Actress Jaid Barrymore, mother of Drew, bore witness to the ceaseless parade of lurid attire. 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. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 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. The doormen regularly had to be escorted home at the end of the night for their safety. Both famous celebrities and regular bystanders alike managed to have a rockin good time at Studio 54. Williams appears to be accepting a drink from the jolly character. Bokfrlaget Max Strm/Hasse Persson Studio 54. Steve was coked out of his mind, remembered one in attendance, Bianca was hugging him, and he was saying, I love you people! 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. Here, see a selection of exclusive images of Spatzs work for the first time. I said, Cmon! For more New York drama, be sure to check out what the city looked like in the 1970s. If a regular night at Studio 54 was crazy, it was the special parties that were totally unacceptable. I had a farm wagon we brought in and piled with hay. We want to hear it. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." It seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. One bartender co-wrote a novel in 1980 about a Studio 54-like club that was so close to reality, Andy Warhol wondered how he didn't get sued. The sex, drugs and disco on offer at Studio 54 served as the perfect release for a generation raised under the pressures of Watergate and the Vietnam War. Those lucky enough to be in attendance are spotted in the background, watching with drinks in hand. Steve went all out for that, Michael Musto remembered in the E! Studio 54 Photos And The Debauchery That Ensued 54 Decadent Photos Of Studio A Story Debauchery And Dancing Groovy History E And Disco A Brief History Of Studio 54 Flashbak Studio 54 Dj Reveals The Stars Nights Of S And Boogie At Legendary Club Mirror Studio 54 15 Things We Learned About The Hedonists Mecca From New Doentary Independent Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. At Studio 54, anyone with a good attitude (and good style) was welcome. And all of a sudden the guy starts choking me., That was a minor inconvenience compared to the trials of security chief Chuck Garelick, who tells Haden-Guest that a man once tried to literally crash the VIP entrance in his Oldsmobile. Many of the celebs who were there are still alive, so other than vague rumors, we don't know the worst of what went down. Under Rubells ownership, however, the strange, the weird and the scary were given a place to flourish beneath the lights of the nightclub. ' Even so, would-be patrons often took rejection badly. 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. He said, Hey Nile, what youre playing sounds really good.'. Studio 54 produced many star-studded photo opportunities. At that time, our music was fairly popular Dance, Dance, Dance was a big hit but Grace Jones didnt leave our name at the door and the doorman wouldnt let us in. They waited around until the early morning hours. Trudeau frequented the nightclub more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation among partiers. It got the attention of the IRS, and the club was raided on suspicion of tax evasion. Franco Rossellini and Steve Rubell (producer and owner, respectively) are pictured here in front of what appears to be a giant birthday cake. Please allow ads and let sponsors fund your surfing. 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 [] The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. Getting into Studio 54 could be impossible. 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. Those who were turned away often returned night after night, changing their outfits, hairstyles and company. Reynolds, who had tracked down livestock with ease, had a more difficult time finding vintage cars for hire. It just snowballed from there, doorman Marc Benecke recalled in a 1998 E! Studio 54 had arrived. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. Halston.It was 10:30 in the morning and the phone rang, club associate Renny Reynolds told Haden-Guest. 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. TheIndependent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. We were really totally dejected. 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 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. The stunt was one of the most effective in the history of publicity, as photos of Jagger on horseback instantly appeared in papers across the globe. In fact, some women were often topless at Studio 54 parties, in nothing more than tiny thong bottoms and boots. My Studio 54 Story. In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and nightclub Studio 54, located at 254 West 54th Street. You can find instructions here as to how. While many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, it got them lots of attention from the authorities. On finding Studio 54s books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. After Lowen uploaded digital versions of the photographs to a secure vault, POBA staff helped crop and curate the material, highlighting the value of his artistic eye. Right: A costumed partygoer hits the dance floor in 1981. You were also welcomed with open arms if you were a drag queen. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange performances. Judge Richard Owen shocked the court by imposing the maximum penalty: three-and-a-half years in prison and $20,000 fines. 10 Crazy Things That Happened At Studio 54 Mental Floss. The owners were skimming millions, up to 80 percent of their profits. 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. We think of him as a gentleman of the paparazzi [of that era], she says. Cher, Margaux Hemingway and a young Brooke Shields made it inside, but Warren Beatty, Kate Jackson and Henry Winkler did not. We were just yelling obscenities: Fuck Studio 54 Fuck em Fuck off Fuck those scumbags fuck them! Luckily for us, a handful of photographers captured the scene at Studio 54's height in the 1970s. One of the many famous faces to grace the dance floor of Studio 54 was that of legendary singer Diana Ross. Right: During a Purple magazine party in 1978, a topless woman rides onto the dance floor on a white horse. It would be decades before New York City's smoking ban forbade smoking in indoor spaces. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. 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. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. Oddly, one of the first people ever in the club was Donald Trump. According to Rolling Stone, people would offer him anything to get in. All very un-PC. The IRS was not fooled. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. She is seen here in colorful 70s makeup, big hair and a risque lace top. We felt horrible., The men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks away. The Daily Beast says that on opening night, 11-year-old Brooke Shields was not only very illegally admitted but taken to the DJ booth personally by the owner. 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. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. Antoinette Norcia / Getty Images In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and . People openly took poppers on the dance floor, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners. My house now is filled with his art, and I hope others will appreciate it too.. Dressed in their best and taking stock of the nightclub, famous actresses Farrah Fawcett and Shirley MacLaine are photographed with club owner Steve Rubell. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who rollerskated on the dancefloor at night, and Disco Sally, a 78-year-old lawyer, were cult figures. BuzzFeed News Photo Essay Editor. No one remembered him being there the first night. Club founders Ian Schrager and Rubell were sent to jail in 1980. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. Studio 54's golden age came to an end when the federal government came after Schrager and Rubell for tax evasion. Taylor basically just showed up opening night and offered to work. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Mick Jagger Touching Tongues With a Woman Could Be Yours. 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. They were so angry about being denied entry that they went home and wrote a song about it. After those three years, the experience of partying at Studio 54 just wasnt the same. In a relatively small space were some of the most beautiful and richest people who ever lived. What Gene has is a very different sensitivity, McCarthy says. It wasnt until a few years later that Rubell would get busted for tax evasion and end up in jail. In 1978, Studio 54 was lucky enough to host her 46th birthday party. 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. It first opened its doors in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. 1 120 VOTES Bianca Jagger's Birthday Party - Bianca Celebrating With Liza Minelli (May 2, 1978) Photo: Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images 101 19 2 146 VOTES Bodily fluids and coke dust can be hard to remove under normal circumstances. The main thing people were after they had haystacks and horses and donkeys mules! House now is filled with his art, and future a relatively small space were some of the for... Busted for tax evasion them lots of attention from the jolly character suspicion of tax evasion scumbags Fuck!. Type of scene you couldve enjoyed in and piled with hay images of work. 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