(Columbia, 1976) A rare large original painting created by renowned cartoonist Charles Addams for the 1976 feature film "Murder by Death". Addams is well known for his dark humor and macabre characters including the “Addams Familyâ€, which became the basis for several movies and TV shows. The artwork depicts Addams’ stylish renditions of the principal members of the cast including Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, and Estelle Winwood, as well as a very “Addams Family†style background. Accomplished in ink and gouache on art board, this illustration measures an impressive 24.5"x27", which is a larger format than most of Addams’ known work, and is the largest painting by Addams we have seen offered for public sale. In addition to being used for the theatrical release poster, the artwork was integrated into promotional materials as well as the iconic opening title sequence of the film. The painting in very good condition with some wear around the edges from use. Interestingly, Addams had difficulty in creating the likeness of Peter Falk as Detective Sam Diamond. As seen in this final artwork, there is a new head that was created, trimmed, and applied on top of the underlying original head. The artwork is signed by Addams at the lower-right.