Showstopper: Bette comes home

Continued from previous edition
As production companies split ties and exhibitors gained better access to first-run movies, higher costs limited movie makers and fewer and fewer movies were produced.
In addition, a federal court ruling had relaxed control over the content in films.
The decision loosened restrictions on the production companies, but the move made films questionable to the viewing public.
With teenagers making up a large portion of the paying customer base, parents were reluctant to allow their impressionable children access to something that may or may not include vulgarity and lewd activity.

As theater owners struggled to stay afloat, they looked for a new hook to pull Americans into the movies.
That hook came in the form of outdoor theaters.
The young families with crying babies and disruptive children that had previously gravitated away from the movie theater now flocked back to the more open setting, and the outdoor “drive-in” was created.
As theaters displayed movies like “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and “Old Yeller,” America fell in love with the drive-in.
As more and more teens gained access to their own automobiles, young men squired their dates to the movies, and popularity of the outdoor venue soared.
During the 1950s, the country welcomed thousands of outdoor theaters as the fad spread across the country.
As usual, J.P. Adler was leading the way.
In 1952, the 10-13 Drive-In was constructed on the south end of Marshfield.
While the twilight start time limited the drive-in ticket revenue, Adler found the concession stand proceeds more than made up for the restriction on showing times.
While his latest Marshfield endeavor was doing well, Adler’s other theaters were struggling to make a profit.
Even with the dismal outlook, Adler forged ahead, planning events at each of his venues to commemorate his 45th year in show business.
In 1955, with earnings continuing downward in his indoor venues, Adler discontinued movies at his bedrock business, and the Adler Opera House was turned into an Army Reserve armory and later the Marshfield Youth Center.
That same year, Adler redecorated his Relda Theater in Marshfield, but the following year converted the building to host retail stores.
Adler began to sell off and close many of his other theaters during the next few years, and by the time he reached his 70th birthday, only Marshfield’s 10-13 Drive-In and New Adler, Waupaca’s Rosa and Neillsville’s Adler remained.
To commemorate his birthday — Adler’s 50th year in the business — J.P. planned a week of events at Marshfield’s New Adler.
For the event, Adler remodeled the entrance to the theater and had his employee, Audrey Stuebs (Moen) drive up and down Marshfield’s main street with a cake on the back of a golf cart.
Once again, telegrams poured in from stars like Jayne Mansfield, Paul Newman and Joan Collins, congratulating the determined showman on his longevity in the business.
As always, the Adler girls were there by J.P.’s side.
Anne, now residing in Milwaukee, had left her teaching position and was hired by Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, as their first and only woman account executive.
By this time, she had also become one of the first women to pass the New York Stock Exchange exam to become a licensed representative.
While Anne was breaking glass ceilings, Bette had left her position with Kimberly Clark.
Although Bette had many suitors in her life, she remained extremely close to her biggest beau of all.
Her father had always been grooming her to step into the family business and became skeptical of any potential love interest that came Bette’s way.
Bette would remain loyal to her first love, and as J.P. prepared for his retirement, Bette came home to Marshfield to assume duties in the family enterprise.
To be continued