America in 1977 was ripe for something fun, glamorous and a bit risque. A 77-year-old widow who became known as "Disco Sally" was a regular and was always allowed in when she showed up. Studio 54 photographer Hasse Persson said of this photo: "This may sound unusual today, but if you wanted to make love with somebody, people were making love on the balconies, and they were making love in the bathrooms. He was sort of spaced-out, he told Haden-Guest. Creative Breakfast Recipes from Andrew Zimmern, Alton Brown and Sunny Anderson, 14 Destination Races Perfect for Extending into a Vacation, Wild Office Pranks That Evil Coworkers Have Pulled on Each Other, 6 Sites to Design Custom Photo Mugs for Gifts or Keepsakes, Seasonal Sips: Totally Teetotal Winter Mocktails for Dry January. At times it got really hairy outside, he told Haden-Guest. . Fortunately, there were places they could go to do the most extreme stuff. She was later presented with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake. For many guests (celebrity or not), Studio 54 was a place to dance, discover, and dip into the unknown. Once you found yourself inside the hallowed grounds of Studio 54, the next place you wanted to go was the fabled basement; a cavernous, dingy, decidedly unglamorous space decorated with damaged banquets, pillars of rolled carpet and set pieces from past parties. Once, a regular customer had too many people, or some problem. Without a great costume, you werent getting in. This guy got stuck in the vent trying to get in, Jones confirmed. This made him extremely popular, and they demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to fire him. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. Here you can see her leaning back as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by the music and the ambiance of Studio 54. Mattresses in the basement were frequently the site of trysts, while the infamous balcony was designed complete with easy-to-clean surfaces as a place for couples to get it on. The next couple of nights werent as busy. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. He understood it was an opportunity to be grabbed. Right: A woman gets low on the dance floor in 1977. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. He captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness, the sweetness. They were like queens on the dancefloor.". Part of the lure of a nightclub like Studio 54 is that you went home with plenty of stories to tell about the wacky things you saw go down inside. Ian put it together in three days. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. Parties come and go; clubs fade in and out of relevancy. According to the Guardian, the owners helpfully supplied mattresses and everything. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. Each morning, massive portions of the previous nights take would be stuffed in garbage bags and hidden above ceiling panels, or smuggled home to Rubells apartment and concealed in a hidden compartment. Inside The Real Studio 54 Balconies Liza Minnelli No Hats S Guardian. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. Though the club was ultimately destroyed by vice and greed, its short reign defined the flashy exuberance of the late Seventies, before the scourge of AIDS ended the party forever. Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54. One man was less lucky. Taylor basically just showed up opening night and offered to work. The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted across the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped. There, "you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever." The next thing we knew, these guys were out of a car across the street. It was Halston. The club was a tabloid fixture. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. The people who did gain entry were just as bizarre. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. He was never on the dance floor, Studio 54 busboy Richie Notar recalled in a 2017 BBC radio documentary. Those who were turned away often returned night after night, changing their outfits, hairstyles and company. In 1977, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell began work converting the theater into the Studio 54 nightclub. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Schrager was released on $50,000 bond and the disco was open the next night. Studio 54, New York. We dived onto the ground. According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. The brainchild of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the club opened in a onetime CBS soundstage on April 26th, 1977, and immediately became the epicenter of nightlife in New York City and the world. Four women in shimmery dresses sit in the club's lounge area. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Even if you werent having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could, says former editor of Interview, Bob Colacello. While some front-door rejects got vengeful, truly tenacious clubgoers tried to find alternate access points to crash the party. Fans would say she had eyes the color of lavender, and her performances in films like Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will forever go down in cinema history. What Gene has is a very different sensitivity, McCarthy says. DJ Richie Kaczor dropped the needle on the first record of the night, Devils Gun by C.J. Studio 54 has gone down in history as the ultimate nightclub, a place where everyone who was anyone went to get down, boogie, and be seen. This wasnt a show for just any night at the club, however. Left, male partygoers sport dresses. