Editing Blake Edwards

{{short description|American filmmaker (1922–2010)}}
{{for|the cricketer|Blake Edwards (cricketer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = Blake Edwards 1966.jpg
| caption            = Edwards in 1966
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1922|07|26}}
| birth_name         = William Blake Crump
| birth_place        = [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2010|12|15|1922|7|26}}
| death_place        = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| education          = 
| other_names        = 
| occupation         = {{hlist|Director|screenwriter|producer|actor}}
| years_active       = 1942–2008
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Patricia Walker|1953|1967|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Julie Andrews]]|1969}}}}
| children           = 5, including [[Jennifer Edwards|Jennifer]]
| relatives          = [[J. Gordon Edwards (director)|J. Gordon Edwards]] (step-grandfather)
}}

'''Blake Edwards''' (born '''William Blake Crump'''; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter.

Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts before turning to producing and directing in television and films. His best-known films include ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'' (1961), ''[[Days of Wine and Roses (film)|Days of Wine and Roses]]'' (1962), ''[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|A Shot in the Dark]]'' (1964), ''[[The Great Race]]'' (1965), ''[[10 (1979 film)|10]]'' (1979), ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'' (1982), ''[[Blind Date (1987 film)|Blind Date]]'' (1987), and the hugely successful ''[[The Pink Panther|Pink Panther]]'' film series with British actor [[Peter Sellers]]. Often thought of as primarily a director of comedies, he also directed several drama, musical, and detective films. Late in his career, he took up writing, producing and directing for theater.

In 2004, he received an [[Honorary Academy Award]] in recognition of his writing, directing and producing an extraordinary body of work for the screen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29WRP92X7Mg | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211107/29WRP92X7Mg| archive-date=2021-11-07 | url-status=live|title=Receiving Honorary Oscar in 2004 | date=March 14, 2008|publisher=Youtube.com |access-date=September 7, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Early life==
Born William Blake Crump July 26, 1922,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weiss |first1=Philip |title=Return of the Punk Panther |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/01/magazine/return-of-the-punk-panther.html |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |date=1 October 1995|quote=[...] Edwards's wife, Julie Andrews, said his birthday was the 22nd [...]}}</ref> in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], he was the son of Donald and Lillian (née Grommett) Crump (1897–1992).<ref name=Harmetz2010>{{cite news |last1=Harmetz |first1=Aljean |title=Blake Edwards, Prolific Comedy Director, Dies at 88 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/movies/17edwards.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=16 December 2010}}</ref> In an interview with [[Andre Previn]], Blake Edwards claimed to be a descendant of [[William Blake]].<ref>BBC2 program 1987</ref> His father reportedly left the family before he was born. His mother married again, to Jack McEdward,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8207853/Blake-Edwards.html |title=Blake Edwards |work=[[The Telegram]]|publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=December 16, 2010 |access-date=September 7, 2012 |location=London}}</ref> who became his stepfather. McEdward was the son of [[J. Gordon Edwards (director)|J. Gordon Edwards]], a director of [[silent movie]]s, and in 1925, he moved the family to Los Angeles and became a film production manager.<ref name=Wakeman>Wakeman, John (Ed.) ''World Film Directors'' Vol. 2. H.W. Wilson Co. (1988) pp. 302–310</ref> In an interview with ''[[The Village Voice]]'' in 1971, Blake Edwards said that he had "always felt alienated, estranged from my own father, Jack McEdward".<ref name=Village>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Village Voice]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1299&dat=19710805&id=VclHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7YsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6592,2244716|title=Confessions of a Cult Figure|first=Stuart|last= Byron|date= August 5, 1971|page=56}}</ref> After graduating from [[Beverly Hills High School]] in the class of Winter 1941, Blake began taking jobs as an actor during World War II.

