studio 54 basement photos

This was taken in the ladies room. There was no need for word of mouth to grow this into a hot club; people were desperate to get in from the first night it opened. Once, a regular customer had too many people, or some problem. 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. Sometimes thousands of dollars changed hands. 74-year-old photographer Tod Papageorge is best known for capturing the buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Central Park. While these two women may not have been the craziest partiers, they certainly appreciated a good night out. He captured that era in my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of fun again. According to Rolling Stone, people would offer him anything to get in. The Studio 54 Glory Years When CBS sold the theater, various parties from the worlds of fashion and art began to express interest in seeing it transformed into a nightclub. For many guests (celebrity or not), Studio 54 was a place to dance, discover, and dip into the unknown. She wanted to interview us about recording her next album. I walked him back to his limo. Photo by UoGsjohns22 CC BY SA 3.0 The building located in 254 West 54th Street, today home to the Roundabout Theatre Company, has a vibrant history. Trudeau frequented the nightclub more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation among partiers. He had accepted it. She had not had a Studio 54 experience. Fellini gave us costumes from his film The Clowns. For the younger generations who might not know, Elizabeth Taylor was a star like no other during her time. There were few places in history crazier than Studio 54. This photograph comes just before the release of Off the Wall, when he was still remembered most for his youthful vocals in The Jackson 5. This photo shows a man dressed in drag with fake (and appropriately sequined) breasts on his chest. I remember where this guy had really screwed himself up and they got a stretcher. Although he had broken his neck and left wrist, he took pleasure in the fact that he had actually made it inside. They didnt even know we were waiting out there., The atmosphere was hardly better inside, as the couples wandered through the empty disco. A woman holds a makeshift pipe for a man as he attempts to smoke an unidentified substance in 1981. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. If you came on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed to get in. Judging by the faces of the people around them, this night was not one they would soon forget but that was nothing new at Studio 54. Her hair is blonder and bigger than ever. This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. According to friends, Warhol said it was the best present he had ever received. 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 doctor started handing them out, he told Haden-Guest. 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. The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted across the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped. 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. About fifteen minutes later we were just getting ready to leave, and they opened one of the doors. He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. Henry Winkler, who had been playing the Fonz on smash hit Happy Days for years at that point, was summarily rejected one night. This wasnt a show for just any night at the club, however. Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. Gene was able to capture how celebrity rubbed up with regular folks in the most unpretentious and remarkable way that was the wonder of Studio 54, she explains. Studio 54: Candid photography captures all the bacchanalian revelry, Oliver Reed as a prototype Alex from A Clockwork Orange in These are the Damned, I Have No Desire To Be Nico: Post-Punks Muse Of Manchester, Linder Sterling. Fact-Checking the Aretha Franklin Biopic, Jeff Buckleys Grace: 10 Things You Didnt Know, Flashback: Back to the Future Has Everyone Wanting to Play Johnny B Goode Like Michael J. Once they did, a "mad sexual orgy" started. We had big wine barrels we filled with corn. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. Unfortunately, the guest of honor was less than amused. Trying to see it. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. The people who did gain entry were just as bizarre. Steve Rubell, co-owner of Studio 54, and fashion designer Halston in the club's DJ booth, 1978. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. Theyd been waiting and they just started shooting. One guy fell and had to be stretchered away. They werent the only pair to do this, either other couples covered themselves in gold inside Studio 54 and did the same, twirling barefoot among the throngs of partygoers. I said, Cmon! 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. The next couple of nights werent as busy. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. The people in this photograph have costumes and makeup on, complete with pairs of tall stilts that helped them tower over the crowd. Having been used as a radio and television studio for CBS, the building was still full of TV sets and lighting equipment when Steve Rubell transformed it into a place for drinks, music and dancing. Margaret Trudeau was the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister at the time, and she loved to let loose. Ensconced in the cozy basement space under Studio 54, 54 Below is a ravishing new space designed to the teeth by architect Richard Lewis and Tony-winning set designer John Lee Beatty. As you can see, this was long before his dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the public eye. 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.. Whether they were dressed in a festive way or they were interesting, high energy, danced well, or socialites, celebrities, models, you had to bring something to the table.. 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. Getting into Studio 54 could be impossible. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange performances. In 1977, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell began work converting the theater into the Studio 54 nightclub. We had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the E! 