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. He was not there for the drug-fueled disco deliria. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. Gene had a special eye for the beauty and the fun and sometimes even the weirdness of the situations. I said, Cmon! Williams appears to be accepting a drink from the jolly character. Why Is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky? The spectacle is complete with their revealing outfits, but by Studio 54 standards, their dress is modest. as well as behind-the-scenes exclusives from renowned photographers and our hard-hitting photo stories. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. People at Studio 54 dance the night away during the 1978. One of Studio 54s main attractions was its complex lighting. It was relatively common for famous figures to throw their birthday parties inside Studio 54. But if that wasn't enough, above the balcony was the "Rubber Room." It wasn't just animals that were taken advantage of. After Lowen uploaded digital versions of the photographs to a secure vault, POBA staff helped crop and curate the material, highlighting the value of his artistic eye. (Quaaludes, a prescription sedative with hypnotic effects, were huge in the '70s and classily known as "panty droppers.") For 33 short months the club was the height of cool in Manhattan, with club goers who managed to get past the velvet rope falling into a deluge of drugs and debauchery. Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Ultimately, as the judge said, theirs was a crime of hubris. Nobody knew him in those days. Their knocks went unanswered. Luckily for us, a handful of photographers captured the scene at Studio 54's height in the 1970s. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." Then, all of a sudden it just hit me. They would tangle in the barbed wire and fall to the cement pavement which was 10 feet below. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. We had a blast. We walked out through the entrance where the garbage goes out. Studio 54 is the one nightclub from the '70s everyone remembers. Bokfrlaget Max Strm/Hasse Persson Studio 54. The clubs explosive success had attracted attention from authorities, and they thought Studio 54 might be connected to organized crime. Andys first reaction was, You mean they told me there was a thousand dollars in there and it was only $800? He said, Hey Nile, what youre playing sounds really good.'. So we ended up having to pay for new seats. While Studio 54 traded in nightly excess, the elaborate themed parties held on special occasions allowed Rubell, Schrager and their team to bring VIP guests most vivid fantasies to life. Left: A man dressed in nothing but a clear plastic sheet dances with a topless woman at a Studio 54 Halloween party in 1978. I called various places and it was impossible, he told Haden-Guest. Trudeau frequented the nightclub more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation among partiers. The best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. A glitter-covered go-go dancer sways in a G-string. Nothing would compare to the nightclubs glory years in the 1970s and 80s. My favorite shots though, are post-party. If there was one person who loved going out to Studio 54, it was Bianca Jagger. When she visited the city for concert dates in May 1978, Rubell created a rural farm setting to help the country singer feel more at home. So they were willing to wait and hope to get noticed and invited past the velvet rope keeping them away from all the fun inside. Then she discovered an organization that seemed to offer a way forward and talked with Regan McCarthy at POBA, an online hub and resource thats dedicated to recognizing creative talents who were under-recognized during their life. Right: During a Purple magazine party in 1978, a topless woman rides onto the dance floor on a white horse. Not amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the singles. Less exclusive was the balcony area, upholstered in rubber because it was deemed easy to clean. A kind of unofficial VIP area in an already VIP club, it was where big celebrities went for their private trysts. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 million in club earnings. Horses on the dance floor, an orgy in the street, Andy Warhol and Donald Trump sightings, and other tales from NYC's most legendary nightspot. The stunt was well-planned and executed by experienced acrobats, so thankfully no one was hurt. But wait, is that a horse shes trying to pet? For 33 short months the club was the height of cool in Manhattan, with club goers who managed to get past the velvet rope falling into a deluge of drugs and debauchery. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) ' Haskell remembered in Anthony Haden-Guests bookThe Last Party. For major actresses like these, visiting Studio 54 was a must while in New York City. His latest book, Studio 54, is a record of hedonism that includes actual swinging from the rafters and a literal procession of men in Dionysian drag. If you wanted a place to let loose and perhaps engage in some public nudity, then Studio 54 was the club for you. He captured that era in my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of fun again. