Blake Edwards (1922 – 2010)

Goodbye Mr Edwards

2 days ago, Hollywood (and the whole world) lost one of the greats icons of American comedy.

So many of Blake Edwards’ s movies hold a special place in everyone’s memory. Who doesn’t like his adaptation of Truman Capote‘s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, with the splendid Audrey Hepburn in possibly her most memorable roles? Every time I watch that movie I end up saying “they don’t make them like that anymore, do they?”

Who hasn’t quoted Inspector Clouseau‘s lines from The Pink Panther movies at least once.

But the one that tops my list is Victor/Victoria. Yes, it’s a slightly self-indulgent film an d probably goes on for a tad too long for a comedy but I absolutely love it. The story of Julie Andrews who play a woman who pretends to be a man who pretends to be woman is a classic, classic, classic!!!

I love the musical numbers, I love the comedy in it, I love Henry Mancini‘s tunes and I adore Julie Andrews in it: I was lucky enough to see her performing the same role in a theatre in Broadway. That was also her last stage appearance.

He made so many films that listing them all is going to fill up all this page, among the most famous (and some of my favourites) I should certainly mention: 10, The Great Race ,  S.O.B. (famous of infamous for Andrews  baring her breasts), The Party,  Micki & Maude (which I remember loving at the time…), Blind Date and the semi-autobiographical That’s Life! in 1986  starring Jack Lemmon.