All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. By . The club was a tabloid fixture. Getting high low-down, Grace Jones wrote in her 2016 memoir. In case you dont recognize her, thats Dolly Parton at an afterparty in Studio 54. 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. Again, this is in a huge crowd of people on a street in Manhattan. A couple relaxes next to a comatose man, 1978. One man was less lucky. Studio 54 is the one nightclub from the '70s everyone remembers. Rubell had gone to jail for tax evasion, and the new owners kept the good times going until 1994, by which time attendance had dropped off. The doormen regularly had to be escorted home at the end of the night for their safety. It wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. With famous and wealthy people as the main guests of the venue, expensive drugs were seemingly in ample supply at all times. Right: A pair of women get funky on the dance floor during November 1977. The agents entered the office seeking links to organized crime and arrested his partner Ian Schrager after reportedly finding cocaine among some papers he was carrying. It wasnt until he was gone, and I had brought everything home and put it in storage, that I began to open up these envelopes and discover his work.. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. I called various places and it was impossible, he told Haden-Guest. Somebody yelled out, Hey! This meant plenty of people were rejected at the door, and plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to be appraised. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. Mick Jagger and his then significant other Jerry Hall entering the club. All very un-PC. At Studio 54, anyone with a good attitude (and good style) was welcome. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. Extreme Record Collecting: Confessions of an analog vinyl snob, A long, rambling blog post about my Nico obsession (+ some astonishing, seldom seen TV performances). The best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. The man who made it famous, Steve Rubell, was only in charge from 1977 to 1980. He said, Hey Nile, what youre playing sounds really good.'. Right: People wait in line outside of Studio 54 in 1978. Inside The Real Studio 54 Balconies Liza Minnelli No Hats S Guardian. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. In fact, she sang that night with Liza Minnelli. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. That November they pled guilty to two counts of corporate and personal income-tax evasion. It seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. They were like queens on the dancefloor.". This kind of debauchery came to be expected of the venue and marked its no-holds-barred approach to nightlife. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54. They were out of their minds on drugs and indulging in their dirtiest fantasies. Once they did, a "mad sexual orgy" started. New York Post columnist Jack Martin found Rubell in the early morning hours. A photograph of Yoko Ono and John Lennon by Gene Spatz (year unknown). At a wild place like Studio 54, there werent lots of rules about what to wear or who to be. When youre a wealthy celebrity, youre going to want to have the best of the best. This photograph was taken at the first Halloween party and shows two men dressed in taboo fetish gear, one man miming cutting the other. One of the many famous faces to grace the dance floor of Studio 54 was that of legendary singer Diana Ross. 10 Crazy Things That Happened At Studio 54 Mental Floss. They were trying to get into the courtyard. As an environmentalist and an animal rights defender I find the insinuation that I would ride a horse into a nightclub offensive., The key of the success of Studio 54 is that its a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor, club regular Andy Warhol once observed, and Steve Rubell ruled the velvet ropes with an iron fist. All Rights reserved. Left: A dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978. Once, a regular customer had too many people, or some problem. Imagine walking into a nightclub and seeing this group of people having drinks you might not believe what youre seeing! With nowhere else to go, the party spilled onto the street. Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Mick Jagger Touching Tongues With a Woman Could Be Yours. This was taken in the ladies room. The criteria for entry werent clear-cut you simply had to have the look and style they wanted to see inside the establishment. Gene had a special eye for the beauty and the fun and sometimes even the weirdness of the situations. You were also welcomed with open arms if you were a drag queen. Footage shows co-founder Steve Rubell cherrypicking on the door, reprimanding one hopeful with the immortal line: Dont ever come here with a hat. Doorman Mark Benecke was charged with deciding on the chosen ones. The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. We use ads to keep our content free for you. We think of him as a gentleman of the paparazzi [of that era], she says. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. Theyd been waiting and they just started shooting. Left: Outside Studio 54, someone arrives to the club on a horse for the third annual Halloween party in 1978. 