Unfortunately, I think if you just said "Blake Edwards" without saying "director" or mentioning Julie Andrews, most Americans would probably not know who he was or would be wondering "Where have I heard that name before?" Elizabeth Edwards, by contrast, has been in the news a lot over the past few years, especially since the news of John's affair and of her cancer, so at least in 2010 I'd say more Americans would recognize the name right off. You are right that movie directors (like lyricists, I'd say) often do not get the recognition and credit they deserve for their work. If you say "Blake Edwards, who brought us such films as The Pink Panther, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and Ten," we'd all say, "Oh, yeah, the great director Blake Edwards." But when your name hasn't been in the news much for a decade or longer, you pretty soon cease to be a household name.
I still think the thread title should say "director." That's more important than whose spouse he was. (If Edwards had not been celebrated in his own right, no one would probably know the name of Julie Andrews's husband.) If the thread title is supposed to indicate the content, I think "director" is more imporant than 1922-2010. But that's JMHO.