Edwards describes this period:
<blockquote>I worked with the best directors – [[John Ford|Ford]], [[William Wyler|Wyler]], [[Otto Preminger|Preminger]] – and learned a lot from them. But I wasn't a very cooperative actor. I was a spunky, smart-assed kid. Maybe even I was indicating that I wanted to give, not take, direction.<ref name=Village /></blockquote>

Edwards served in the [[United States Coast Guard]] during World War II, where he suffered a severe back injury, which left him in pain for years afterwards.<ref name=Wakeman />

==Career==
Edwards's debut as a director came in 1952 on the television program ''[[Four Star Playhouse]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Feiwell|first1=Jill|title=Life Oscar to Edwards|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-111980109.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329152906/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-111980109.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2015|access-date=January 21, 2015 |via=[[HighBeam Research]]|agency=Daily Variety|date=December 12, 2003}}</ref>

In the 1954–1955 television season, Edwards joined with [[Richard Quine]] to create [[Mickey Rooney]]'s first television series, ''The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan''. Edwards's hard-boiled private detective scripts for ''[[Richard Diamond, Private Detective]]'' became NBC's answer to [[Sam Spade]] and [[Philip Marlowe]], reflecting Edwards's unique humor. Edwards also created, wrote, and directed the 1958–61 TV detective series ''[[Peter Gunn]]'', which starred [[Craig Stevens (actor)|Craig Stevens]], with music by [[Henry Mancini]]. The following year, Edwards produced ''[[Mr. Lucky (TV series)|Mr. Lucky]],'' an adventure series on [[Columbia Broadcasting System|CBS]] starring [[John Vivyan]] and [[Ross Martin]]. Mancini's association with Edwards continued in his film work, significantly contributing to their success.

Edwards's most popular films were comedies, the melodrama ''Days of Wine and Roses'' being a notable exception. His most dynamic and successful collaboration was with Peter Sellers in six of the movies in the ''Pink Panther'' series.<ref name="MikeMoody">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a293701/filmmaker-blake-edwards-dies-aged-88.html|title=Filmmaker Blake Edwards dies, aged 88|last=Moody|first=Mike|date=December 16, 2010|work=[[Digital Spy]]|publisher=[[Hachette Filipacchi Médias|Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd]]|access-date=December 16, 2010}}</ref> Edwards later directed the comedy film ''[[10 (1979 film)|10]]'' with [[Dudley Moore]] and [[Bo Derek]].<ref name="MikeMoody"/>

===''Operation Petticoat'' (1959)===
''[[Operation Petticoat]]'' was Edwards's first big-budget movie as a director. The film, which starred [[Cary Grant]] and [[Tony Curtis]] and was produced by Grant's own production company, Granart Company, became the "greatest box-office success of the decade for Universal [Studios]" and made Edwards a recognized director.<ref name=Wakeman />

===''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961)===
''Breakfast at Tiffany's'', based on the novella by [[Truman Capote]], is credited with establishing him as a "cult figure" with many critics. [[Andrew Sarris]] called it the "directorial surprise of 1961", and it became a "romantic touchstone" for college students in the early 1960s.<ref name=Wakeman/>

===''Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962)===
''Days of Wine And Roses'', a dark psychological film about the effects of alcoholism on a previously happy marriage, starred [[Jack Lemmon]] and [[Lee Remick]]. It has been described as "perhaps the most unsparing tract against drink that Hollywood has yet produced, more pessimistic than [[Billy Wilder]]'s ''The Lost Weekend''". The film gave another major boost to Edwards's reputation as an important director.<ref name=Wakeman/>

===''Darling Lili'' (1970)===
According to critic George Morris, ''[[Darling Lili]]'' "synthesizes every major Edwards theme: the disappearance of gallantry and honor, the tension between appearances and reality and the emotional, spiritual, moral, and psychological disorder" in such a world. Edwards used complex cinematography techniques, including long-shot zooms, tracking, and focus distortion, to great effect.<ref name=Wakeman/> However, the film failed badly with most critics and at the box office. Despite a cost of $17&nbsp;million to make, it was seen by few cinema-goers, and the few who did watch were unimpressed. It brought [[Paramount Pictures]] to "the verge of financial collapse", and became an example of "self-indulgent extravagance" in filmmaking "that was ruining Hollywood".<ref name=Wakeman/>