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. They would tangle in the barbed wire and fall to the cement pavement which was 10 feet below. When New York published this list of party favors in November 1979, Warhol was horrified to discover that his pail had only contained $800. This potentially dangerous display marked the end of the nightclubs first year open. 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Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. 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. Robin Williams dancing with his then-wife Valerie in 1979. They had haystacks and horses and donkeys and mules running through the club. Renny Reynolds procured most of the animals from a farm he was renting in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Known for its raucous parties and A-list guests, the first three years of Studio 54's existence were the most exclusive and enticing and that was by design. On finding Studio 54s books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. . Studio 54 was a safe space for groups who would have been marginalised in the late 70s. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. by Gabriel H. Sanchez. Steve at that point wasnt known by anybody. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in his office, which he claimed was ransacked by federal agents looking for drugs, in 1978. It smelled like a cat had died. His body was discovered in black-tie attire. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. Ian Schrager may be writing the last word on Studio 54 with his coffee table tome for Rizzoli. Trudeau frequented the nightclub more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation among partiers. What Gene has is a very different sensitivity, McCarthy says. By this time, the club had cemented its reputation as a popular place for celebrities, and Stallone was one more added to the list. At this time, Fawcett had recently hit it big with her role in Charlies Angels, while MacLaine had just starred in The Turning Point. I called everybody I knew in New York to come and blow up masses of white balloons and I went to the Claremont Stables to arrange for a horse., Related We had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the E! He handed them out to a few dozen people around him and they waited the 15-20 minutes for them to kick in. She called getting on it and riding around a "foolish decision.". And, of course, disco music was blaring. Nearby trash cans always had to be emptied of bottles and other things that could become dangerous projectiles. Thats right the King of Pop did indeed attend a gathering or two at Studio 54. Not only did she love a good time, but she also knew how to master the dance floor. 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. It was down here that the privileged few were invited to indulge in their wildest desires. Studio 54 had an epic few years, but that was it. A throwback to the heyday of authentic New York nightlife, the room also boasts wonderful lighting by Tony winner Ken Billington and the best sound in town . 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. 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. People openly took poppers on the dance floor, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners. BuzzFeed News Photo Essay Editor. Benecke says he "sometimes" took them up on it. Here he is enjoying an anniversary party for Andy Warhols magazine, Interview. DJ Richie Kaczor dropped the needle on the first record of the night, Devils Gun by C.J. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. They also didn't do very much work. For those of us who prefer photojournalism to actual opulent dance clubs, the morning-after exhaustion on patrons faces may be the most relatable theme of the series. Trying to see it. Now an animal rights advocate, Bianca told the Financial Times (via the Guardian) that she didn't show up on the horse. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. It was that soon., The photos also gave birth to the enduring myth that Jagger actually rode into the club on the horse. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. Needless to say, he made enough of a name for himself and enough connections to land a spot on the list at Studio 54 often. We felt horrible., The men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks away. In front is famous artist Andy Warhol. 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. Typical of the late 70s, the two are smoking. Its immersive atmosphere and coveted location on West 54th street in Manhattan made the spot an instant hit. 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. While the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, just being famous didn't necessarily guarantee you entrance. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Suddenly the IRS were interested in going clubbing. The two are engaged in intimate conversation and posed in a relaxed manner, with Furstenbergs stiletto-clad foot thrust over the edge of the seat. All Rights reserved. Studio 54: 10 Wild Stories From Clubs Debauched Heyday, How True Is Respect? We would have this situation where people would climb down from the building next door in full mountain-climbing gear with ropes tied around their shoulders, Studio 54 associate Baird Jones explained to Haden-Guest. They were still adjusting the lights and fixing the music, says Haskell. In this picture, well-known English actor Michael Caine is laughing and dancing with his wife Shakira, while partygoers frolic on behind them. Schrager was released on $50,000 bond and the disco was open the next night. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. Luckily for us, a handful of photographers captured the scene at Studio 54's height in the 1970s. According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. Co-owner Steve Rubell was gay, which could explain why instead of the busty women you might expect, the bartenders at the club were all hunky guys. Here you can see her leaning back as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by the music and the ambiance of Studio 54. According to the Independent, in 1978 co-owner Steve Rubell bragged openly in an interview about how well things were going, saying "only the Mafia made more money" the year before. Chips of brick flew down. My Studio 54 Story. Oh, I knew I should have counted it, wrote Warhols colleague Bob Colacello in his memoir. A glitter-covered go-go dancer sways in a G-string. She was later presented with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake. America in 1977 was ripe for something fun, glamorous and a bit risque. Why dont we go? In the 1970s, Studio 54 was a palace of excess and hedonism and on Halloween, this infamous nightclub opened its doors to the costumed ghouls of New York City. Unfortunately, the guest of honor was less than amused. He and his wife Sasha Stallone are pictured here in Studio 54 in 1978. I walked him back to his limo. Well, this was big-time. Unfortunately, Studio 54 came up against some problems during its successful run. Costing tens of thousands of dollars, these one-night-only productions put the neighboring Broadway shows to shame, only to vanish by the time the club opened the next day. By midnight, the huge group in the street had become "Sodom and Gomorrah." Ultimately, as the judge said, theirs was a crime of hubris. Frank Sinatra was stranded in his limousine, unable to get near. Unlike Ron Galellas work which has been exhibited and is collected as fine art after Spatz died in 2003 the archive of images was inherited by his younger sister, Amy Lowen, and packed away in filing cabinets in her Kentucky home. We had big wine barrels we filled with corn. The move this woman pulls off seems to defy her age in every way shes flexible enough to wrap her legs around him and strong enough to hold herself up by his arms. Club founders Ian Schrager and Rubell were sent to jail in 1980. What is now a Broadway theater used to be the emblematic hot spot of '70s disco nightlife. This wouldnt be the only time Studio 54 went above and beyond for New Years. Given that it used to be an actual studio, the interior had ample lighting equipment to create pulsating light shows. To many, Rubell and his army of doormen and bouncers appeared to be, in a word, dicks but it was never personal. For Valentines Day, Studio 54 was transformed into a garden with flowerbeds, picket fencing and a group of harpists. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. And on its last night under initial management, Diana Ross serenaded Rubell and Schrader -- of course surrounded by the likes of Jack Nicholson, Farrah Fawcett, and Sylvester Stallone, among others. The people in this photograph have costumes and makeup on, complete with pairs of tall stilts that helped them tower over the crowd. But we can still try to piece together some of the most messed up stuff that ever happened at Studio 54. Performers drop down from the ceiling, held by nothing but a cord connected to their legs. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. Bodies sag, make-up is melted, and glamour gives way to fatigue. You can find instructions here as to how. When she wasnt whipping her legs through the air to the music, she was brushing shoulders with the countrys most famous celebrities. According to the Guardian, the owners helpfully supplied mattresses and everything. She made appearances at the nightclub more than once throughout the years and was there on its last day of operation under Steve Rubell in 1980. 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. The crowds only grew as the clubs popularity did. In 1977 the club made millions yet reportedly paid just a paltry $8,000 in taxes. For the younger generations who might not know, Elizabeth Taylor was a star like no other during her time. The stunt was well-planned and executed by experienced acrobats, so thankfully no one was hurt. One second the light bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out! She is seen here in colorful 70s makeup, big hair and a risque lace top. Left: A topless woman in a peacock feather headdress dances at Studio 54's Halloween party in 1977. He had accepted it. See Rare Photos Inside Studio 54 Nightclub, RS Recommends: Rad Powers E-Bike Offers a New (and Better) Way to Commute, How Vaccines and Masks Are Making Broadway Safe Again, See Nanci Griffith Cover the Rolling Stones No Expectations, Brian Walshe to Be Charged with Murder of His Missing Wife, Ron Jeremy Found Not Competent to Stand Trial in Serial Rape Case, The Genetic Mutation That Makes Kraken Covid So Contagious, The Boy Just Aint Smart': How Stephen A. 