What happened to Joe Clay? Blake Edwards might not be the first name that springs to mind when talking about the story of an alcoholic, status-obsessed ass who tries to get the love of his life just as addicted to the sauce, but he may have been the only director to really capture the humor and humanism of the movie. Jack Lemmon threw himself into this role (and into his straightjacket), delivering a monumental performance. In fact, he was so dedicated to this film and to the way it needed to be presented that he left the country after wrapping so that they couldn’t order reshoots.

Every day, come rain or shine or internet tubes breaking, Film School Rejects showcases a trailer from the past. Today’s trailer is one in tribute to the great (and now late) Blake Edwards who sadly died this week. It’s a perfect comedy that features the greatest detective on the planet, some trouble with meuths and murths, and a desperate attempt to prove that Maria Gambrelli didn’t kill Georges the gardener. But seriously, only a fresh-faced novice would come to that conclusion anyway. This one’s pretty obvious, eh? Check out the trailer after the jump.

Blake Edwards, born William Blake Crump, first got his break into entertainment on the “War of the Worlds” radio production from Orson Welles in 1938 and would go on to start a film career in the early 1940s. That career would blossom into a massively prolific stint in film as a writer, director, producer and actor. His legacy includes creating The Pink Panther series; directing classics like 10, Days of Wine and Roses, Victor/Victoria, Operation Petticoat, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and enduring as a comedic icon that has influenced the greats of the last fifty years. Sadly, Edwards died at the age of 88 this morning.

Bo Derek’s a fifty-two year old, conservative Republican now, but there was a time when she was the very epitome of celluloid sexiness.