Acclaimed Director Blake Edwards Dies

Blake Edwards, the director of many gay-inclusive and gay-beloved movies, died Wednesday night at age 88, the Los Angeles Timesreports.

Edwards, who died of complications of pneumonia, was Oscar-nominated for writing 1982's Victor/Victoria, which he also directed, with his wife, Julie Andrews, playing a struggling entertainer who masquerades as a man working as a female impersonator. A gangster, played by James Garner, has to question his heterosexuality when he becomes attracted to Andrews's character, who he believes is a man. The film also featured Robert Preston, a best supporting actor nominee, and Alex Karras as gay characters.

Another Edwards movie much loved by gay audiences was Breakfast at Tiffany's, the 1961 adaptation of Truman Capote's novella, starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. Other notable Edwards films include Days of Wine and Roses, 10, S.O.B., and the Pink Panther series. He received an honorary Oscar for his body of work in 2004 and was recently the subject of a tribute at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; read coverage of the event here.