Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards (1922–2010) was an American filmmaker who became one of Hollywood's master craftsmen of romantic and slapstick comedy. Born William Blake Crump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he was raised in Los Angeles by his mother and stepfather, the production manager Jack McEdward, and began as an actor in the 1940s before moving into writing and then directing for radio, television, and film. He wrote or directed more than fifty features, but his reputation rests on Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), with Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, and The Pink Panther (1963), which inspired a long-running series and made Peter Sellers's Inspector Clouseau a comedy icon. He also directed Days of Wine and Roses, The Party, 10, S.O.B., and Victor/Victoria, the last of which starred his wife Julie Andrews. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 2004.