''Darling Lili'' star [[Julie Andrews]] had married Edwards in 1969.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

===''Pink Panther'' film series===
Edwards also directed most of the comedy film series ''[[The Pink Panther]]'', the majority of installments starring [[Peter Sellers]] as the inept [[Inspector Clouseau]]. The relationship between the director and the lead actor was considered a fruitful yet complicated one with many disagreements during production. At various times in their film relationship, "he more than once swore off Sellers" as too hard to direct. However, in his later years, he admitted that working with Sellers was often irresistible:
<blockquote>"We clicked on comedy and we were lucky we found each other because we both had so much respect for it. We also had an ability to come up with funny things and great situations that had to be explored. But in that exploration there would often times be disagreement. But I couldn't resist those moments when we jelled. And if you ask me who contributed most to those things, it couldn't have happened unless both of us were involved, even though it wasn't always happy."<ref name=DGA>[http://www.dgaquarterly.org/BACKISSUES/Summer2009/FeaturesBlakeEdwards.aspx "Blake Edwards:Old School"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214124020/http://www.dgaquarterly.org/BACKISSUES/Summer2009/FeaturesBlakeEdwards.aspx |date=December 14, 2010 }} ''Directors Guild of America Quarterly,'' Summer 2009.</ref></blockquote>

Five of those films involved Edwards and Sellers in original material; those films being ''[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|The Pink Panther]]'' (1963), ''[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|A Shot in the Dark]]'' (1964), ''[[The Return of the Pink Panther]]'' (1975), ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'' (1976), and ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]]'' (1978). (1968's ''[[Inspector Clouseau (film)|Inspector Clouseau]]'', the third film in the series, was made without the involvement of Edwards or Sellers.) The films were all highly profitable: ''The Return of the Pink Panther'', for example, cost just $2.5&nbsp;million to make but grossed $100&nbsp;million, while ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' did even better.<ref name=Wakeman/>

After Sellers's death in 1980, Edwards directed three further ''Pink Panther'' films. ''[[Trail of the Pink Panther]]'' (1982) consisted of unused material of Sellers from ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'' as well as previously seen material from the earlier films. ''[[Curse of the Pink Panther]]'' (1983) and ''[[Son of the Pink Panther]]'' (1993) were further attempts by Edwards to continue the series without Sellers but both films were critical and financial disappointments. Edwards eventually retired from film making two years after the release of ''Son of the Pink Panther''.

In addition to the ''Pink Panther'' films, Edwards directed Sellers in the comedy film ''[[The Party (1968 film)|The Party]]''.

==Silent-film style==
Having grown up in Hollywood, the stepson of a studio production manager and stepgrandson of a silent-film director, Edwards had watched the films of the great silent-era comedians, including [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Buster Keaton]], [[Harold Lloyd]], and [[Laurel and Hardy]]. He and Sellers appreciated and understood the comedy styles in silent films and tried to recreate them in their work together. After their immense success with the first two ''Pink Panther'' films, ''The Pink Panther'' (1963) and ''[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|A Shot in the Dark]]'' (1964), which adapted many silent-film aspects, including slapstick, they attempted to go even further in ''[[The Party (1968 film)|The Party]]'' (1968). The film has always had a cult following, and some critics and fans have considered it a "masterpiece in this vein" of silent comedy, though it did include minimal dialogue.<ref name=Kehr>Kehr, Dave. ''International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers – 2: Directors'' 3rd Ed. St. James Press (1997) pp. 291–294</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfWvWRqrAig | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214023113/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfWvWRqrAig| archive-date=2010-02-14 | url-status=dead|title=Clips from ''The Party'' |publisher=Youtube.com |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=September 7, 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life==
=== Marriages ===

