Director Edouard Molinaro dies at 85

French moviemaker Edouard Molinaro has died, aged 85. The Oscar-nominated director passed away at a hospital in Paris, France on Saturday (07Dec13) after suffering lung failure.
His passing prompted a statement from French president Francois Hollande, who applauded Molinaro’s directing career in a statement, saying, “This filmmaker, who had a rich and varied career, directed the greatest actors of French cinema while winning over the public, and winning the admiration of his peers, at the same time.”
Molinaro is best known for his beloved 1978 film La Cage aux Folles, which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, and was later adapted as 1996’s The Birdcage starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams.
The film also spawned a successful stage adaptation which has played on Broadway and in London’s West End.
His other films include 1967’s Oscar, which starred his longtime collaborator Louis de Funes, 1969’s My Uncle Benjamin, and 1976 comedy/horror Dracula and Son, starring Sir Christopher Lee. He also worked with stars including Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Anthony Perkins.