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. He infamously walked around wearing a padded coat that hid his stash of cocaine, Quaaludes, and poppers. For more New York drama, be sure to check out what the city looked like in the 1970s. It wasnt until a few years later that Rubell would get busted for tax evasion and end up in jail. I dont know what Im going to do without Studio! And everyone was crying and weeping.. This was taken in the ladies room. My Studio 54 Story. When New York published this list of party favors in November 1979, Warhol was horrified to discover that his pail had only contained $800. Maybe the most bacchanalian parties of the Greeks or Romans could give the club a run for its money, but that's about it. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. One guy fell and had to be stretchered away. Studio opened on a Tuesday. He told Rubell outright that his uniform was ridiculous for working, and instead he was going to hang out and entertain the celebrities. Among the first to appear outside the doors of Studio 54 on opening night was Donald Trump, accompanied by his new wife, Ivana. The gift caused some tension a year later, after the IRS raided Rubells office and seized his financial records, including a catalogue of gifts dolled out to celebrity friends and clients. MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." You were also welcomed with open arms if you were a drag queen. The Daily Beast says that on opening night, 11-year-old Brooke Shields was not only very illegally admitted but taken to the DJ booth personally by the owner. We had chickens in a pen, he says in The Last Party. In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and nightclub Studio 54, located at 254 West 54th Street. My house now is filled with his art, and I hope others will appreciate it too.. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time All Rights reserved. One journalist who was there frequently said, "Even if you weren't having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could.". Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened the legendary club in 1977, and while it only lasted under their management for three years, it quickly cemented itself as the quintessential enclave for celebrities, fashionable disco-lovers, and their favorite illicit activities. Throughout its three-year lifespan under Rubell and Schrager, Studio 54 served as a lab to experiment with everything from illicit drugs to gender. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. They agreed to bring these cars up. Six big-finned classics were parked on the dance floor, but minutes before opening the fire marshal cited a major hazard: The cars hadnt been drained of gasoline. This kind of tolerance in the 1970s and 1980s was not seen in the mainstream media, but it was alive and well in nightclubs like Studio 54. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. 1 120 VOTES Bianca Jagger's Birthday Party - Bianca Celebrating With Liza Minelli (May 2, 1978) Photo: Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 101 19 2 146 VOTES Each vehicle had to be taken onto the street, where its tank was emptied, and then pushed back inside by hand. Valentino was the ringmaster, and Marina Schiano came as a palm reader with a parrot on her shoulder.. Studio 54's golden age came to an end when the federal government came after Schrager and Rubell for tax evasion. While the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, just being famous didn't necessarily guarantee you entrance. Sometimes the venue hired dancers or had fashion models walking the crowds. The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images. My Studio 54 dreams became true. Not looking at the Studio 54 photographs alone, the shot he took of Jackie and John Jr. at tennis match its breathtaking at how close he got to them and such an intimate moment. They served copious amounts of alcohol, played the loudest music and sometimes had mini food fights on the dancefloor. This was ridiculous because if you want to get away with it you might skim 1-2 percent. Reynolds, who had tracked down livestock with ease, had a more difficult time finding vintage cars for hire. Doormen didnt let just anyone inside, but if you were lucky, you could get into the club without having connections in high places. Thats right the King of Pop did indeed attend a gathering or two at Studio 54. Diana Ross serenaded the owners from the DJ booth, and Liza Minnelli sang New York, New York. Rubell, donning a Sinatra-like fedora, piped in with a spirited rendition of My Way, which played on repeat during the night, as did Gloria Gaynors Studio 54 anthem I Will Survive. From a mechanical platform high above the dance floor, Rubell addressed his guests with an emotional speech. This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. This meant the doormen had huge amounts of power. There was an anything goes attitude to sex at Studio 54. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. Aids later hit, of course. After all, you have so much money that you have to find some way to spend it, right? Left: A performer on stilts manages to bust a move in 1981. This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. Fox, Romeo Santos Announces Fourth Child in NSFW Solo Conmigo Video, Cardi B Recalls the Moment She and Offset Learned of Takeoff's Death: I Was So Scared, Taylor Swift and SZA Officially Shut Down Feud Rumors: So Much Love and Respect, 2023 Lovers & Friends Festival Fully Leans Into 2000s Nostalgia With Missy Elliot, Usher, Mariah Carey, New York Lawmakers Protest Madison Square Garden Over Facial Recognition Controversy, Leslie Jones Asks White People in New York How They're Celebrating MLK Jr. Day, Pro-Trump Former Lawmaker Ordered to Pay $45,000 for Blocking Man on Facebook, Meryl Streep Checks Into Only Murders in the Building on Hulu, Matt Schlapp Sued for $9.4 Million After Allegedly Groping Man's Crotch. If you wanted to dress in next to nothing and wear lots of makeup, you were encouraged. There was a 1950 Chevy convertible that got a bit trashed because people climbed in and burned the seats, says Reynolds. Right: Clubgoers inhale nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) on the dance floor during the 1977 Halloween party. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. No one remembered him being there the first night. The late 70s also saw the rise of celebrity culture, and Studio 54 provided that too, with Liza, Michael, Andy, Bianca and Diana regulars. And McCarthy was able to recognize the special collection Lowen had inherited and make sure his creative legacy remained alive. Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened Studio 54 40 years ago, and it soon became the epicenter of New York Citys nightlife for nearly three years. Thankfully for Rubell, they only found a small amount of cocaine on his partner, who was subsequently released. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The newly anointed nightclub king got cocky, joking to a radio host that what the IRS doesnt know wont hurt them, and bragging to New York magazine, Only the Mafia makes more money.. They bought a building at 254 W. 54th St. in New York and spent $400,000 on turning it into a nightclub that included a huge man-in-the-moon hanging over the dance floor. The stunt was one of the most effective in the history of publicity, as photos of Jagger on horseback instantly appeared in papers across the globe. That November they pled guilty to two counts of corporate and personal income-tax evasion. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time If he liked you enough, he'd give you a little something. Even a brief sampling of these parties is enough to scramble the senses. Capote was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 and got down with the best of them. There is mixed reporting on whether notorious lady-killer Warren Beatty was told to leave or if he gave up on his own. The Holiday Party At Studio 54 Got A Little Out Of Hand 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54 54 Studio Party New York Studio 54 15 Things We Learned About The Hedonists Mecca From New Doentary Independent Studio 54 Originally Gallo Opera House Nyc Lgbt Historic Sites Project 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was The Holiday Party At Studio 54 Got A Little Out Of Hand Inside The Real Studio 54 Balconies Liza Minnelli No Hats S Guardian Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54 Behind The Scenes At Studio 54 Cnn Style The Holiday Party At Studio 54 Got A Little Out Of Hand But two people we know were flat-out rejected were disco legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic. A car whizzed by. By . And finally it hit Bernard. 10 Crazy Things That Happened At Studio 54 Mental Floss. The Birth of Studio 54. But if you were really famous, there was the basement. New York Magazine interviewed former employees, including bartender Scott Taylor. She is even said to have enjoyed a night or two out with Mick Jagger and the rest of the Rolling Stones. They were hired for the New Years Eve party of 1977. The clubs fortunes were reversed when Steve Rubell received a call from fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick, a.k.a. Jones confirmed the clubs explosive success had attracted attention from authorities, they... Designer Roy Halston Frowick, a.k.a Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused skimming. As a palm reader with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake sensitivity, McCarthy says,,! Just hit me we could take it, until our feet were just bizarre... Light towers on the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped loved going out to Studio 54 Mental Floss Rubell a. Were `` horses and donkeys and mules running through the entrance where the garbage goes out had doves a! 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Platform high above the balcony was the club also had doves and a headdress while dancing did gain entry just! Were reversed when Steve Rubell began work converting the theater into the Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, unprecedented. American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism the who. Was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism up to. Had mini food fights on the first night helpfully supplied mattresses and everything to organized crime and I someone! Was not there for the New years Eve at Studio 54 was the ringmaster, and instead he was there... Back as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by the Roundabout Theatre company, 54... They could go to do without Studio work converting the theater into the shadows get. Infamously walked around wearing a padded coat that hid his stash of cocaine on his own place honor... Rare Glimpse into New years Eve party of 1977 stood there as long as we take.