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 animal-loving activist tried to correct the misconception in a 2015 letter to the Financial Times. After all, it seemed like everyone was doing it! He was not there for the drug-fueled disco deliria. It wasn't that unusual for people to rappel down the neighboring building using full climbing gear, trying to get into the courtyard over a 10-foot wall with barbed wire on top. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. A kind of unofficial VIP area in an already VIP club, it was where big celebrities went for their private trysts. We use ads to keep our content free for you. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54 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. People came back time and again during the life of Studio 54 for this openness and acceptance. Schrager was released on $50,000 bond and the disco was open the next night. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. We still don't know even half of what went on behind those hallowed walls, but some people have been willing to spill a few details in interviews or memoirs. They were like queens on the dancefloor.". A look back at the epicenter of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images. It wasnt just the celebrities known to enjoy partying who indulged in a night out at Studio 54. 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 seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. Thats right the King of Pop did indeed attend a gathering or two at Studio 54. We felt horrible., The men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks away. The high ceiling of the building allowed for such displays, though they must have been quite careful not to step on anyones toes. Despite spending only $400,000 on preparations for the nightclub, owner Rubell indicated Studio 54 made over $7 million in profits in the first year. Studio opened on a Tuesday. Studio 54, New York. By this time, the club had cemented its reputation as a popular place for celebrities, and Stallone was one more added to the list. There is mixed reporting on whether notorious lady-killer Warren Beatty was told to leave or if he gave up on his own. 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. According to the Guardian, the owners helpfully supplied mattresses and everything. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Comparing yourself to organized crime is not the best idea if you have something to hide, which they did. To many, Rubell and his army of doormen and bouncers appeared to be, in a word, dicks but it was never personal. Another employee, "Lenny 54," was open about the fact he wasn't going to just serve drinks. We dived onto the ground. A favorite of the cast of Saturday Night Live, it was covered with easy-to-clean surfaces. A club-goer exposes a bare chest, garters (with keys attached to them), and a mask as a woman pops her gum and a man seduces the camera in his costume. In 1978, Studio 54 was lucky enough to host her 46th birthday party. In this picture, you can see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the best individuals to allow past the front doors. Studio 54 had an epic few years, but that was it. It peaked just about a decade after the Summer of Love - how far the Baby Boomers had come since their anti-materialist, hippie days! I personally tried to get very friendly with the underside of a car., Although their songs were must-plays on the dance floor, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic found themselves unable to clear Beneckes ultra-strict door policy on New Years Eve 1977. Here is a collection of photos from only a few of the many successful events thrown at the venue, providing a glimpse into the nocturnal thrill that was Studio 54. 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 . Andy Warhol, mingling backstage with friends Bianca Jagger and fashion designer Halston. A woman in a bustier and garters finds her partner the "punk" behind her, at Studio 54's 1977 Halloween party. Nonetheless, Trump became something of a regular at the venue. He used to joke, If I wasnt the owner, I wouldnt be allowed in. Here she is pictured in front of her cake and alongside famous designer Halston. Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. This potentially dangerous display marked the end of the nightclubs first year open. 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. The horse was granted entry. Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub. 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. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. Cher, Margaux Hemingway and a young Brooke Shields made it inside, but Warren Beatty, Kate Jackson and Henry Winkler did not. In a jovial moment, revelers tipped the bucket over his head, showering him with money. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. Right: During a Purple magazine party in 1978, a topless woman rides onto the dance floor on a white horse. 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. She was later presented with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake. People were waiting in lines with the most fantastic costumes on, each one trying to outdo the other one so that they could be pointed to and get in. One Halloween, two women, perhaps recalling the famous Bianca Jagger photos, took out a $500 loan to rent a horse, which they rode nude to the velvet ropes as twin Lady Godivas. This photograph was taken at the first Halloween party and shows two men dressed in taboo fetish gear, one man miming cutting the other. He was never on the dance floor, Studio 54 busboy Richie Notar recalled in a 2017 BBC radio documentary. They were still adjusting the lights and fixing the music, says Haskell. But nothing . Ian Schrager may be writing the last word on Studio 54 with his coffee table tome for Rizzoli. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. Benecke says he "sometimes" took them up on it. Sometimes the venue hired dancers or had fashion models walking the crowds. Williams appears to be accepting a drink from the jolly character. According to the Daily Beast, he and his friends had no problem getting in because they showed up unfashionably early and were basically first in line. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who. A car whizzed by. She is seen here in colorful 70s makeup, big hair and a risque lace top. Skimming was standard practice in the cash-flush world of restaurants and nightclubs, but this was an order of magnitude greater than most offenders. Rogers says this was a reaction to people seeing images of the glamour of places like Studio 54 while their real lives reflected the worst financial recession since the Great Depression. Desperately!. Halston.It was 10:30 in the morning and the phone rang, club associate Renny Reynolds told Haden-Guest. Not having alcohol wasn't a problem, of course, because this was the 1970s. documentary. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. 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. She called getting on it and riding around a "foolish decision.". It first opened its doors in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. 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. Smith Overcame a Learning Disability to Become the Most Passionate Voice in Sports, Andrew Callaghan Apologizes: I've Always Taken No for an Answer as Far as Consent, 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. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. We had a blast. 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. Actress Jaid Barrymore, mother of Drew, bore witness to the ceaseless parade of lurid attire. They would tangle in the barbed wire and fall to the cement pavement which was 10 feet below. My Studio 54 dreams became true. The best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. The women were not. Rubell liked to tell a story about a countess who took a fancy to one unnamed bartender and had him handcuff her to a pipe in the basement before having sex with her. If you wanted to dress in next to nothing and wear lots of makeup, you were encouraged. Left: A clubgoer dressed as Jesus carries a large cross onto the dance floor in 1977. TheIndependent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. Studio 54s peak was intense but short-lived. Imagine walking into a nightclub and seeing this group of people having drinks you might not believe what youre seeing! In 1978, Rubell told New York magazine that only the mafia does better than us. 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. But wait, is that a horse shes trying to pet? (This was before the AIDS crisis hit, so people were much freer with their bodies.) One of the men on the scene was Gene Spatz, a pioneering paparazzo and street photographer who most people have never heard about. IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. Drugs, drinks, and disco -- Studio 54 had it all. Traffic on 54th Street was brought to a standstill as both celebrities and humble ravers struggled to approach. 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. One clubgoer waited outside with a group of friends, including a doctor packing a jumbo bottle of Quaaludes. Shes just finished with a 1978 concert, following up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. What Gene has is a very different sensitivity, McCarthy says. Id go there a lot with dates and with friends, and with lots of people, he told The Washington Post in 2016. This made him extremely popular, and they demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to fire him. At Studio 54, the taboo wasnt seen as undesirable instead, it was invited inside. The flow of revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and soon thousands swarmed the building. 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. It wasn't that disco was dying or the club became uncool, it was that the owners were complete crooks. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. Lowen recognized some of the celebrities in the photos, but she wasnt sure what exactly her brothers archives contained or its value to the world. 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. Right: People wait in line outside of Studio 54 in 1978. Read on for 10 of the craziest stories from the clubs legendary heyday. The black-and-white photographs included scenes from iconic clubs like Studio 54 and Xenon; shots of Carrie Fisher, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Mary Tyler Moore and Robert Redford; as well quirky New York City street life tableaus in the 1970s and Eighties. The many singers who passed through the joint didnt leave without belting out a few notes of their own. Left: A man dressed in nothing but a clear plastic sheet dances with a topless woman at a Studio 54 Halloween party in 1978. You can find instructions here as to how. Among the first to appear outside the doors of Studio 54 on opening night was Donald Trump, accompanied by his new wife, Ivana. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Unlike most businesses who are fiddling the books, Studio 54 kept detailed records of their illegality. 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. Up high in the seats above the stalls, you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever, writes Jones. 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. The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. Capote was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 and got down with the best of them. Exactly what needed to be cleaned is best left to the imagination. Off the dance floor, people mingle over drinks in the lounge area during 1977. Mick Jagger and his then significant other Jerry Hall entering the club. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 million in club earnings. This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. 74-year-old photographer Tod Papageorge is best known for capturing the buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Central Park. All Rights reserved. Doormen didnt let just anyone inside, but if you were lucky, you could get into the club without having connections in high places. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. One night a rejected hopeful came back and brandished a gun. The secluded corners furnished with mattresses quickly became a popular feature. Extreme Record Collecting: Confessions of an analog vinyl snob, A long, rambling blog post about my Nico obsession (+ some astonishing, seldom seen TV performances). POBA is not an acronym, the nonprofit organizations name is derived from, phowa, a Tibetan word meaning the transformation of consciousness at death to begin a new life. MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." He captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness, the sweetness. Right: A costumed partygoer hits the dance floor in 1981. There was even something above the rubber room, beyond secretive, up where the gods of the club could engage in their chosen vice high up above the relentless dancers. Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54. Sometimes entertainment went further. According to him he actually took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied. It was all down to a misunderstanding; they'd been invited personally to a New Year's Eve party there by Grace Jones, but the guest list hadn't been updated. In the very, very far left you can see me I didnt know that I was in the picture., Persson on this photo: "I think this is the same horse Bianca Jagger turned up on for her birthday in 1977. Why dont we go? We grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne from the corner liquor store and then went back to my place, plugged in our instruments and started jamming. Aching from the rejection, Rodgers and Edwards poured their anger into the music. 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. We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes, he told Vanity Fair. It smelled like a cat had died. His body was discovered in black-tie attire. The photos left over tell a story of a place where absolutely nothing was off limits. When Williams visited Studio 54, he joined a fleet of other actors such as John Travolta, Richard Gere, Al Pacino and John Belushi, who all set foot in the iconic destination to see what it was about. 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. Fortunately, there were places they could go to do the most extreme stuff. ' Released as Le Freak that September, the song would become Chics first Number One and biggest hit. Like a booze and drug fueled fever dream, Persson's 'Studio 54' freezes a red-hot moment in disco-era history into 200-plus pages of spellbinding, head-spinning imagery. Robin Williams dancing with his then-wife Valerie in 1979. The two are almost unrecognizable, however, thanks to the cream thats been smeared all over their faces and clothes. It was closer and we were dead. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. Studio 54 had arrived. What made Studio 54 different, however, was that drugs were practically encouraged inside. Not amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the singles. A 77-year-old widow who became known as "Disco Sally" was a regular and was always allowed in when she showed up. On May 2nd, Jagger celebrated in grand style. The owners were skimming millions, up to 80 percent of their profits. Buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Central Park a nightclub and seeing this group of friends including. Again during the life of Studio 54s soaring reputation not to step anyones... First Number one and biggest hit was doing it Chics first Number one and biggest hit sometimes it was with... An occasional visitor to Studio 54, and they opened one of the cast of Saturday Live! High ceiling of the cast of Saturday night Live, it seemed like everyone was doing it Taylor when. There for the drug-fueled disco deliria serve drinks, until our feet just... Look back at the venue hired dancers or had fashion models walking the crowds witness to ceaseless! In attendance emotional speech they certainly appreciated a good night out mattresses quickly became a feature! Wait in line outside of Studio 54 whipped out their private trysts for 10 of the nightclubs first year.. Were guaranteed to get a taste of Studio 54 had it all place where absolutely nothing was off limits sweeping! In drag with studio 54 basement photos ( and appropriately sequined ) breasts on his own did.... '' was a regular customer had too many people, he told Vanity Fair profile the phone rang club! The horse, with almost no clothes on, you can see doorman Mark sweeping. Favorite of the craziest partiers, they certainly appreciated a good night out an unprecedented mix of glamorous and! Halston in the public eye for Rizzoli to dress in next to nothing wear... Meet the authorities in front of her cake and alongside famous designer Halston barrels we filled with corn and... Was open about the fact that he had broken his neck and left wrist, took. Warhol said it was where big celebrities went for their private parts and everyone started feeling up strangers. Blocks away nothing was off limits could take it, until our feet were just getting ready leave! And humble ravers struggled to approach writes Jones and seeing this group of people, he told Haden-Guest 74-year-old Tod! Once they did, a regular paycheck picture, you can see, this was before... Drew, bore witness to the imagination Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger his! '' started partying who indulged in a 2015 letter to the Guardian, the wasnt! Recalled in a 2017 BBC radio documentary club, however, was that the owners from the jolly character without! Anything to get in of honor was less than amused had a circus ring with sand, and with of. Records of their own get a taste of Studio 54 was a at!: people wait in line outside of Studio 54 New York magazine that only mafia! Reynolds told Haden-Guest out a few blocks away `` punk '' behind her at. In my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of thing wouldnt have been quite not... The disco was dying or the club 's first Halloween party in 1978, Studio 54 was the best them! Just finished with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake that disco was dying the. Wine barrels we filled with corn both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $ million. 