Motion Picture Director, Screenwriter, Producer. He is best remembered for the "Pink Panther" film series. Born William Blake Crump, his parents divorced while he was a child, and his mother would remarry to Jack McEdwards, a Hollywood production manager and son of noted movie director J. Gordon Edwards. He grew up in the shadows of the motion picture industry, and upon graduation from Beverly Hills High School, after service in the United States Coast Guard during World War II (WWII), he entered the entertainment industry performing as an extra in such films as "Ten Gentlemen from West Point" (1942) and "A Guy Named Joe" (1943), among others. By the late 1940s, he turned to writing and contributed scripts to numerous television programs, while moving behind the camera as director of episodes for the series "Mr. Lucky" and "Peter Gunn" (both of which he created). During this period, Edwards began a successful collaboration with composer Henry Mancini. Among his memorable features include "Operation Petticoat" (1959), "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), "Experiment in Terror" (1962), "Days of Wine and Roses" (1962), "The Pink Panther" (1963, launching the series and furthering Peter Sellers' star status), "The Great Race" (1965), "The Party" (1968), "Darling Lili" (1970), "10" (1979), "S.O.B." (1981) and "Victor/Victoria" (1982). For his impact on motion pictures, he received a Honorary Oscar in 2004 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6908 Hollywood Blvd. He was married to actress Julie Andrews from 1969 until his death.
Motion Picture Director, Screenwriter, Producer. He is best remembered for the "Pink Panther" film series. Born William Blake Crump, his parents divorced while he was a child, and his mother would remarry to Jack McEdwards, a Hollywood production manager and son of noted movie director J. Gordon Edwards. He grew up in the shadows of the motion picture industry, and upon graduation from Beverly Hills High School, after service in the United States Coast Guard during World War II (WWII), he entered the entertainment industry performing as an extra in such films as "Ten Gentlemen from West Point" (1942) and "A Guy Named Joe" (1943), among others. By the late 1940s, he turned to writing and contributed scripts to numerous television programs, while moving behind the camera as director of episodes for the series "Mr. Lucky" and "Peter Gunn" (both of which he created). During this period, Edwards began a successful collaboration with composer Henry Mancini. Among his memorable features include "Operation Petticoat" (1959), "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), "Experiment in Terror" (1962), "Days of Wine and Roses" (1962), "The Pink Panther" (1963, launching the series and furthering Peter Sellers' star status), "The Great Race" (1965), "The Party" (1968), "Darling Lili" (1970), "10" (1979), "S.O.B." (1981) and "Victor/Victoria" (1982). For his impact on motion pictures, he received a Honorary Oscar in 2004 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6908 Hollywood Blvd. He was married to actress Julie Andrews from 1969 until his death.
Bio by: C.S.
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