The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-28


 ing him. and says. 'Tll be there when they all come in"
 There's Christine the dancer ex- traordinary and model for the noted painter. Walter Russell. who was in Italy studying art when that country entered the world war. She enlisted as an ambulance drfyer. serving in that capacity for eighteen months. By the way, it might be mentioned that Christine is very fond of motoring and drives car at eighty miles an hour. While taking some snapshots at Pisa. before she entered the service, she was arrested as spy and thrown into days until the authorities looked up her record. However. she remarked that the Italians treated her with the utmost consideration~cr- recount of be- ing an American citizen. "The prison keepers provided me with every lux rry.e said Christine. and when was finally released really hated to leav, my sympathetic friend. who had been my constant companion. The fact that had German tags on my luggage tErew suspicion on me. I had previ- ously travelled through Germany, and every important place visited was represented by a tag pasted on my lug gage"
 After returning to this country Christine was an ardent war worker and during the Liberty Loan drives spoke in many important cities and thrilled her audiences with the recital of her experiences in the war zone Tn Charleston. W. Va. she was one of the speakers with Vice President Mar that city.
 Then there's pretty Kerle MacKay. Vt ho is not from Missouri. but from Atlanta yet must be shown just the same. That explains why you will see her in the chorus of Sunshine"
 You can't miss Miss Merle. -~she s ,he blond, the pretty young thing in the first row of the ballet, and she can dance. These were the reasons why Alexander J Johnstone. the producer and composer engaged her.
 
 Then the chorus made . discovery. because the audience couldn't discover anything except thAt Merle was 'stunner"Nin looks and a perfect vet eran in the eccentric dancing mum bers. Then 1t came out that Merle was a vassar College graduate and was a fo h irr, t,1 dancing school on the Hudson. But Merle had literary aspirations-prom ising ones. because several of her stories have been ac,epted by choicy magazines.
 The past summer at her home in Atlanta, society palled and Miss Mac Kay began writing a book It was supposed to be all about a little chorus girl who made good. To get first-hand information she joined the chorus of Sunshine" Now MT Carle and the famous principals of the company in sist Merle will probably write some book, but even this will be rated sec cnd<to her dancing.
 Birmingham theatregoers can glean an idea of what to expect with Richard Car.e and Sunshine" from what one of the well known New York critics has said in these words;
 Tt can truthfully be stated that Sun shine, the musical comedy by Alexander Johnstone and William Carey Duncan and in which Richard Carle is now star ring, was a great success even before Mir Carle joined. It was first presented over year ago in Baltimore, Md. and re- ceived the unanimous praise of public and press. It was then seen in Washington, D. C., Pittsburg. Pa and taken to Chi cago for an extended engagement. In the cast at that time were no stars but an exceptionally clever selection of Broad way players. though unknown away from New York The Chicago press was un- usually enthusiastic about the company and production, but the cast did not seem to have the proper box office value. Sun shine was written with Mir. carie in view for the star and fortunately he became available during the second week of the Chicago engagement Mir. Carle' entrance in the company immediately swept away all box office clouds and real Sunshine prevailed. and as a result the production remained in Chicago through out the spring and during the entire hot summer, playing to absolute capacity ybusiness. and established new musical comedy record for the Windy City. After