The 10 Best Blake Edwards Movies, Ranked (2025)

Blake Edwards was a master of genre-blending, a director whose body of work ranged from riotous slapstick comedies to emotional dramas. He had a unique ability to craft films that appealed to broad audiences while retaining a signature touch of elegance and wit. Edwards's career spanned several decades, though his high point was in the 1960s, the era when he released classics like The Pink Panther and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

In particular, Edwards had a knack for juggling humor, heart, and human complexity, a combination that won him fans all over the world. With this in mind, the following list showcases the diversity of the filmmaker's talents. Each movie represents a different facet of his storytelling—his gift for staging physical comedy, his ability to draw winning performances from his stars, and his use of striking visual style. These are the best Blake Edwards movies, ranked by how much they meant to his career, their legacy today, and their overall quality.

10 'The Return of the Pink Panther' (1975)

Starring: Peter Sellers, Christopher Plummer, Catherine Schell, Herbert Lom

"Give me ten men like Clouseau, and I could destroy the world." The Return of the Pink Panther marked the long-awaited comeback of Peter Sellers as the bumbling yet oddly effective Inspector Clouseau. This time, Clouseau is back on the case of the stolen Pink Panther diamond, with Sir Charles Litton (Christopher Plummer) once again implicated as the prime suspect. What follows is a chaotic mix of slapstick, absurd misunderstandings, and detective fiction parody. As usual, Seller's comedic powers are on full display.

Edward's direction is impressively light-touch here, allowing the cast to do the heavy lifting. He handles the running gags well so that they never wear out their welcome. The comedy setpieces are a little predictable in light of the previous movies, mostly repeating tried and true formulas rather than experimenting, but that's fine. It's good fan service and adds up to an enjoyable (if not groundbreaking) installment in the classic series.

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9 'Days of Wine and Roses' (1962)

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman

"I walked by that bar on the way home tonight. And it hit me: all I've got in the world is this job and a bottle." Edwards took a dramatic turn with Days of Wine and Roses, an unflinching look at alcoholism and its devastating effects on a married couple. Jack Lemmon stars as Joe Clay, a public relations man who introduces his wife, Kirsten (Lee Remick), to social drinking, only for both of them to spiral into addiction. Edwards paints an authentic portrait of a couple unraveling, capturing all the denial and desperation.

If one were to nitpick, the movie is probably too long, and some of the scenes are a little heavy-handed (bordering on a PSA). Nevertheless, the winning performances from the leads more than compensate, pulling no punches and rising to the raw bleakness of JP Miller's screenplay. Both received Oscar nominations for their efforts. Interesting bit of trivia: this movie inspired Bill Withers's song "Ain't No Sunshine."

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8 'Operation Petticoat' (1959)

Starring: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O'Brien, Dina Merrill

"In confusion, there is profit." Operation Petticoat blends wartime adventure with light-hearted comedy. Cary Grant leads the cast as Commander Sherman, the uptight captain of a World War II submarine that has been damaged and preyed upon by the Japanese navy. Alongside him is Lieutenant Holden (Tony Curtis), a fast-talking con artist who brings a madcap but effective approach to solving the sub's many problems. Sherman and Holden must work together to navigate the challenges of war—but their clash of personalities threatens to sink the whole endeavor.

The movie was actually inspired by several real-life events, though it cranks the humor up to 11. In particular, Operation Petticoat serves up a ton of amusing sight gags, including rogue torpedoes, a pink submarine, and a witch doctor casting a protective spell over the poor vessel. It's all thoroughly ridiculous, and this is also the film's charm. Operation Petticoat is not substantial, but it is fun.

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7 'A Shot in the Dark' (1964)

Starring: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders, Herbert Lom

"I believe everything, and I believe nothing. I suspect everyone, and I suspect no one." A Shot in the Dark is often hailed as one of the finest entries in the Pink Panther series and a comedy classic in its own right. This time, the inept Inspector Clouseau (Sellers) is tasked with solving a murder at a wealthy mansion. Though all evidence points to the beautiful maid Maria (Elke Sommer), Clouseau becomes convinced of her innocence and sets out to prove it despite a trail of disasters that follow his every move.

What makes A Shot in the Dark stand out is the combination of clever wordplay and physical comedy, all orchestrated to perfection by Edwards. There are several spectacularly hilarious setups, with the nudist colony scene possibly being the highlight. It all builds up to a juicy twist and a fantastic send-up of Murder on the Orient Express. In short, this is one of the best murder mystery parodies ever.

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6 'Experiment in Terror' (1962)

Starring: Glenn Ford, Lee Remick, Stefanie Powers, Ross Martin

"I want you to go to the bank tomorrow morning and get me $100,000. Or your sister is dead." While A Shot in the Dark may demonstrate Edwards's power for poking fun at thrillers. Experiment in Terror proves he was also adept at crafting the real thing. It's an atmospheric neo-noir centering on Kelly Sherwood (Lee Remick), a bank teller who becomes the target of a psychopathic criminal (Ross Martin) who threatens to kill her and her sister unless she steals a large sum of money for him.

Once again, this movie is probably a little too long, but the flaws are minor when compared to the strengths. Experiment in Terror boasts black-and-white cinematography, an eerie score, and a particularly impressive supporting performance from Glenn Ford as FBI agent John Ripley, who comes to Kelly's aid. Also worthy of praise is the climactic chase scene through a packed baseball stadium.