Edwards married his first wife, actress Patricia Walker, in 1953; they divorced in 1967. Edwards and Walker had two children, actress [[Jennifer Edwards]] and actor-writer-director Geoffrey Edwards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/the-real-life-trophy-wife/W2NII24NAB6KFTWX24OO42XBSM/|website=NZHerald|date=January 18, 2014|first=Emma|last=Clifton|title=The real-life Trophy Wife|access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref> Walker appeared in the comedy ''[[All Ashore]]'' (1953), for which Edwards was one of the screenwriters. Edwards also named one of his film production companies, Patricia Productions, Incorporated, after her.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News from Hollywood, California on November 28, 1964 |url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/684665977/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Newspapers.com|date=November 28, 1964 |language=en}}</ref>

Edwards's second marriage, from 1969 until his death in 2010, was to [[Julie Andrews]]. They were married for 41 years. He was the stepfather to [[Emma Walton Hamilton|Emma]], from Andrews's previous marriage. In the 1970s, Edwards and Andrews adopted two Vietnamese daughters; Amy Leigh (later known as Amelia) in 1974 and Joanna Lynne in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-05-02|title=The Pristine Princess – Adoption, Julie Andrews : People.com|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20067520,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502235751/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20067520,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-05-02|access-date=2021-02-23}}</ref>

=== Health ===

Edwards described his struggle for 15 years with the illness [[myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome]] (ME/CFS) in the documentary ''[[I Remember Me]]'' (2000).<ref>{{Cite news | last = Thomas | first = Kevin | title = Tarr's 'Harmonies' Is Involving Puzzle | newspaper = Los Angeles Times | date = May 30, 2002 | url = http://articles.latimes.com/2002/may/30/news/wk-screen30/3 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120710070248/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/may/30/news/wk-screen30/3 | url-status = dead | archive-date = July 10, 2012 | access-date = March 6, 2010}}</ref>

== Death and legacy ==
On December 15, 2010, Edwards died of complications of [[pneumonia]] at the [[Saint John's Health Center]] in [[Santa Monica, California]]. He was 88.<ref name=Harmetz2010/>

Edwards was greatly admired, and criticized, as a filmmaker. His critics are alluded to by American film author George Morris:
<blockquote>It has been difficult for many critics to accept Blake Edwards as anything more than a popular entertainer. Edwards' detractors acknowledge his formal skill, but deplore the absence of profundity in his movies. Edwards' movies ''are'' slick and glossy, but their shiny surfaces reflect all too accurately the disposable values of contemporary life.<ref name=Wakeman/></blockquote>

Others, however, recognized him more for his significant achievements at different periods of his career. British film critic Peter Lloyd, for example, described Edwards, in 1971, as "the finest director working in the American commercial cinema at the present time". Edwards's biographers, [[William Luhr]] and Peter Lehman,<ref>Luhr, William, and Lehman, Peter. ''Blake Edwards'', Ohio University Press (1981)</ref> in an interview in 1974, called him "the finest American director working at this time".<ref>''Velvet Light Trap'' magazine, Fall, 1974</ref> They refer especially to the [[Pink Panther (character)|''Pink Panther's'']] [[Inspector Clouseau|Clouseau]], developed with the comedic skills of [[Peter Sellers]] as a character "perfectly consistent" with his "absurdist view of the world, because he has no faith in anything and constantly adapts". Critic Stuart Byron calls his first two ''Pink Panther'' films "two of the best comedies an American has ever made". Polls taken at the time showed that his name, as a director, was a rare "marketable commodity" in Hollywood.<ref name=Wakeman/>

Edwards himself described one of the secrets to success in the film industry:
<blockquote>For someone who wants to practice his art in this business, all you can hope to do, as ''S.O.B.'' says, is stick to your guns, make the compromises you must, and hope that somewhere along the way you acquire a few good friends who understand. And keep half a conscience.<ref name=Wakeman/></blockquote>

