Blake Edwards got in on the gag at 2004 Oscar tribute; director known for his comic touch is dead at 88

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

At the 2004 Academy Awards ceremony, actor-comedian Jim Carrey did a little channeling of Peter Sellers before paying tribute to director Blake Edwards while presenting him with an honorary Oscar.

‘Through his creative genius,’ Edwards ‘heaped joy upon the world,’ Carrey said. ‘The ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ made us cry, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ made us fall in love and everything else made us laugh like hell.’

What followed could have been a sight gag from one of his ‘Pink Panther’ films: After careening across the stage in a wheelchair, Edwards grabbed the statue, crashed into the set and emphatically said: ‘That felt good.’

Edwards, 88, died Wednesday in Santa Monica. Read his obituary here.

-- Valerie J. Nelson