Henry Mancini was one of the most beloved and successful composers in film and TV history. He wrote several classic songs and scores throughout the '50s and '60s, many of which became hits in their own rights. After getting his start as an arranger in the waning days of the big band era, Mancini moved into film at Universal Pictures in the early '50s. From the start, he was a hitmaker. He struck up a particularly strong collaborative rapport with director Blake Edwards, for whom he'd pen scores for such classics as The Pink Panther and Breakfast at Tiffany's.