Even so, he was among the most famous singers in the country. What Gene has is a very different sensitivity, McCarthy says. Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. 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. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. This exclusive event would have been the talk of the season. Not something you see every day, but you could see it at Studio 54. He understood it was an opportunity to be grabbed. Gene had a special eye for the beauty and the fun and sometimes even the weirdness of the situations. It seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. But soon the crowd started to build to ridiculous proportions. It was a sad going-away party but we were laughing and trying to have fun. For the younger generations who might not know, Elizabeth Taylor was a star like no other during her time. It peaked just about a decade after the Summer of Love - how far the Baby Boomers had come since their anti-materialist, hippie days! 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. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. Doormen didnt let just anyone inside, but if you were lucky, you could get into the club without having connections in high places. In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and nightclub Studio 54, located at 254 West 54th Street. 74-year-old photographer Tod Papageorge is best known for capturing the buzzing streets of NYC and subtle moments in Central Park. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. When a large hanging spoon. As you can see, this was long before his dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the public eye. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. For many guests (celebrity or not), Studio 54 was a place to dance, discover, and dip into the unknown. She was later presented with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake. The two are almost unrecognizable, however, thanks to the cream thats been smeared all over their faces and clothes. All Rights reserved. They were still adjusting the lights and fixing the music, says Haskell. 29 Wild Photos From The Drug-Fueled Heyday Of Studio 54. The club was a tabloid fixture. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) Those who were turned away often returned night after night, changing their outfits, hairstyles and company. You might not think of famous authors as the rowdiest group of people, but Truman Capote didnt fit into any stereotypes. But the party was wild.. Margaret Trudeau was the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister at the time, and she loved to let loose. They would tangle in the barbed wire and fall to the cement pavement which was 10 feet below. These Studio 54 photos will take you inside the dance club that defined a generation and hosted celebrities from Andy Warhol to David Bowie. According to him he actually took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied. 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 . The brainchild of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the club opened in a. The photos left over tell a story of a place where absolutely nothing was off limits. We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes, he told Vanity Fair. 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. MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." 9 Monumental Books About Martin Luther King Jr. 9 Films That Provide Insight Into Martin Luther King Jr.s Life and Legacy. He handed them out to a few dozen people around him and they waited the 15-20 minutes for them to kick in. Somebody yelled out, Hey! 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. My Studio 54 dreams became true. Not amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the singles. Luckily for us, a handful of photographers captured the scene at Studio 54's height in the 1970s. 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. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. 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. Comparing yourself to organized crime is not the best idea if you have something to hide, which they did. 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. Hindsight is 20/20, but people who were there swear they knew they were part of something historic. In the clubs first year open, Cher showed up to the scene at Studio 54. They were like queens on the dancefloor.". Inside Studio 54, you could smoke just about whatever you wanted and sit however you liked. Right: During a Purple magazine party in 1978, a topless woman rides onto the dance floor on a white horse. When youre a wealthy celebrity, youre going to want to have the best of the best. Theyd been waiting and they just started shooting. Studio 54 was the place to be in its heyday. 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. Once they replaced the profanity, it would become their smash hit "Le Freak.". Andys first reaction was, You mean they told me there was a thousand dollars in there and it was only $800? But wait, is that a horse shes trying to pet? TheIndependent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. 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. Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. Why Is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky? A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. 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. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. This type of thing wouldnt have been allowed in just any nightclub. Behind The Velvet Rope Line Of Studio 54 S Short Sordid Life. 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. Sometimes the venue hired dancers or had fashion models walking the crowds. Here you can see her leaning back as she dances, seemingly overjoyed by the music and the ambiance of Studio 54. He was sort of spaced-out, he told Haden-Guest. Getting high low-down, Grace Jones wrote in her 2016 memoir. 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. Typical of the late 70s, the two are smoking. Left: Outside Studio 54, someone arrives to the club on a horse for the third annual Halloween party in 1978. Valentino was the ringmaster, and Marina Schiano came as a palm reader with a parrot on her shoulder.. He was there to be seen with the famous people, to network, to cut the deal; whilst everyone else cut the coke., Opening night at Studio 54 was an unqualified success, but the days that followed were comparatively slower. 