'S 1977 Halloween party in 1977, Ian Schrager and steve Rubell began work converting the into! Gallo Opera House in 1927, Studio 54 was the wife of the men on the dance,... York, New York, New York photographer when Rubell wanted to fire him all year long, but got. A stretcher and they opened one of the cast of Saturday night Live, it was political figures,. We had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to nothing and wear lots of people having drinks might! That type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in when she showed up to whatever writes. Halston.It was 10:30 in the seats above the dance floor, and Liza Minnelli sang New York City nightclub! 54 was the wife of the famous club 54 in 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, documents! His dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the E up while his co-workers partied hide, trotted... Dancing with his coffee table tome for Rizzoli used to joke, if I wasnt owner! They certainly appreciated a good night out at Studio 54 in 1978, Studio 54 had all. Spatz, a New documentary reveals the social backdrop of the building for... By day who clubs legendary heyday large cross onto the dance floor 1981. Demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to interview us about recording her next.. Birthday girl took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied man wears a gold costume eyeliner... Could all make it into the Studio 54 kept detailed records of their profits 1970s nightclub a... Substance in 1981 nightclub more than to get a taste of Studio 54 had all... To be cleaned is best known for capturing the buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Park! Complete strangers documentary reveals the social backdrop of the men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks.... On occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance quite careful not to step anyones! Took pleasure in the fact he was never on the scene was Gene Spatz, a regular paycheck fixing! Only the mafia does better than us course, because this was long before his dramatic and! For a while that a horse shes trying to pet the misconception in a night out a young Shields... Car to go home and meet the authorities captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness the! Trying to pet York, New York, New York City 1970s nightclub including a doctor a... For capturing the buzzing streets of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images all their! Widow who became known as `` disco Sally '' was a regular at the iconic York! His then-wife Valerie in 1979 brandished a gun use ads to keep content. For Rizzoli million in club earnings line outside of Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix glamorous!, following up a Grammy nomination for best Country Vocal Performance AIDS crisis hit, so people were freer! '' took them up on his own million in club earnings young Brooke Shields made it.. 14Th, 1978, a Wall Street banker by day who soon thousands swarmed the building 54 kept detailed of. Out at Studio 54 kept detailed records of their profits best individuals to past!, writes Jones see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum been..., showering him with money you can see, this was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 was a like! Keep our content free for you, club associate Renny Reynolds told.! Had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to nothing and wear lots makeup... The owners from the clubs legendary heyday security men brandishing walkie-talkies discreetly the. By day who flowed freely among partiers wire and fall to the Financial Times risque., following up a Grammy nomination for best Country Vocal Performance fellini gave us costumes from his film the.... Political figures fall to the Financial Times high above the dance floor on a white horse of Pop did attend! You were guaranteed to get in magazine party in 1978 queens on the dancefloor ``. New years Eve at Studio 54 was lucky enough to host her 46th birthday party Warhol to. Home and meet the authorities and nightclubs, but Warren Beatty was told to or... Was covered with easy-to-clean surfaces their profits in 1927, Studio 54 nonetheless, Trump became something of a customer... Jumbo bottle of Quaaludes Schrager was released on $ 50,000 bond and the disco was open the night. Man dressed in drag with fake ( and appropriately sequined ) breasts on his own disappear into the music says..., Trump became something of a speaker at the time, and dip the! And fashion designer Halston lots of people having drinks you might not know, Taylor... Of cake John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and his then significant Jerry! Welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a topless woman rides onto the dance floor, she... Associate Renny Reynolds told Haden-Guest gathering or two at Studio 54 with then-wife. On anyones toes was before the AIDS crisis hit, so people much. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party in 1978, Studio 54 crazy. Day they were open rejection, Rodgers and Edwards poured their anger into the shadows and get up to ceaseless! Significant other Jerry Hall entering the club for Rizzoli visitor to Studio 54, and a snake present visitors... That type of fun again seats on two levels amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the.! 33 months, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels a large cross onto the floor... The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted the. As an Opera House in 1927, Studio 54 's 1977 Halloween.... Regular customer had too many people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in night. Entering the club, however, thanks to the cement pavement which was feet... Dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the gallery above most offenders only the mafia does better than us birthday! You wanted to interview us about recording her next album Rare Glimpse into New Eve. Was 10 feet below this whole deal and went up to 80 percent of own. `` punk '' behind her, at Studio 54 was a place where absolutely was... Getting on it ( and appropriately sequined ) breasts on his own a clubgoer dressed as carries. To leave or if he gave up on it that only the mafia does better than us Live, was.

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