Thursday, December 16, 2010

Blake Edwards


Director Blake Edwards (1922-2010) has died. Everybody will bring up The Pink Panther, and some of the movies he did with Julie Andrews -- his wife -- I loved SOB, but I'm remembering the Peter Gunn movie from the mid-sixties, sparked by the TV series, both of which Edwards also worked on.


There's a scene in the movie I dimly recall. The Peter Gunn character is in a bad-ass bar somewhere, and a bad-ass comes up to him, nose-to-nose. I remember the BA as having a pool cue in his hand, but it's been forty-some years, so who knows. He's ready to kick Gunn's ass.  


Gunn is the epitome of cool, and it bugs the BA:


The bad ass says, So, what, are you some kind of karate expert? One false move, and zap, I'm wiped out? That it?


Gunn smiles and the camera pulls back to reveal that he has a revolver almost touching the guy's belt. It's a visual gag, and there is a follow-up line -- I can't remember it, but something to the effect of, No, I'm the guy's gonna shoot your dumb ass if you don't get out of my face ...


Adios, Mr. Edwards. Let me play you out:


2 comments:

  1. I never new that he was involve with the Peter Gunn TV show or the Movie. Always thought that the Peter Gunn theme song was one of the best ever. I've got a rendition preformed by The Ventures on my iPhone right now. He was one of the greats on will be missed.

    Rest in Peace.

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  2. Edwards put together some incredibly funny movies... and a couple of "also-rans," but, Hey, what a great collection of work.
    I was also unaware of his connection to Peter Gunn. I thought PG's claim to fame was that it was the first TV series to have an opening theme written for it (as opposed to co-opting pre-existing music).
    Have a great holiday... or several, actually!

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