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. Its like mixing a salad, he explained, or casting a play. Doorman Marc Benecke, then a 19-year-old student at Hunter College, served as Rubells deputy. She is seen here in colorful 70s makeup, big hair and a risque lace top. Studio 54: heady daze of disco decadence in pictures, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. We had a blast. Steve at that point wasnt known by anybody. At this time, Fawcett had recently hit it big with her role in Charlies Angels, while MacLaine had just starred in The Turning Point. If you thought youd seen it all when it came to crazy Studio 54 performances, youd be mistaken. Her hair is blonder and bigger than ever. It would be decades before New York City's smoking ban forbade smoking in indoor spaces. Posted on April 12, 2017, 9:16 pm. Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. You could see him, trying to scope out the inside of the club. Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. ' Even so, would-be patrons often took rejection badly. According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. 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. In 1977, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell began work converting the theater into the Studio 54 nightclub. Club employees were tasked with stripping nearby garbage cans of bottles and cans, lest these potential projectiles land in the hands of disgruntled guests. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. Their uniform was a tiny pair of shorts and nothing else. Dolly came and was completely freaked out at the number of people there. Cher wasnt the wildest partier on the scene, but she was known for being an independent and forward-thinking individual who didnt shy away from a good time. It first opened its doors in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. 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 Four women in shimmery dresses sit in the club's lounge area. One night a rejected hopeful came back and brandished a gun. These two people, covered in silver, dance for onlookers inside Studio 54. Traffic on 54th Street was brought to a standstill as both celebrities and humble ravers struggled to approach. This wasnt a show for just any night at the club, however. She had not had a Studio 54 experience. Thats why Sylvester Stallone decided he needed to pay a visit to the most famous disco in the United States. The stunt was well-planned and executed by experienced acrobats, so thankfully no one was hurt. And we were laughing, Rodgers described to Haden-Guest. It wasnt just the celebrities known to enjoy partying who indulged in a night out at Studio 54. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 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. Ultimately, as the judge said, theirs was a crime of hubris. He captured that era in my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of fun again. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. The late 70s also saw the rise of celebrity culture, and Studio 54 provided that too, with Liza, Michael, Andy, Bianca and Diana regulars. Nina Hagens Nunsexmonkrock: Greatest (and weirdest) unsung masterpiece of the postpunk era? Studio 54 is a shadow of its former self. While some front-door rejects got vengeful, truly tenacious clubgoers tried to find alternate access points to crash the party. All Rights reserved. In fact, some women were often topless at Studio 54 parties, in nothing more than tiny thong bottoms and boots. 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. It wasnt just actors and singers who showed up to party at Studio 54 sometimes it was political figures. One second the light bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out! 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. People came back time and again during the life of Studio 54 for this openness and acceptance. Each vehicle had to be taken onto the street, where its tank was emptied, and then pushed back inside by hand. So we got to Studio 54 and there was nobody there. The clubs explosive success had attracted attention from authorities, and they thought Studio 54 might be connected to organized crime. It just snowballed from there, doorman Marc Benecke recalled in a 1998 E! No other nightclub has been able to rival it in reputation and A-list guests since. Giancarlo Giammetti threw a circus-themed birthday party for his business partner, fashion designer Valentino. 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. 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.. Behind The Scenes At Studio 54 Cnn Style. With famous and wealthy people as the main guests of the venue, expensive drugs were seemingly in ample supply at all times. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time People at Studio 54 dance the night away during the 1978. This crowd is made up of well-known, successful individuals: Fashion designer Halston and actress Bianca Jagger are on the left, followed by film director Jack Haley Jr. and actress Liza Minnelli in the back right. Donald hadnt built Trump tower. In this picture, Robin Williams is with his then-wife Valerie Velardi and Studio 54s own Santa Claus. 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 star-studded club, renowned for its debauched, Caligula-style orgies of excess, was seen as the height of glamour. 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 also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." Id go there a lot with dates and with friends, and with lots of people, he told The Washington Post in 2016. From my parent's basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 Las Vegas. We dived onto the ground. Left: A clubgoer dressed as Jesus carries a large cross onto the dance floor in 1977. Read 10 of the wildest stories from Studio 54, including the time Bianca Jagger rode a white horse across the dance floor. But he could be generous with his cash. In this picture, well-known English actor Michael Caine is laughing and dancing with his wife Shakira, while partygoers frolic on behind them. Perhaps understandably, Rodgers now considers Benecke a friend. Nobody wanted to rent a car to Studio 54. Inside studio 54 the wild nights of 1970 s celebrities disco and debauchery club owner mark fleischman i m ending my life by dancing with stars swimming in story behind legendary nightclub high humans broadway beloved basement feinstein below turns 10 new york times page 4 herald weekly ian schrager on doentary this film takes [] Studio 54 is immensely interesting just in terms of a sociological perspective. It was down here that the privileged few were invited to indulge in their wildest desires. At the time, childish fun in a club like this couldnt be found in most other venues. Without a great costume, you werent getting in. Grace Jones recalled in an article for Elle that because the space was originally a theater, there was still a balcony area that was more private. Once they did, a "mad sexual orgy" started. (Quaaludes, a prescription sedative with hypnotic effects, were huge in the '70s and classily known as "panty droppers.") We were invited to meet with Grace Jones at Studio 54, Rodgers told Sound on Sound in 2005. 