"unlikely casting: ethel merman and ernest borgnine in private lives"

In 1964, Al Hirschfeld was invited by Playbill Magazine to create “Unlikely Casting,” a series of drawings depicting celebrities in roles that they would never actually have had the opportunity to play. A few of the actors chosen included Barbra Streisand as Saint Joan, Beatrice Lillie as Ophelia, Jimmy Durante as Henry Higgins, Walter Matthau and Nancy Walker as Romeo and Juliet, and, this being 1964, Barry Goldwater and Lyndon Johnson as Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot.

The year 1964 was also the year in which Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine courted, were married, and filed for divorce in a span of 38 days, inspiring Hirschfeld to draw the pair as Amanda and Elyot in Private Lives.  Noël Coward was invited to write the caption for the drawing.

“Slightly unusual casting, I’d say. Definitely different, but I wouldn’t mind it a bit. They’re both such lively – such good performers that I’m sure that it would be quite interesting. Anything Ethel Merman does – whether in my Private Lives or the lass in Romeo and Juliet – would be alright with me. As for Mr. B, he strikes me as such a versatile actor that I could certainly visualize him carrying off the light comedy of Private Lives – or even the title role in Oliver!. The notion is beguiling. By the way, whose idea was this?”        -- Noël Coward