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Edwards to Receive Honorary Oscar
Board of Governors votes Blake Edward recipient of an Honorary Award from the Academy.
Friday, December 12, 2003
Buzz Johnson

 
The Board of Gorvernors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced that filmmaker Blake Edwards has been selected to receive an Honory Award from the Academy. Edwards' honor, presented in the form of an Oscar statuette, will be bestowed upon the filmmaker at the 76th annual Academy Awards ceremony on February 29th.

"For more than 50 years, Edwards has had an extraordinary career writing, directing and producing mainly his own material," explained Academy President Frank Pierson. "And that puts him in a select and very small group of outstanding film makers."

Edwards will receive the honor for his "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement." The official citation on the award will read: "In recognition of his writing, directing and producing an extraordinary body of work for the screen."

Beginning his entertainment career as an actor in 1942's Ten Gentelmen from West Point, Edwards wrote his first film, Panhandle, in 1948. Edwards also produced Panhandle and went on to begin his directing career with the television series Four Star Playhouse in 1952.

Over the years Edwards became known for his wide-ranging genre of films, including the drama of Days of Wine and Roses, sophistication with Breakfast at Tiffany's and Victor/Victoria and comedy with the Pink Panther films. He went on to work on over 50 films with memorable titles including A Shot in the Dark, Darling Lili, Operation Petticoat, Experiment in Terror, 10 and S.O.B., among many others.

Edwards earned his first, and only, Oscar nomination in 1983 for his screenplay for Victor/Victoria, which starred his wife Julie Andrews in an Academy Award nominated role.

During the 75 year history of the Academy, the Board of Governors has honored many filmmaking talents with an Honorary Award, including Louis B. Mayer, Gene Kelly, Harold Lloyd, Greta Garbo, Jerome Robbins, Satyajit Ray and Chuck Jones. Peter O'Toole was recognized last year with the honor.

 
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