Mar 18, 2026 10:00 EST

Stage & Screen Featuring The Estate of Charles Strouse & Barbara Siman

 
Lot 141
 
Lot 141 - Ten original Edith Head costume sketches for Shirley MacLaine in What a Way to Go
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141

Ten original Edith Head costume sketches for Shirley MacLaine in What a Way to Go

The Collection of EJ Gonzalez

EDITH HEAD

Remarkable group of ten original costume sketches for Shirley MacLaine in What a Way to Go. 20th Century Fox, 1964. Original ink, pencil and gouache sketches on paper, most with annotations. Seven signed. All framed. Sketches approximately 16 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches (42 x 34.25 cm); framed approximately 23 1/2 x 20 1/2 (59.75 x 52 cm). Some minor creases from handling, a very attractive group overall, not examined out of frames.

A very rare opportunity to acquire a series of original Edith Head costume designs for a single film - here for the inimitable Shirley MacLaine in the stylish 1964 black comedy What a Way to Go. This film is notable for featuring MacLaine as the central star, and the story, written by Comden and Green, has her narrating to a psychotherapist how she outwitted and outlived a series of wealthy husbands played by a top drawer cast of Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Bob Cummings, and Dick Van Dyke. With each expiring husband, MacLaine's character becomes progressively wealthier resulting in an increasing fashion extravaganza. For this dynamic film, Edith Head enjoyed a costume budget of $500,000, employed 30 seamstresses, and was loaned millions of dollars worth of jewelry by Harry Winston. Playing on not only the appeal of MacLaine as the star, the costumes and the costume designer herself were a major aspect of the marketing of the film, with the trailer promising "a half million dollars worth of the most magnificent clothes that Edith Head ever created." It is no surprise that Edith Head was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
The sketches offered here relate to the following scenes:
1) A black dress with long veil worn when depositing money at the bank that her husband left her (signed and notated as "MacLaine");
2) A cream colored dress with mink around the sleeves worn in Robert Mitchum's plane (signed and notated as "double" and "at airport / in plane");
3) The fabulous silver glittered dress with brown wrap around fur worn in dream sequence (signed and notated with "diamond bead");
4) A green gown with cascading ribbons which she drops as she walks in dinner party sequence (signed and notated "Meeting Duke at Party" and "Louisa");
5) The red form-fitting vinyl Asian inspired dress with fan also dinner party sequence (signed and notated "What a Way to Go #19");
6) Fur with matching hat from "dream sequence"
7) The blue negligee where worn in the champagne glass scene with Robert Mitchum (noted as "Louisa #23" and "may flow at the back");
8) An excellent sketch of the rear view of the bareback dress worn in the dinner party (signed and with "No chiffon coat at table eating");
9) The same dress as previous on dark colored sheet (signed and notated).
10) A dress with fur in a light colored wig from dream sequence (signed)

Stage & Screen

    

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$10,000 - $15,000
 

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The Collection of EJ Gonzalez

EDITH HEAD

Remarkable group of ten original costume sketches for Shirley MacLaine in What a Way to Go. 20th Century Fox, 1964. Original ink, pencil and gouache sketches on paper, most with annotations. Seven signed. All framed. Sketches approximately 16 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches (42 x 34.25 cm); framed approximately 23 1/2 x 20 1/2 (59.75 x 52 cm). Some minor creases from handling, a very attractive group overall, not examined out of frames.

A very rare opportunity to acquire a series of original Edith Head costume designs for a single film - here for the inimitable Shirley MacLaine in the stylish 1964 black comedy What a Way to Go. This film is notable for featuring MacLaine as the central star, and the story, written by Comden and Green, has her narrating to a psychotherapist how she outwitted and outlived a series of wealthy husbands played by a top drawer cast of Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Bob Cummings, and Dick Van Dyke. With each expiring husband, MacLaine's character becomes progressively wealthier resulting in an increasing fashion extravaganza. For this dynamic film, Edith Head enjoyed a costume budget of $500,000, employed 30 seamstresses, and was loaned millions of dollars worth of jewelry by Harry Winston. Playing on not only the appeal of MacLaine as the star, the costumes and the costume designer herself were a major aspect of the marketing of the film, with the trailer promising "a half million dollars worth of the most magnificent clothes that Edith Head ever created." It is no surprise that Edith Head was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
The sketches offered here relate to the following scenes:
1) A black dress with long veil worn when depositing money at the bank that her husband left her (signed and notated as "MacLaine");
2) A cream colored dress with mink around the sleeves worn in Robert Mitchum's plane (signed and notated as "double" and "at airport / in plane");
3) The fabulous silver glittered dress with brown wrap around fur worn in dream sequence (signed and notated with "diamond bead");
4) A green gown with cascading ribbons which she drops as she walks in dinner party sequence (signed and notated "Meeting Duke at Party" and "Louisa");
5) The red form-fitting vinyl Asian inspired dress with fan also dinner party sequence (signed and notated "What a Way to Go #19");
6) Fur with matching hat from "dream sequence"
7) The blue negligee where worn in the champagne glass scene with Robert Mitchum (noted as "Louisa #23" and "may flow at the back");
8) An excellent sketch of the rear view of the bareback dress worn in the dinner party (signed and with "No chiffon coat at table eating");
9) The same dress as previous on dark colored sheet (signed and notated).
10) A dress with fur in a light colored wig from dream sequence (signed)

Stage & Screen

    

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Auction: Stage & Screen Featuring The Estate of Charles Strouse & Barbara Siman, Mar 18, 2026

  • Auction of the Estate of Composer Charles Strouse & Choreographer Barbara Siman on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 10am

  • Memorabilia, Artwork, Furniture, Decorations, Books and More from Their Manhattan Apartment

  • Featured Section of the March 18 Stage & Screen Auction

NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle is honored to auction the Estate of the legendary Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning composer Charles Strouse and his wife choreographer Barbara Siman. This landmark sale will be offered as a featured section of the Stage & Screen auction on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 10am. Showcased will be memorabilia, artwork, furniture, decorations, books and more from the couple's Manhattan apartment, as well as Strouse's antique Steinway piano.

Over his 50-year career Charles Strouse wrote the music for such iconic musical theater hits as Bye Bye Birdie, Applause and Annie, as well as the theme song for the classic sitcom All in the Family ("Those Were the Days"). Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin's partnership on Annie produced one of Broadway's most successful scores ever. "Tomorrow" and other songs from the production have since become enduring American musical standards admired by generations. Read More

Stage & Screen
Property from the Estate of Charles Stouse & Barbara Siman is offered as a featured section of the Stage & Screen auction celebrating Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance. Read More

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