William Blake Crump
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Awards
Blake Edwards directed Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961 and The Pink Panther 1963, two of the most enduring films in Hollywood history. He created the TV series Peter Gunn and won an Academy Honorary Award in 2004. His films have been selected for the National Film Registry three times. Edwards was married to Julie Andrews and had four children.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Blake Edwards — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Blake Edwards by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Blake Edwards — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
William Blake Crump, later known as Blake Edwards, was born on July 26, 1922 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His mother Lillian Virginia McEdward and father Don Crump divorced; his mother remarried Jack McEdward, a stage director. His step-grandfather, J. Gordon Edwards, was a silent film director. Edwards attended Beverly Hills High School, graduating in 1940 as Bill McEdward. He briefly acted in films during the 1940s before turning to writing.
In 1958, Edwards created the TV series Peter Gunn, a detective show that became a hit. He had started as a writer, co-writing Panhandle 1948. He also created Mr. Lucky 1959 and Dante 1960. His directorial debut, Operation Petticoat 1959, was a commercial success. It was followed by Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961 and Days of Wine and Roses 1962. The Pink Panther 1963 introduced Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau, spawning a franchise. After a series of films, Edwards revived the Pink Panther series in 1975 with The Return of the Pink Panther. Later hits included 10 1979 and Victor/Victoria 1982, which won a César Award. He continued directing into the 1990s.
Edwards married Patricia Edwards in 1953; they had two children, Jennifer and Geoffrey, before divorcing in 1967. In 1969, he married actress Julie Andrews after a courtship sparked by a risqué comment — Andrews heard Edwards describe her as having violets between her legs and sent him violets. The couple adopted two daughters from Vietnam, Amelia and Joanna. Edwards was a former roommate of Mickey Rooney and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome. He died on December 15, 2010 from complications of pneumonia.
Edwards directed six actors to Oscar-nominated performances: Audrey Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, and Lesley Ann Warren. Three of his films—Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961, Days of Wine and Roses 1962, and The Pink Panther 1963—have been preserved in the National Film Registry. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 2004, presented by Jim Carrey. Edwards also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Pink Panther franchise continues to be popular, and his work remains influential.
Browse the complete filmography of Blake Edwards — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Every award, honor, and recognition received by Blake Edwards — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Blake Edwards — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Make ‘Em Redecorate Your Office. That’s Primary, to Let Them Know Where You Stand. Then, When You’re Shooting Interior Sequences, Use Your Own Interior Decorator and Set Dresser. That Way Everything on the Set Will Fit Your House When You’re Finished.
Little-known facts about Blake Edwards — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Asked about a lifelong collaborator, Edwards chose Jack Lemmon in a heartbeat.
Edwards met wife Julie Andrews after she heard he once described her as so sweet she probably has violets between her legs. She sent him violets and a note, starting their courtship.
Edwards directed six actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Audrey Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, and Lesley Ann Warren.
Edwards suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome.
He was former roommates with Mickey Rooney.
He and Julie Andrews adopted two children from Vietnam: Amelia Edwards born 1974 and Joanna Lynne Edwards born 1975.
Edwards received an Academy Honorary Award in 2004, presented by Jim Carrey.
As of 2007, Edwards is one of six directors who has directed his wife to a Best Actress Oscar nomination: Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria 1982.
Edwards was one of the first directors to employ video playback of shot film footage on set, using it for The Party 1968.
Edwards was a student of the late martial artist Bruce Lee.
Edwards was the original writer and director on City Heat 1984 but stepped aside due to creative differences with star Clint Eastwood.
Three of Edwards’ films have been selected for the National Film Registry: Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961, Days of Wine and Roses 1962, and The Pink Panther 1963.
Edwards met actor David Niven when writing and directing for Four Star Television, a company partly owned by Niven.
Edwards was the grandson of silent screen director J. Gordon Edwards.
He was named the inaugural distinguished fellow in film writing, directing, and producing at Arizona State University’s film school.
In a documentary, Edwards regretted casting Mickey Rooney as a Japanese character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961, saying he wished he could recast it.
Edwards graduated from Beverly Hills High in summer 1940 alongside Jackie Cooper.
He is the father of Jennifer Edwards and Geoffrey Edwards.
His son Geoffrey Edwards was married to Denise Crosby, Bing Crosby’s granddaughter.
Edwards’ grandchildren include Kayti, Hannah, Isabelle, Hank, Max, Sam, and Hope.
He attended Beverly Hills High, where his name sometimes appeared as McEdward or McEdwards; he graduated as Bill McEdward.
Edwards was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6908 Hollywood Boulevard on April 3, 1991.
He was born on the same date as Jason Robards.
Edwards was the stepson of stage director and production manager Jack McEdward.
His great-grandchildren are Shaely and Kaden from granddaughter Kayti.
Edwards was ex-father-in-law of Denise Crosby, Genevieve Tyrrell, and Lauren Scheff.
He was the primary writer of the radio police drama The Lineup 1950-1953.
Edwards was stepfather of Emma Walton Hamilton.
Daughter Amelia Edwards married rock musician Lauren Scheff in 2004; they are now divorced.
Edwards originally signed to direct The Shadow on the Window 1957.
He was father-in-law of Sarah Haskins.
His longtime friend and publicist Gene Schwam represented him for 40 years.
Edwards was stepfather-in-law of Steve Hamilton.
He dedicated The Great Race 1965 to Laurel and Hardy because of the film’s pie fight.
His cremated remains were given to his surviving relatives.
The writing credit Sam Brown is a pseudonym for Edwards, used when he stepped down from directing City Heat.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Blake Edwards.
Celebrities similar to Blake Edwards — same craft, ranked by reach.
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