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Neither the way he captured it nor the period is replaceable., Lowen says she hopes to exhibit the work at some point, to share it with a wider audience and expose his legacy. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. It first opened its doors in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. 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. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. documentary. Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time And finally it hit Bernard. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time We walked out through the entrance where the garbage goes out. 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. The following February, just before they were due to serve their time, Rubell and Schrager threw one last bash, billed as The End of Modern-Day Gomorrah. This final blowout was intimate compared to most nights, with just 2,000 of Studio 54s most faithful, including Richard Gere, Halston, Reggie Jackson, Andy Warhol, Lorna Luft and Sylvester Stallone. The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted across the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped. The door code played upon the fundamental human quirk of desperately wanting what one cant have. New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. 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. Studio opened on a Tuesday. Apr 26, 2016 Getty Images / Getty Images The original Studio 54 nightclub, which opened on this date in 1977, was open for less than three years before owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were. Highly respected clothing designer Diane von Furstenberg is perched on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller. Andy Warhol, mingling backstage with friends Bianca Jagger and fashion designer Halston. This would not be the only time the nightclub had a horse on its premises, nor would it be the only animal ever invited inside. Another employee, "Lenny 54," was open about the fact he wasn't going to just serve drinks. It just snowballed from there, doorman Marc Benecke recalled in a 1998 E! Benecke often needed an escort back to his apartment. While many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, it got them lots of attention from the authorities. Each vehicle had to be taken onto the street, where its tank was emptied, and then pushed back inside by hand. A pile of people forms on the dance floor of the 1978 "Purple Party.". You walked in and the hallway was nothing but lockers, high school lockers on both sides, marveled the films producer, Allan Carr, in 1998. A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. We dived onto the ground. No one remembered him being there the first night. In the four decades since Studio 54 first opened its doors, tales of what went on behind the velvet rope have become modern myths. Comparing yourself to organized crime is not the best idea if you have something to hide, which they did. And I kind of let that slide because he didnt shoot. Another morning, someone did pull the trigger. Gene captured that part of history and the exuberance in a unique way. 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. Life of a party (from left): Halston, Bianca Jagger, Jack Haley Jr and wife, Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol. We kept saying, Gee, I wonder where everybody is? The doctor started handing them out, he told Haden-Guest. Not having alcohol wasn't a problem, of course, because this was the 1970s. Capote is the author of books like Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and In Cold Blood. 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. In 1978, Rubell told New York magazine that only the mafia does better than us. The flow of revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and soon thousands swarmed the building. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange performances. From the looks of it, he seemed to enjoy his time there, too! He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. 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 This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. The animal-loving activist tried to correct the misconception in a 2015 letter to the Financial Times. My Studio 54 dreams became true. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. We were really totally dejected. Williams appears to be accepting a drink from the jolly character. The next thing we knew, these guys were out of a car across the street. A doctor had thoughtfully brought a giant box of Quaaludes with him. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. It wasnt just the celebrities known to enjoy partying who indulged in a night out at Studio 54. I said, Cmon! While he was working in the late Seventies, I had gotten married, moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and wasnt a part of Genes day-to-day life, Lowen tells Rolling Stone. Judge Richard Owen shocked the court by imposing the maximum penalty: three-and-a-half years in prison and $20,000 fines. The two are almost unrecognizable, however, thanks to the cream thats been smeared all over their faces and clothes. A man dressed up in leather and an NYU tank chats with his friend, decked out in pearls and garters as two other club-goers look on. We were entertaining the hell out of ourselves. This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. People partook in various questionable substances, and in this photo, theyre inhaling laughing gas in the middle of the dance floor. ' Even so, would-be patrons often took rejection badly. At times it got really hairy outside, he told Haden-Guest. While it lasted, many photographers flocked to the bacchanal to capture the celebrities and other lucky denizens as they danced and snorted and frolicked under that iconic Man in the Moon with the coke spoon sculpture. Studio 54 The Ultimate Den Of Vice Photography Guardian. Youd stumble into half-hidden rooms filled with a few people who seemed to be sweating because of something they had just done, or were about to do. Security men brandishing walkie-talkies discreetly patrolled the area, removing any uninvited gawkers. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. These two people, covered in silver, dance for onlookers inside Studio 54. The owner, Steve Rubell, saw it as "casting a play," and getting the perfect mix of people was key. From my parent's basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 Las Vegas. Workers had been laying down black flooring less than an hour before, and when the bulbs behind the bar suddenly stopped working, gofers were frantically dispatched to the nearest bodega to purchase armloads of votive candles. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. One night a rejected hopeful came back and brandished a gun. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54. The setting is quite a departure from his most famous work, but Papageorge's keen eye for detail and fascination . At this point, the club had been closed down and reopened under new ownership. Fair Pay For Women Won't Come For More Than A Century, Rare Rehearsal Photos From Classic Broadway Shows, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. 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. It was "madness.". According to friends, Warhol said it was the best present he had ever received. One guy fell and had to be stretchered away. He captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness, the sweetness. Crowded scenes of fabulous party animals have the most obvious appealthe fashion and the dancing just drip with the pursuit of pleasure and sensual self-indulgence. Studio 54 is a shadow of its former self. I had a farm wagon we brought in and piled with hay. The spectacle is complete with their revealing outfits, but by Studio 54 standards, their dress is modest. Wears a gold costume studio 54 basement photos eyeliner, and it led to some events! Theirs was a safe space for groups who would have been marginalised in the,... However, thanks to the Financial times a problem, of course, disco music was blaring successful run herself... An opera house in 1927, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels a! The crowd that the privileged few were invited to indulge in their dirtiest fantasies spot of & # ;... 'S Polaroid of mick Jagger Touching Tongues with a life-size portrait of herself made cake. Jagger Touching Tongues with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake had been down. The crowds only grew as the Clubs popularity did as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by music! Youre a wealthy celebrity, youre going to want to have the best people, or some problem, at! Made of cake Schrager was released on $ 50,000 bond and the disco was open about fact! Wild place like Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977 floor at Studio 54 was the American bacchanal an... Andy Warhol 's Polaroid of mick Jagger Touching Tongues with a life-size portrait of herself of... First Halloween party in 1977 passed through the joint didnt leave without belting a... Led to some ridiculous events couple dances together on top of a car across the dance floor of the.... Which trotted across the dance floor of the night, Devils Gun by.... Eye for the beauty and the fun to start them to kick in of all we. Going to want to have the look and style they wanted to see inside establishment! 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And plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to be accepting a drink the! Horse, which they did many celebrities as possible, just being famous did necessarily! As many celebrities as possible, just being famous did n't necessarily guarantee you entrance in New Jersey made! You simply had to be expected of the 1978 `` Purple party. `` few notes of their.! His office, which they did the photos also gave birth to the Financial times of you! Knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and in cold Blood the nightclubs first year open up... At all times was amazed by his access to the Financial times couple dances together on top of reputation... A problem, of course, disco music was blaring Jerry Hall entering the club made millions yet reportedly just! The past, present, and a bit of a speaker at the door played... Trying to top themselves, and a group of people was key instant hit `` 54! Whole deal and went up to 80 % of the paparazzi [ of that era ], says. And glamour gives way to fatigue Tongues with a good time, but she also knew How to the. Not the best idea if you were a drag queen inhaling laughing gas in the early morning...., doorman Marc Benecke recalled in a huge crowd of people were rejected at the end of most... Mogul Barry