Experiment in Terror

Crime

Mystery

Thriller

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Release Date

May 1, 1962

Cast

Glenn Ford , Lee Remick , Stefanie Powers , Clifton James

Rating

Runtime

5 'The Great Race' (1965)

Starring: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk

"Push the button, Max!" The Great Race is a sprawling, slapstick epic about two rival daredevils, Leslie Gallant (Tony Curtis) and Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon), who embark on a madcap automobile race from New York to Paris. The movie embraces its cartoonish energy, portraying Leslie as the dashing hero and Fate as the mustache-twirling villain. The characters are unrealistic, pure good versus pure evil, but that's by design. In this regard, it was a major influence on Hanna-Barbera's Wacky Races.

Indeed, The Great Race sees Edwards channeling the physical comedy of legends like Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges. The antics never cease and the big budget means that everything is done to the absolute max. The star of the show is Lemmon, who is delightfully over-the-top as the antagonist in one of his funniest performances. The Great Race is also memorable for its pie fight scene, a landmark of physical comedy that remains hilarious and impressive today.

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4 'The Party' (1968)

Starring: Peter Sellers, Claudine Longet, Marge Champion, Steve Franken

"Birdie num-num." Peter Sellers strikes again as Hrundi V. Bakshi, an actor who mistakenly gets invited to a lavish Hollywood party after ruining a film set. Once there, Bakshi unintentionally causes a series of escalating disasters, from flooding the house to upending the lives of the glamorous party guests.

The Party is a simple yet impressive exercise in physical comedy, relying almost entirely on Sellers's ability to build chaotic scenes out of small, absurd moments. Obviously, a lot of it is very dated now; the casting of Sellers as an Indian character, especially, has drawn a lot of criticism. Nevertheless, The Party was hugely popular in India itself. A lot of the dialogue is memorable, like when Bakshi is asked, "Who do you think you are?" and he boldly replies, "In India, we don't think who we are, we know who we are!" Other great moments include Sellers' interactions with a chatty bird, a malfunctioning toilet, and a misplaced shoe.

The Party (1968)

PG

Comedy

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Release Date

April 4, 1968

Cast

Peter Sellers , Claudine Longet , Natalia Borisova , Jean Carson , Marge Champion , Al Checco

Runtime

99

Writers

Blake Edwards , Tom Waldman , Frank Waldman

3 'Victor/Victoria' (1982)

Starring: Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren

"If you can't be a man, be a woman." Julie Andrews helms this musical comedy as Victoria Grant, a down-on-her-luck singer in 1930s Paris who finds success by pretending to be a man performing as a female impersonator. Her ruse leads to both hilarious and heartwarming situations, especially when she catches the eye of nightclub owner King Marchand (James Garner), who is baffled by his attraction to someone he believes is a man.

It's a fun premise: a person pretending to be a person pretending to be a person. The music is catchy throughout and won the movie the Oscar for Best Original Score. The tunes are in service to the themes, which explore and subvert gender roles and identity in a way that was arguably ahead of its time. It helps that the cast is uniformly fantastic, especially Andrews, who received an Oscar nod, as did supporting players Robert Preston and Lesley Ann Warren.

Victor/Victoria

PG

Comedy

Musical

Romance

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Not available

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Release Date

April 25, 1982

Cast

Julie Andrews , James Garner , Robert Preston , Lesley Ann Warren , Alex Karras , John Rhys-Davies , Graham Stark , Peter Arne , Herb Tanney , Michael Robbins , Norman Chancer , David Gant , Maria Charles , Malcolm Jamieson , John Cassady , Mike Tezcan

Runtime

134 Minutes

Writers

Blake Edwards

2 'The Pink Panther' (1963)

Starring: Peter Sellers, David Niven, Robert Wagner, Capucine

"Does your dog bite?" Probably Edwards's most globally popular movie, The Pink Panther introduced the world to Inspector Clouseau, whose hilarious misadventures would become a cornerstone of both Edwards's and Sellers's careers. In this first installment, Clouseau is on the trail of the notorious jewel thief "The Phantom" (David Niven), who has his sights set on the priceless Pink Panther diamond.

While the film was originally intended to focus on Niven’s suave thief, Sellers's performance as Clouseau turned him into the true star of the series. So much of this movie proved instantly iconic, from Henry Mancini's theme music to Closeau's goofy confidence and his plentiful pratfalls. Fundamentally, The Pink Panther succeeds because it's a good crime caper in the vein of Topkapi but elevated by a wonderfully zany and hilarious character. Sellers is the only one who doesn't play it straight. The recipe went down well, quickly spawning sequels and reboots, with yet another reportedly in the works.

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1 'Breakfast at Tiffany’s' (1961)

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen

"Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot." Edwards's finest project is Breakfast at Tiffany's, thanks in large part to Audrey Hepburn’s career-defining performance as Holly Golightly. Based on Truman Capote's novella, the film tells the story of Holly, a quirky and free-spirited New York socialite who hides a complex emotional life behind her carefree exterior. After meeting her new neighbor, struggling writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard), the two form an unlikely bond that eventually blossoms into love.

Edwards effectively utilizes George Axelrod's richly detailed screenplay, mining it for all its potential. The finished product is stylish, humorous, and emotional, hitting on themes of loneliness and the search for belonging. Indeed, the director manages a fine balance between the light, whimsical moments and the more poignant, melancholy ones. For these reasons (and despite a few elements that have admittedly aged poorly), Breakfast at Tiffany's is Edwards' best movie, a '60s classic boasting one of the decade's most famous scenes in Hepburn's performance of the song "Moon River."

Breakfast at Tiffany's

pg-13

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

Romance

Where to Watch

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Release Date

October 6, 1961

Cast

Audrey Hepburn , George Peppard , Patricia Neal , Buddy Ebsen , Martin Balsam , José Luis de Villalonga

Runtime

115minutes

Writers

Truman Capote , George Axelrod

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