Blake Edwards
| Blake Edwards | |
|---|---|
Edwards in 1966
|
|
| Born |
William Blake Crump July 26, 1922 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | December 15, 2010 (aged 88) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor |
| Years active | 1942–1995 |
| Known for | |
| Home town | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Spouse(s) |
Patricia Walker (m. 1953; div. 1967) Julie Andrews (m. 1969; d. 2010) |
| Children | 3 daughters, 1 son |
Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.
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, Days of Wine and Roses, 10, Victor/Victoria, and the hugely successful 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 transitioned to 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.
Born William Blake Crump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he was the son of Donald and Lillian (Grommett) Crump (1897-1992). His father reportedly left the family before he was born. His mother married again, to Jack McEdwards, who became his stepfather. McEdwards was the son of J. Gordon Edwards, a director of silent movies, and in 1925, he moved the family to Los Angeles and became a film production manager. In an interview with the Village Voice in 1971, Blake Edwards said that he had "always felt alienated, estranged from my own father, Jack McEdwards". After attending grammar and high school in Los Angeles, Blake began taking jobs as an actor during World War II.
Edwards describes this period:
I worked with the best directors – Ford, Wyler, Preminger – and learned a lot from them. But I wasn't a very cooperative actor. I was a spunky, smart-assed kid. Maybe even then I was indicating that I wanted to give, not take, direction.
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