When a large hanging spoon. But we can still try to piece together some of the most messed up stuff that ever happened at Studio 54. by Gabriel H. Sanchez. 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. Here we see one of those notable moments where an elderly woman is dancing with a young man. 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 Once they did, a "mad sexual orgy" started. We had a blast. And we were laughing, Rodgers described to Haden-Guest. [Halston] only had about 150 people. A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. You could see him, trying to scope out the inside of the club. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 million in club earnings. They agreed to bring these cars up. Six big-finned classics were parked on the dance floor, but minutes before opening the fire marshal cited a major hazard: The cars hadnt been drained of gasoline. Steve at that point wasnt known by anybody. We walked out through the entrance where the garbage goes out. 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. Asshole! I looked and there was a rifle pointed at me. One of the most memorable soirees was held in honor of Dolly Parton. After all, it seemed like everyone was doing it! Getting into Studio 54 could be impossible. Rather, the owners presented it to her when she arrived as a birthday surprise. Left: A dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978. 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. The packed dance floor was the place to see and be seen, but not everything people got up to at Studio 54 was necessarily intended for an audience. They were hired for the New Years Eve party of 1977. The clubs explosive success had attracted attention from authorities, and they thought Studio 54 might be connected to organized crime. At a wild place like Studio 54, there werent lots of rules about what to wear or who to be. A 77-year-old widow who became known as "Disco Sally" was a regular and was always allowed in when she showed up. There was a 1950 Chevy convertible that got a bit trashed because people climbed in and burned the seats, says Reynolds. Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54. Within half an hour they composed a song called Fuck Off. After some lyrical tweaking they arrived at a slightly more Top 40friendly title. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. Studio 54 photographer Hasse Persson said of this photo: "This may sound unusual today, but if you wanted to make love with somebody, people were making love on the balconies, and they were making love in the bathrooms. And I kind of let that slide because he didnt shoot. Another morning, someone did pull the trigger. She was not a comfortable lady there., The July 1978 bash celebrating the release of Grease gave Dolly Partons pastoral party a run for its money when Rubell and Co. recreated the movies retro set. Perhaps understandably, Rodgers now considers Benecke a friend. This was ridiculous because if you want to get away with it you might skim 1-2 percent. 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. Then, step inside the 1990s rave scene at its neon zenith. In 1978, Rubell told New York magazine that only the mafia does better than us. It wasnt until a few years later that Rubell would get busted for tax evasion and end up in jail. It was completely normal to see people walking around naked. Judge Richard Owen shocked the court by imposing the maximum penalty: three-and-a-half years in prison and $20,000 fines. The spectacle is complete with their revealing outfits, but by Studio 54 standards, their dress is modest. Ultimately, as the judge said, theirs was a crime of hubris. She was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to the balcony and sat up there for a while. People at Studio 54 dance the night away during the 1978. I dont know what Im going to do without Studio! And everyone was crying and weeping.. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." 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. The Birth of Studio 54. Right: People wait in line outside of Studio 54 in 1978. Then . At Studio 54, anyone with a good attitude (and good style) was welcome. In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and nightclub Studio 54, located at 254 West 54th Street. 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 flow of revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and soon thousands swarmed the building. One man was less lucky. 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. When the builders were asked if they were making a "sex pit," the answer was simply, yes. In a jovial moment, revelers tipped the bucket over his head, showering him with money. But that picture started the ball rolling. According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. We want to hear it. We knocked on the door. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. Off the dance floor, people mingle over drinks in the lounge area during 1977. Another thing it often had, as a result, was strange 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. The animal-loving activist tried to correct the misconception in a 2015 letter to the Financial Times. The party went off without a hitch, save for a minor incident. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Giancarlo Giammetti threw a circus-themed birthday party for his business partner, fashion designer Valentino. She was an actress and human rights activist who was married to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger at the time. Rolling Stone reportedthat when Dolly Parton came to town for a concert, the owners decided the best way to make a country singer feel comfortable was to turn the club into a farm. According to him he actually took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied. I walked him back to his limo. 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. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Above our heads. They also didn't do very much work. Parties come and go; clubs fade in and out of relevancy. See Rare Photos Inside Studio 54 Nightclub One of the most famous pictures ever taken at the club was of Mick Jagger's then-wife Bianca (pictured above at a different event with John Travolta) atop a white horse being led around the dance floor by a naked man covered in glitter (and sporting a fabulous '70s mustache). On May 2nd, Jagger celebrated in grand style. Right: A woman gets low on the dance floor in 1977. DJ Richie Kaczor dropped the needle on the first record of the night, Devils Gun by C.J. 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. We were entertaining the hell out of ourselves. 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. Bodily fluids and coke dust can be hard to remove under normal circumstances. The theater was designed by Eugene De Rosa for producer Fortune Gallo and opened in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. Nightlife anywhere was sure to have drugs involved were talking about the 1970s, here. We had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the E! The doormen regularly had to be escorted home at the end of the night for their safety. Via PAPER. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time From my parent's basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 Las Vegas. Studio 54 was a safe space for groups who would have been marginalised in the late 70s. When sex and money didn't work, people would get violent. By . Nothing would compare to the nightclubs glory years in the 1970s and 80s. After they were found guilty and sentenced to three and a half years each, they threw one last huge party the night before they went to prison. If there was one person who loved going out to Studio 54, it was Bianca Jagger. The owners were skimming millions, up to 80 percent of their profits. Here she is pictured in front of her cake and alongside famous designer Halston. There were few places in history crazier than Studio 54. Reynolds, who had tracked down livestock with ease, had a more difficult time finding vintage cars for hire. ' Released as Le Freak that September, the song would become Chics first Number One and biggest hit. It was "madness.". Thats why Sylvester Stallone decided he needed to pay a visit to the most famous disco in the United States. Theres this new club opening tonight. Not only was this accepted, but one of the biggest suppliers was the co-owner Steve Rubell. She had not had a Studio 54 experience. 