Independence Day Pool Party
July 4, 1980
Anna's Turnabout Bash
Anna built on the success of the last pool party to put together a huge holiday bash in 1980 to promote the theater and her efforts were a total success. Anna was in great spirits, her health was better as of late and she thought it quite fitting as she would approach her 60th birthday in November of this year.

Here's some of the ladies enjoying the pool in 1980, noteably to the front is Joan Rydalch, to the far left is Stella and I'm not sure who the other 2 might be..

Here's Anna fit and fun sporting a leopard bikini...

Anna spent most of her time this year in the pool on the floatie, it was a particularly hot summer

Anna was infamous for setting the agenda clearly at the pool parties...

Alexa Wellington joined the party again in 1980 and is photoed here by her (newest) husband.

Alexa didnt spend alot of time around the estate other than showing up for the pool parties and Christmas yet she and Anna did get closer as time went on...

Barb joined the party again and was eager to get in on the famous underwater pool photo..


I think Barb did a pretty good job of it....

Dianne Martindale continued to be one of the hardest working and steady performers at the theater and had become quite an eye catcher at the pool party..

I'm told Dianne had plenty of offers for suntan lotion and we clearly can see why....

Monica Fahey was the other steady performer at the theater along with Dianne and really kept things going steady at the theater

Monica and Dianne didnt bring the draw and crowds similar to that of Mary Strat and Pauline Nash yet without these 2 ladies it would have been difficult to keep new skits going year round..

Lisa Baker returned to the pool party after last attending in 1977. Lisa appeared in just 1 production during 1980 and though she enjoyed the return she decided not to stay with it beyond the summer.

Here's another of Lisa Baker along with Alexa's good friend Caroline Kasner

What a surprise it was to see Beverly Schuyler at the pool party again. Beverly had long since left the theater and was strictly back for a reunion visit in 1980

The youngest of the theater actresses, Joan Rydalch joins the party once again and is still working her way into small theater roles which were available in 79-80 due to the shortage of help.

Shelly Friedrichs returned to the pool party again in 1980 and was also key along with Dianne and Monica in keeping a steady flow of skits going throughout the year.

Despite the efforts of Shelly, Dianne and Monica and even Joan, the theater was not drawing a full house in 1980. The first part of the year was not good for sales but Anna was determined to make the second half of the year a sensation.

Anna along with Barb and Stella put together a sexy skit that featured bombshell Jennifer Lyn. The skit featured Jennifer as this "mystery girl" and was tied into a 3 part series through the fall in which additional familiar faces would be added to each continuation.

Jennifer was not considered a good actress but she was very marketable and her presence sold out the shows every night she was there...

The second party of the series added Pauline Nash and Marilyn Paul to the show and was such a success they ran the second series for an addional 2 weeks by popular demand... the nice part is that all of these ladies then were also attending the pool party.
Marilyn Paul had quickly become too big for the theater and was living in California by the end of 1979. Marilyn had already landed some small television and movie roles in 1980 and was Paulines roomate for a few months in 1980 while getting her self established out west.

Part 3 of the series featured all the above ladies along with the lovely Stella along for the finale...This was the only theater appearance Stella made in 1980 but it was classic

Speakin of classic, Stella provides us with another classic pool party pose.....

Here we see Marilyn along with Barb helping our other pool party diva Stella with some sun tan lotion; afterall it was Stella who often helped these ladies as they transitioned to bigger and better things in the Hollywood world...

One more hot n sexy lady who was part of the third series along with Stella was the vivacious Kitten Natividad....

We finish up the 1980 party with long time favorite Mary Strat. Mary was unable to be part of the continuous skit as she was working in New York and also had committments overseas in the fall which wouldnt allow her the time to do the theater skit.
Mary flew out for one day only just so she could attend the pool party and visit Anna this particular year....

Live theater can be rather provacative and Marys overseas theater role was to be 40 minutes worth of on stage nudity.... wow I bet that show went over well.

Anna had done it again. After a dismal start to the year she put together a production that was a smash success and 1980 turned out to bring in more revenue at the theater than 1979, in fact it was their best year since 1977 and as it would turn the best year the theater would have again.
Anna faced continuing health problems in 1981,82 and only Mary Strat would return in that time to make any theater appearances.
Things were going well for Anna at the theater and at home. With another successful year to her credit she was raring to go again in 1981.
Pool Party 1981