BLAKE EDWARDS, DIES AGED 88

BLAKE EDWARDS, THE DIRECTOR AND WRITER KNOWN FOR CLEVER DIALOGUE, POIGNANCY AND OCCASIONAL BELLY-LAUGH SIGHT GAGS IN 'BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S', '10' AND 'THE PINK PANTHER' SERIES, IS DEAD AT 88. EDWARDS DIED FROM COMPLICATION OF PNEUMONIA AT ABOUT 10.30 PM WEDNESDAY AT ST JOHN'S HEALTH CENTER IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, SAID PUBLICIST GENE SCHWAM. BLAKE'S WIFE, JULIE ANDREWS, AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE AT HIS SIDE. HE HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. EDWARDS HAD KNEE PROBLEMS, HAD UNDERGONE UNSUCCESSFUL PROCEDURES AND WAS 'PRETTY MUCH CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO', SCHWAM SAID. THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS CONDITION, HE SAID. AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, EDWARDS WAS WORKING ON TWO BROADWAY MUSICALS, ONE BASED ON THE 'PINK PANTHER' MOVIES. THE OTHER, 'BIG ROSEMARY', WAS TO BE AN ORIGINAL COMEDY SET DURING PROHIBITION, SCHWAM SAID. 'HIS HEART WAS AS BIG AS HIS TALENT. HE WAS AN ACADEMY AWARD WINNER IN ALL RESPECTS', SAID SCHWAM, WHO KNEW HIM FOR 40 YEARS. A THIRD GENERATION FILMMAKER, EDWARDS WAS PRAISED FOR EVOKING CLASSIC PERFORMANCES FROM JACK LEMMON, AUDREY HEPBURN, PETER SELLERS, DUDLEY MOORE, LEE REMICK AND ANDREWS, HIS WIFE OF NEARLY HALF A CENTURY. HE DIRECTED AND OFTEN WROTE A WIDE VARIETY OF MOVIES INCLUDING 'DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES', A HARROWING STORY OF ALCOHOLISM; 'THE GREAT RACE', A COMEDY/ADVENTURE THAT STARRED LEMMON, TONY CURTIS AND NATALIE WOOD; AND 'VICTOR/VICTORIA', HIS GENDER-BENDER MUSICAL COMEDY WITH ANDREWS. HE WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR AN INDEPENDENT SPIRIT THAT BROUGHT CLASHES WITH STUDIO BOSSES. HE VENTED HIS DISDAIN FOR THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM IN HIS 1981 BLACK COMEDY, 'S.O.B.'