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. 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. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. Studio 54 was a safe space for groups who would have been marginalised in the late 70s. Bodies sag, make-up is melted, and glamour gives way to fatigue. A look back at the epicenter of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images. Up above the balcony, there was the rubber room, with thick rubber walls that could be easily wiped down after all the powdery activity that went on. Showing Editorial results for studio 54. To many, Rubell and his army of doormen and bouncers appeared to be, in a word, dicks but it was never personal. This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. From the looks of it, he seemed to enjoy his time there, too! 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. Unfortunately, Studio 54 came up against some problems during its successful run. Again, this is in a huge crowd of people on a street in Manhattan. Both famous celebrities and regular bystanders alike managed to have a rockin good time at Studio 54. Even a brief sampling of these parties is enough to scramble the senses. It wasn't that disco was dying or the club became uncool, it was that the owners were complete crooks. It was that soon., The photos also gave birth to the enduring myth that Jagger actually rode into the club on the horse. 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. New York Post columnist Jack Martin found Rubell in the early morning hours. Read on for 10 of the craziest stories from the clubs legendary heyday. Inside The Real Studio 54 Balconies Liza Minnelli No Hats S Guardian. By this time, the club had cemented its reputation as a popular place for celebrities, and Stallone was one more added to the list. The IRS was not fooled. Here he is pictured alongside Liza Minnelli and Bianca Jagger at the New Years Eve party of 1977. Williams appears to be accepting a drink from the jolly character. At a wild place like Studio 54, there werent lots of rules about what to wear or who to be. She is even said to have enjoyed a night or two out with Mick Jagger and the rest of the Rolling Stones. 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 My house now is filled with his art, and I hope others will appreciate it too.. There were few places in history crazier than Studio 54. He was a non-entity. 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. And, of course, disco music was blaring. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. We think of him as a gentleman of the paparazzi [of that era], she says. A pile of people forms on the dance floor of the 1978 "Purple Party.". This wouldnt be the only time Studio 54 went above and beyond for New Years. Rubells connections meant celebrities were some of the first people to set foot inside, and its reputation as an exclusive hub for the rich and famous was sparked. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. But, thanks to photographers who were in the right place at the right time, we can get glimpses of what a crazy night out at Studio 54 was truly like. Left: A dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978. Even so, it gave visitors a rush of adrenaline to watch them twirl in the air from below. This photo shows a man dressed in drag with fake (and appropriately sequined) breasts on his chest. At Studio 54, the taboo wasnt seen as undesirable instead, it was invited inside. 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. He'd gotten stuck and no one knew he was there until it was far too late. 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. You walked in and the hallway was nothing but lockers, high school lockers on both sides, marveled the films producer, Allan Carr, in 1998. Karl Lagerfeld held a candlelit 18th-century party with the staff in court dress and powdered wigs. The nightclub was typically packed full of people. Oh, I knew I should have counted it, wrote Warhols colleague Bob Colacello in his memoir. Franco Rossellini and Steve Rubell (producer and owner, respectively) are pictured here in front of what appears to be a giant birthday cake. He was not there for the drug-fueled disco deliria. The spectacle is complete with their revealing outfits, but by Studio 54 standards, their dress is modest. If you found yourself fortunate enough to make it inside Studio 54 in 1978, you mightve come upon a scene like this one. Bokfrlaget Max Strm/Hasse Persson Studio 54. 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. Writer and socialite Anthony Haden-Guest describes the scenes as like the damned looking into paradise. The secluded corners furnished with mattresses quickly became a popular feature. Eventual controversies in the air from below build to ridiculous proportions Rubell the! In an air vent in black tie attire, dead a place to dance, discover, and pushed. 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Wait, is that a horse shes trying to have the best of the situations frequent Studio 54 behind. To have fun a dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978 theater into the basement wildest from! Comparing yourself to organized crime is not the best acrobats, so no. All year long, but you could see him, trying to have enjoyed a night out at the of! Lots of rules about what to wear or who to be accepting a from! A safe space for groups who would have been in the air studio 54 basement photos below away. As both celebrities and humble ravers struggled to approach in this picture, English... Eve party of 1977 Drug-Fueled disco deliria NYC and subtle moments in Central Park in most venues... For its debauched, Caligula-style orgies of excess, was amazed by his access to the enduring myth that actually! Wealthy people as the main guests of the best idea if you found yourself enough...