The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-12-26

S-riERE are any number OF cynical folk
who echo the old saw, when pov.
/ erty comes in the door love flies out
tie window" Bapy Marie Osborne, famous
l., the motion picture world as Little Mary
Sunshine" has Just demonstrated that the
s,ma thing can happen when riches takes
tie place Of poverty as an intruder.
Baby Marie is the first child star OF the
,ooIon picture world For the last three
"a half years she has earned $1,000 a
week. Before that happened her home
VS. a napry one, indeed, for Papa and
~. NINA Osborne, although they had moth
tz else, were rich in love. Immediately
ta, Il happened the sunshine began to
I'm in little Mary Sunshine's" house.
I'd Just the other day. after very spirit
- fight for the custody Of this extraor-
oinarily precious baby, Judge Ste~ens, OF
Los Angeles, granted divorce to Mamma
Osborne, and gave her the child star.
Baby Marie has worked hard. She has
earned a fortune She should be rich in
her own name Her home should be
happy. She should be growing up to care
free girlhood.
but SQe Is not ITCH, nei pal chIo "ie hoS
rich her home is not happy, the future Is
not secure for her She won fortune and
fame and ruined her happy home.
No more absorbing or curious photo
drama was ever filmed thnn this which.
staged in the Los Angeles divorce court,
showed the astonishing mess that Papa
and Mamma Osborne, who when poor had
been a model couple, got into when their
child prodigy actress began earning that
81 900 a week.
And this Is how the dazzling success Of
their little daughter as the first child star
of the screen brought dscord, unhap-
piness, bitter controversy and divorce
to her former happy and ambitious
though Door and struggling parents.
Little Mary Sunshine's" mother
Lefore her daughters debut was
known on the stage as Babe st. Clair
She is the daughter of Partisan 4
opera singer and her grandmother
was French emotional actress.
Leon Osborne, the father, was in the
chow business, but not an actor He
aas publicity man, advance man,
lanager and director at various
times. He married pretty Babe St
Clair, and they lived. in flats and
theatrical boarding houses and did
one-night stands until they went out to
Los Angeles and got into the motion pic
ture game. They were very happy In those
beer and pretZel days-the smile belng
proper because this was long before the
time of the eighteenth amendment con
siderable portion Of their happiness was
due to Helen Marie their adorable baby
whose perfect health and cute little ways
Of her own charmed not only her parents
but their friends.
When Baby Marie was three years old
it happened that a child was needed for q
brief scene in play then being filmed
The director wanted a baby who would cry
oonvincngly Immediately after smiling
An April shower sort Of a face, in fact, for
the scenario demanded rapid transition
from laughter to tears. The problem was
difficult
Mrs Osborne was In the company anc
her chummy little daughter was the friend
~ actors, actresses, director and camera
Mans. They would try her In the part.
Now, baby, we're going to put you into
the pictures" said Henry King, the star
daddy in the pky, and I'm going away fol
a. Journey, and kiss you good-by and put
down, and you say, Let me go, too
lddy, but I say No, you must stay home
too1by, baby and start away, and ther
cause you fsel so very bad you cry aw
,Siy hard"