PARIS, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- French director Edouard Molinaro, who was nominated for an Oscar for 1978's "La Cage aux Folles," died in Paris of lung failure, officials said. He was 85.
French President Francois Holland issued a statement Saturday, expressing condolences to Molinaro's family.
"Edouard Molinaro had the talent to attract a wide audience around quality films," Holland said. "The filmmaker, who had a rich and varied career, turned the greatest actors of French cinema conquering both the public and the respect of his peers."
Molinaro began his career directing crime movies, but he switched to comedies, most notably "La Cage aux Folles," which was remade in 1996 in the United States as "The Birdcage," starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams, The Hollywood Reporter said Sunday.
He also directed "Oscar" in 1967 and "My Uncle Benjamin" in 1969. He had recently worked on made-for-television movies and popular French television series, The Hollywood Reporter said.