==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Writer
!Producer
!Notes
|-
| 1948
| ''[[Panhandle (film)|Panhandle]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1949
| ''[[Stampede (1949 film)|Stampede]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
|rowspan="2" |1952
| ''[[Sound Off (film)|Sound Off]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
|rowspan="2" | 1953
| ''[[All Ashore]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[Cruisin' Down the River]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
|rowspan="2" | 1954
| ''[[Drive a Crooked Road]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Atomic Kid]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1955
| ''[[Bring Your Smile Along]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[My Sister Eileen (1955 film)|My Sister Eileen]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[He Laughed Last]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1957
| ''[[Mister Cory]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[Operation Mad Ball]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1958
| ''[[This Happy Feeling]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Perfect Furlough]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1959
| ''[[Operation Petticoat]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1960
| ''[[High Time (film)|High Time]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|Uncredited}}
| {{yes|Uncredited}}
|
|-
| 1961
| ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1962
| ''[[Experiment in Terror]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[Days of Wine and Roses (film)|Days of Wine and Roses]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Couch (film)|The Couch]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes|Story}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Notorious Landlady]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1963
| ''[[Soldier in the Rain]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|The Pink Panther]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1964
| ''[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|A Shot in the Dark]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1965
| ''[[The Great Race]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|Story}}
| {{no}}
|Also executive producer via Patricia Productions<ref>{{Cite web |date=1965-09-13 |title=Daily News from New York, New York |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/393811924/ |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| 1966
| ''[[What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|Story}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1967
| ''[[Gunn (film)|Gunn]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Also executive producer (Uncredited)
|-
| ''[[Waterhole No. 3]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes|Uncredited}}
|
|-
| 1968
| ''[[The Party (1968 film)|The Party]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1970
| ''[[Darling Lili]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1971
| ''[[Wild Rovers]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1972
| ''[[The Carey Treatment]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''Julie''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Documentary film
|-
| 1974
| ''[[The Tamarind Seed]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1975
| ''[[The Return of the Pink Panther]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[10 (1979 film)|10]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1981
| ''[[S.O.B. (film)|S.O.B.]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
| ''[[Victor/Victoria]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[Trail of the Pink Panther]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1983
| ''[[Curse of the Pink Panther]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Man Who Loved Women (1983 film)|The Man Who Loved Women]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1984
| ''[[City Heat]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[Micki & Maude]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1986
| ''[[A Fine Mess (film)|A Fine Mess]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| ''[[That's Life! (film)|That's Life!]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Blind Date (1987 film)|Blind Date]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|Uncredited}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Sunset (1988 film)|Sunset]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Skin Deep (1989 film)|Skin Deep]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Switch (1991 film)|Switch]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Son of the Pink Panther]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|}

