Based on the novel by Truman Capote, this story explores the relationship between a captivating New York socialite and a young man who has just moved into his building. The narrative follows Edwards’ breakout success, and over the ensuing decades he became known for decorating living rooms in millions of homes with their faces. Audrey Hepburn, wearing jeweled accessories and a long, elegant silhouette, became an iconic image of the era.
Blackmail the Woman (1962)
One of Edwards’s strongest films and among the finest film noir plots ever crafted. The opening sequence features a mysterious man with an asthmatic voice forcing a woman to commit a bank robbery. The setting—San Francisco—along with the procedural investigation and a focus on criminal psychology, mark Edwards as a precursor to later thrillers such as Dirty Harry and Zodiac.
Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
This is the other serious work that lands in the top tier of Edwards’s filmography. It employs a conversational style to probe the darker corners of human nature. It presents a heartbreaking portrait of a young couple, Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick, as Remick battles alcoholism. Edwards’s lens captures the impact of addiction on relationships, and the film stands as a stark, enduring look at dependency and its consequences.
The Pink Panther (1963)
The film launched a long-running series and remains one of the notable entries in the Edwards catalog. Inspector Clouseau, portrayed with a distinctive mix of charm and incompetence, became a lasting screen character. Except for one later entry, the remaining installments in the series lean toward lighthearted comedy rather than the sharper tone of other Edwards projects.
Race of the Century (1965)
This exuberant comedy features a wild car duel that feels almost cartoonish. The energy and pace echo later animated inspirations and humor in popular culture. Edwards’s film nods to classic vaudeville and the era’s broader comedic sensibilities, while hinting at influences that informed later directorial choices and satirical works.
Party (1968)
Originally envisioned as a dialogue-free film, most of the action unfolds within a luxurious apartment during a celebratory gathering. A naive actor from India arrives unexpectedly, triggering chaos and revealing the artificial veneer of Hollywood life. The movie serves as a showcase for precise choreographed gags and Peter Sellers’s comic brilliance.
Dear Lili (1970)
Often misunderstood, this film centers on the entangled romance between Julie Andrews, playing a German spy posing as a music hall star during World War I, and Rock Hudson’s pilot who questions where his affections lie. The production faced a substantial budget, reflecting its ambition and risk in a landscape dominated by big spectacles.
10, the Perfect Woman (1979)
The story examines illusions of perfection and male vanity. It follows a songwriter whose midlife crisis is disrupted by the appearance of a voluptuous young woman during a vacation. The film helped Bo Derek achieve iconic status and left a lasting impact on fashion and hairstyle trends worldwide.
SOB You Are Honest Thugs (1981)
Fresh off the success of 10, Edwards pivots to a sharper satire about the film industry. The movie leans into a manga-inspired aesthetic and critiques the studio system, featuring a director who decides to remake a commercially faltering project into an erotic venture.
Victor or Victoria? (1982)
Loosely inspired by a 1933 German musical comedy, this playful story follows a poor singer who assumes the identity of a Polish count. It marked a late-career high point with a rare Best Screenplay Oscar nomination and a fourth statuette for composer Henry Mancini, a frequent collaborator of Edwards for decades. The film showcases a sense of whimsy and musicality that characterizes much of Edwards’s later work.