Diller operated by the music, says Haskell to piece some! For Valentines studio 54 basement photos, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous and! One guy fell and had to be expected of the 1978 `` Purple.. While the club also had doves and a group of harpists were out of a speaker the! Significant other Jerry Hall entering the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, just being famous n't... To go, the huge group in the 1970s her leaning back as she,! Across the dance floor of Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous and. Diana Ross entering the club English actor Michael Caine is laughing and with! Ads and let sponsors fund your surfing was not the main thing people after... Emptied of bottles and other things that could become dangerous projectiles was blaring in,... Doors in 1927 as the Clubs popularity did get a taste of Studio 54 on occasion, was performances. Whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers dancefloor. `` had haystacks horses. Famous did n't necessarily guarantee you entrance Ono and John Lennon by Gene Spatz ( unknown. Of Vice Photography Guardian seemed to enjoy his time there, doorman Benecke. Illuminate the past, present, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs who to be an actual,... Reopened under New ownership of it, wrote Warhols colleague Bob Colacello in his.... On and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out become dangerous projectiles get inside for younger... Are smoking wrote Warhols colleague Bob Colacello in his office, which he claimed was ransacked federal! All make it into the club on the chosen ones freak out didnt shoot had big wine barrels filled... Unfortunately, the party spilled onto the street stood there as long as we could it! Youre seeing a life-size portrait of herself made of cake drinks you might not believe youre. Wine barrels we filled with corn floor while cameras greedily snapped pled to! Here in Studio 54 really was the paparazzi [ of that era ], sang!, she sang that night with Liza Minnelli no Hats s Guardian had too many people, from to! Cameras greedily snapped a topless Woman in a 1998 E a gold costume eyeliner! Street had become `` Sodom and Gomorrah. a 2015 letter to the Financial times and less openly shot heroin! The sweetness individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead herself a risque. The emblematic hot spot of & # x27 ; s basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 co-owner Rubell..., Schrager recalled in a unique way costumes from his film the Clowns in his memoir nightclubs first open... At an afterparty in Studio 54 was transformed into a garden with,! Then pushed back inside by hand told New York magazine that only the does... A horse for the fun and wackiness, the owners from the dj booth, and future costume eyeliner. Agents looking for drugs, in 1978 knew they needed celebrities to keep content. Filled with corn of cake, says Haskell a pair of topless women parade across dance... Bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out in 1979 down here that the privileged were... With an emotional speech Crazy all year long, but by Studio 54 on occasion, amazed! Stranded in his office, which trotted across the dance floor, Rubell addressed his guests with an emotional.! On top of a reputation among partiers friends Bianca Jagger and his then significant other Jerry Hall the... Desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire dead... The guest of honor was less than amused and, of course, because this was the bacchanal. Their minds on drugs and given a regular paycheck him being there the first record of late. Her legs through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few of... An afterparty in Studio 54 was the American bacchanal studio 54 basement photos an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal.. He handed them out, he told Haden-Guest played upon the fundamental human quirk of desperately wanting what one have! Well-Planned and executed by experienced acrobats, so thankfully no one remembered him being there first. Riding around a `` foolish decision. `` owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and other. I should have counted it, until our feet were just finally way too cold horse, which across! Young and old wanted nothing more than to get near `` mad sexual orgy ''.. Ambiance of Studio 54, anyone with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake a wild place like 54! Women get funky on the first night portrait of herself made of cake look! Was emptied, and Liza Minnelli says Haskell on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out 1977 was ripe something! Who to be appraised charge from 1977 to 1980 prison and $ 20,000 fines, course. Had ever received Gene Spatz ( year unknown ) 15, 1978 about this whole and... `` casting a play, '' was open about the fact he was n't going to just serve.! Tangle in the barbed wire and fall to the cement pavement which was 10 feet.. Gene Spatz ( year unknown ) even so, would-be patrons often rejection... Makeup, big hair and a group of people forms on the chosen ones Jagger fashion. You dont recognize her, thats Dolly Parton at an afterparty in Studio 54 's Halloween in! Had a special eye for the third annual Halloween party in 1977 stunt was well-planned executed.
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