=== Radio ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Writer
!Creator
|-
| 1948
| ''Hollywood Star Theatre''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1949-1953
| ''[[Richard Diamond, Private Detective]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1949-1962
| ''[[Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1950-1952
| ''[[The Lineup (TV series)|The Lineup]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
|rowspan=2| 1951
| ''Broadway is My Beat''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Writer
!Producer
!Creator
!Notes
|-
| 1952
| ''Invitation Playhouse: Mind Over Murder''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "The Long Night"
|-
| 1952-1954
| ''[[Four Star Playhouse]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Directed 5 episodes, wrote 9 episodes
|-
|rowspan=3| 1954
| ''[[The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "Death, The Hard Way"
|-
| ''[[City Detective (TV series)|City Detective]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "Midnight Supper"
|-
| ''[[The Lineup (TV series)|The Lineup]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "Cop Killer"
|-
|rowspan=3| 1955
| ''[[The Mickey Rooney Show]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| 33 episodes
|-
| ''[[The Star and the Story]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "Safe Journey"
|-
| ''[[Fireside Theatre|The Jane Wyman Show]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Directed episode "Big Joe's Comin' Home";<br>Wrote episode "The Smuggler"
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Ford Theatre|Ford Television Theatre]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "The Payoff"
|-
|rowspan=2| 1957
| ''[[Studio 57]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Directed episode "Big Joe's Comin' Home";<br>Wrote episode "The Smuggler"
|-
| ''[[Meet McGraw]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "Tycoon"
|-
| 1957-1960
| ''[[Richard Diamond, Private Detective]]'' 
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| 4 episodes
|-
| 1958-1961
| ''[[Peter Gunn]]'' 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Directed 10 episodes;<br>Wrote 11 episodes
|-
| 1959-1960
| ''[[Mr. Lucky (TV series)|Mr. Lucky]]'' 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Wrote and directed episode "The Magnificent Bribe"
|-
| 1960-1961
| ''[[Dante (TV series)|Dante]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1962
| ''[[The Dick Powell Show]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|Story}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode "The Boston Terrier"
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Julie (TV series)|Julie]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes|Executive}}
| {{no}}
| 7 episodes
|}

'''TV movies'''
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Writer
!Executive<br>Producer
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1958 TV series)|Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1962
| ''[[Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar|Johnny Dollar]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1969
| ''[[The Monk (1969 film)|The Monk]]'' 
| {{no}}
| {{yes|Story}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1984
| ''The Ferret''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Justin Case (film)|Justin Case]]'' 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Peter Gunn (1989 film)|Peter Gunn]]'' 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|}

=== Theater ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Writer
!Executive<br>Producer
!Notes
|-
| 1995-1999
| ''[[Victor/Victoria (musical)|Victor/Victoria]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Broadway production and Broadway tour
|-
| 1999
| ''Big Rosemary'' 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Off-Broadway production, 2004 theatrical workshop, 2008 Broadway preview
|-
| 2003
| ''Scapegoat'' 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Theatrical workshop
|}

== Awards and honors ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
|-
|1982 || rowspan=2|[[Academy Awards]] || [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]] || ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'' || {{nom}} 
|-
|2003 || colspan=2|[[Academy Honorary Award]] || {{won}}
|-
|1962 || [[Golden Globe Awards]] || Best Director || ''[[The Days of Wine and Roses]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1959 || rowspan=2|[[Primetime Emmy Awards]] || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series]] || rowspan=2|''[[Peter Gunn]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series]] || {{nom}}
|-
|}
In 2004, Edwards received an [[Honorary Academy Award]] for cumulative achievements over the course of his film career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12013186|title=Blake Edwards, American director, dies aged 88|date=December 16, 2010|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=December 16, 2010}}</ref> As ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported, "Honorary Oscar winner Blake Edwards made an entrance worthy of Peter Sellers in one of Edwards' ''[[Pink Panther]]'' films: A stuntman who looked just like Edwards rode a speeding wheelchair past a podium and crashed through a wall. When the octogenarian director entered and dusted himself off as if he had crashed, he told presenter [[Jim Carrey]], 'Don't touch my Oscar.'"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2004/03/01/blake-edwards-had-memorable-2004-oscars-moment/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|title=Blake Edwards had a memorable 2004 Oscars moment|author=EW Staff|date=March 1, 2004|access-date=December 10, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808152402/https://ew.com/article/2004/03/01/blake-edwards-had-memorable-2004-oscars-moment/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also in 2004, Edwards received [[The Life Career Award]] from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, during that year's [[Saturn Award]] ceremony.

In 1983, Edwards was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for ''[[Victor/Victoria]]'' as well as winning Best Foreign Film and Best Foreign Screenplay in France and Italy, respectively for ''[[Victor/Victoria]]''. In 1988, Edwards received the Creative Achievement Award from the American Comedy Awards. In 1991, Edwards received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1993, Edwards received the Preston Sturges Award jointly from the Directors Guild and the Writers Guild. In 2000, Edwards received the Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award from the Art Directors Guild. In 2002, Edwards received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement from the Writers Guild as well as the Special Edgar from The Mystery Writers of America for career achievement.

