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
Click for high resolution

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

    

Sold for $12,800
Estimated at $10,000 - $15,000

Includes Buyer's Premium


Share this
 

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

    

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 March 18, 2026

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

  • Featured Section of the March 18 Stage & Screen Auction

NEW YORK, NY -- Fans and collectors from across the nation and beyond gathered in Doyle's saleroom and online for the auction the Estate of the legendary Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning composer Charles Strouse and his wife choreographer Barbara Siman. Showcased were memorabilia, artwork, furniture, decorations, books and more from the couple's Manhattan apartment. The landmark sale was a featured section of the Stage & Screen auction on March 18, 2026. 

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

Highlighting the sale was Charles Strouse's antique Steinway Model A Grand Piano that achieved $11,520, surpassing its $7,000-10,000 estimate. Manufactured in 1897, the piano was acquired by Strouse in the late 1960s and used throughout the composition Applause (1970), Annie (1977), and other celebrated works.

Among the memorabilia offerings that realized strong results were signed sheet music for the iconic song “Tomorrow” from Annie that sold for $1,280, many times its $300-400 estimate, and signed sheet music for “Those Were the Days,” the opening theme from the television series All in the Family, estimated at $300-500, which achieved $1,216. Also drawing interest at the sale was Charles Strouse’s director’s chair, printed on the front with “Charles Strouse” and on the back with “Annie,” which more than doubled its $300-500 estimate, selling for $1,152.

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

We Invite You to Auction!

Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.

REQUEST AN ESTIMATE

View all lots in this sale

Sell one like this

Your Details
Item Details
Current Location of Item(s)
Images (Please upload at least 1 image. You can upload 15 maximum with a limit of 20MB. This form does not accept movie or HEIC files) *

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


Previous Doyle Contact
Marketing Preferences