In Remembrance: Tony Adams

     Tony Adams, the producer who produced numerous movies with director Blake Edwards including six installments of the Pink Panther series, 10 (1979) and Victor/Victoria (1982), has passed away in New York City on October 22, 2005. He was 52.

     Born on February 15, 1953 in Dublin Ireland, Adams grew up helping to run the family’s theater in central Ireland. Coming to the United States, he landed a job as a tutor for the children of director John Boorman on the set of Deliverance (1972) at the age of 18. Deliverance star Burt Reynolds gave Adams a job on his Florida ranch and introduced him to Edwards, who hired Adams away to Hollywood to serve as his assistant. Adams worked for Edwards while attending Pepperdine University, and eventually joined Edwards in the film business, serving as an associate producer on the comedy The Return Of The Pink Panther (1975). He also cameoed in the film as a waiter.

     Adams’ partnership with Edwards was a fruitful one. In addition to serving as producer on an additional five Pink Panther sequels, he also produced the comedies 10, S.O.B. (1981), Victor/Victoria, The Man Who Loved Women (1983), Micki + Maude (1984), A Fine Mess, That’s Life! (both 1986), Blind Date (1987), Sunset (1988), Skin Deep (1989) and Switch (1991) for the prolific director.

     In 1995, Adams convinced Edwards to bring a stage version of Victor/Victoria to Broadway. The show featured Julie Andrews, Blake’s wife, reprising her title role from the film version and ran for more than 700 performances. He also served as an executive producer on the short-lived 1992 television sitcom Julie, starring Andrews. He was most recently developing and producing theatrical shows in New York City.

     Adams’ final film was 1993’s Son Of The Pink Panther, which featured the at-the-time relatively unknown Italian comic Roberto Benigni in the role of the hitherto unknown son of Peter Sellers’ classic Inspector Clouseau character.