Director and Writer Blake Edwards Has Died

Director Blake Edwards has died of complications of pneumonia, reports the LA Times. He was 88. Edwards died at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica last night, with his wife, actress Julie Andrews, and other family members by his bedside.

Edwards was born William Blake Crump in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1922. His early showbiz career was as a radio scriptwriter, including working on the famous Orson Welles "War of the Worlds" broadcast. He moved on to television, writing mostly detective series, before branching out into film. Edwards was vaulted into the spotlight with successes with "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "The Days of Wine and Roses."

He became known for his raunchy comedies, however, many of which starred his second wife, Andrews. Among his well-known films include: "Darling Lilli," "10," "Victor/Victoria," "The Man Who Loved Women," and the "Pink Panther," series.

Edwards had two children, Jennifer and Geoffrey, from his first marriage, and two daughters adopted in the 1970s from Vietnam with Andrews, Amelia and Joanna, as well as helping raise Andrews' daughter Emma. All of his children, except Joanna, have appeared in his films.