Between 1962 and 1968, Edwards was nominated six times for a Golden Laurel Award as Best Director by Motion Picture Exhibitors. In 1963, Edwards was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Director for ''[[Days of Wine and Roses (film)|Days of Wine and Roses]]''. In 1962, Edwards was nominated for Outstanding Achievement by the Directors Guild for ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]''. In 1960, Edwards was nominated for an Edgar for Best Teleplay by the Mystery Writers of America for ''[[Peter Gunn]]''. In 1959, Edwards was nominated for two Primetime Emmys as Best Director and Best Teleplay for ''[[Peter Gunn]]'' Between 1958 and 1983, Edwards was nominated eight times for Best Screenplay by the Writers Guild and won twice, for ''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'' and ''[[Victor/Victoria]]''.

{|class="wikitable"
|+Accolades for Edwards' features
|-
!rowspan="2"|Year
!rowspan="2"|Title
!colspan="2" style="background-color:#AAAADE;"|Academy Award
!colspan="2" style="background-color:#AA0;"|BAFTAs
!colspan="2" style="background-color:#FE1;"|Golden Globes
|-
!Nominations
!Wins
!Nominations
!Wins
!Nominations
!Wins
|-
|rowspan="2"|1958
|''[[The Perfect Furlough]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1
|-
|''[[This Happy Feeling]]
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|-
|1959
|''[[Operation Petticoat]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|
|-
|1960
|[[High Time (film)|''High Time'']]
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1961
|[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|''Breakfast at Tiffany's'']]
|align=center|5
|align=center|2
|
|
|align=center|2
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1962
|''[[Experiment in Terror]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|[[Days of Wine and Roses (film)|''Days of Wine and Roses'']]
|align=center|5
|align=center|1
|align=center|3
|
|align=center|4
|
|-
|1963
|[[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|''The Pink Panther'']]
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|1964
|[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|''A Shot in the Dark'']]
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|-
|1965
|''[[The Great Race]]''
|align=center|5
|align=center|1
|
|
|align=center|4
|
|-
|1970
|''[[Darling Lili]]''
|align=center|3
|
|
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|1
|-
|1974
|''[[The Tamarind Seed]]''
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|-
|1975
|''[[The Return of the Pink Panther]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
|1976
|''[[The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|
|-
|1979
|[[10 (1979 film)|''10'']]
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|align=center|5
|
|-
|1981
|[[S.O.B. (film)|''S.O.B.'']]
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|1982
|''[[Victor/Victoria]]''
|align=center|7
|align=center|1
|
|
|align=center|5
|align=center|1
|-
|1984
|''[[Micki + Maude]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1
|-
|1986
|[[That's Life! (film)|''That's Life!'']]
|
|
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
|1988
|[[Sunset (1988 film)|''Sunset'']]
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1991
|[[Switch (1991 film)|''Switch'']]
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
!colspan="2" style="background-color:#B3B5C5;"|Total
!32
!5
!6
!
!42
!5
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Blake Edwards}}
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/edwards/ Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database]
* {{IMDb name|0001175}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{IBDB name|4553}}
* {{AFI person | 22224-Blake-Edwards }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090703040038/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/E/ED009.html Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Edwards, Blake]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101230032243/http://www.stevenameche.com/blakeedwards.html My Day With Blake Edwards – A Tribute by Steven Ameche]

{{s-start}} {{s-ach}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Peter O'Toole]]}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|[[Academy Honorary Award]]}}|years=2004}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Sidney Lumet]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Blake Edwards}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Blake Edwards
|list =
{{Academy Honorary Award}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director}}
{{Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement}}
{{The Life Career Award}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}
}}

{{Curtleigh Productions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Blake}}
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