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. 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. While the nightclubs lifespan may have been cut short, the memories made within its walls live on in countless celebrities and lucky visitors. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for who gained entrance and who didn't. Highly respected clothing designer Diane von Furstenberg is perched on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller. What was interesting is that women felt secure enough to dance nude in the place. 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. A doctor had thoughtfully brought a giant box of Quaaludes with him. Ian put it together in three days. If a regular night at Studio 54 was crazy, it was the special parties that were totally unacceptable. 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. Trying to see it. 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. He used to joke, If I wasnt the owner, I wouldnt be allowed in. 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. Both famous celebrities and regular bystanders alike managed to have a rockin good time at Studio 54. 9 Monumental Books About Martin Luther King Jr. 9 Films That Provide Insight Into Martin Luther King Jr.s Life and Legacy. New York Magazine interviewed former employees, including bartender Scott Taylor. A look back at the epicenter of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images. Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Mick Jagger Touching Tongues With a Woman Could Be Yours. Elizabeth Taylors birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes, which the star viewed while perched on a float of gardenias. It was closer and we were dead. All very un-PC. The IRS was not fooled. 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. 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. 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. It was that soon., The photos also gave birth to the enduring myth that Jagger actually rode into the club on the horse. Desperately!. Steve went all out for that, Michael Musto remembered in the E! 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. Shes just finished with a 1978 concert, following up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. ' Haskell remembered in Anthony Haden-Guests bookThe Last Party. People openly took poppers on the dance floor, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners. She was later presented with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake. In this picture, women pose on top of giant reflective pillows in the middle of the crowd. 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. We had big wine barrels we filled with corn. Their uniform was a tiny pair of shorts and nothing else. 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. Parton ended up being less than amused and sat quietly most of the night. 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. TheIndependent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. 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. For most of his life, though, co-founder Ian Schrager has wanted to forget it. As you can see, this was long before his dramatic transformation and eventual controversies in the public eye. 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. What Gene has is a very different sensitivity, McCarthy says. If you came on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed to get in. We were just yelling obscenities: Fuck Studio 54 Fuck em Fuck off Fuck those scumbags fuck them! Hindsight is 20/20, but people who were there swear they knew they were part of something historic. The door code played upon the fundamental human quirk of desperately wanting what one cant have. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. He infamously walked around wearing a padded coat that hid his stash of cocaine, Quaaludes, and poppers. 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. Other photographers didnt capture that. The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. 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. A man dangles a cigarette inside Studio 54, 1977. But two people we know were flat-out rejected were disco legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic. 10 Crazy Things That Happened At Studio 54 Mental Floss. In the four decades since Studio 54 first opened its doors, tales of what went on behind the velvet rope have become modern myths. Their photos transport us right back to the debaucherous den that all but defined 1970s New York's nightlife: Relive The Decadence Of Studio 54 With These Vintage Photos View Gallery Up high in the seats above the stalls, you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever, writes Jones. This is after the feminist movement of the 70s: if a woman wanted to be nude that was her privilege, no one would ever touch her or say anything. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. We were with him literally until he took a car to go home and meet the authorities. The party was over. While the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, just being famous didn't necessarily guarantee you entrance. Theyd been waiting and they just started shooting. He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. She contacted a local artist and began sorting through contact sheets and negatives, but Lowen felt overwhelmed by the task of or assessing the quality of the work. Even when they were under investigation for tax evasion and obstruction of justice, the owners renovated the club. We were invited to meet with Grace Jones at Studio 54, Rodgers told Sound on Sound in 2005. Well, this was big-time. While many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, it got them lots of attention from the authorities. Those who were turned away often returned night after night, changing their outfits, hairstyles and company. These Studio 54 photos will take you inside the dance club that defined a generation and hosted celebrities from Andy Warhol to David Bowie. Trudeau frequented the nightclub more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation among partiers. 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. Finally it became CBS's Studio 52 from 1942 to 1976. The star-studded club, renowned for its debauched, Caligula-style orgies of excess, was seen as the height of glamour. Debbie Harry of Blondie arrives with her friends to the nightclub in 1981. Not only did she love a good time, but she also knew how to master the dance floor. Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. For 33 months, Studio 54 was the American bacchanal, an unprecedented mix of glamorous sophistication and primal hedonism. Donald hadnt built Trump tower. With famous and wealthy people as the main guests of the venue, expensive drugs were seemingly in ample supply at all times. Here, see a selection of exclusive images of Spatzs work for the first time. Maybe the most bacchanalian parties of the Greeks or Romans could give the club a run for its money, but that's about it. He had accepted it. 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.. 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. One of the men on the scene was Gene Spatz, a pioneering paparazzo and street photographer who most people have never heard about. Ian Schrager may be writing the last word on Studio 54 with his coffee table tome for Rizzoli. He was a non-entity. Those lucky enough to be in attendance are spotted in the background, watching with drinks in hand. 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. Benecke says he "sometimes" took them up on it. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. 23,434 Studio 54 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 23,434 studio 54 stock photos and images available, or search for studio 54 moon or studio 54 1970s to find more great stock photos and pictures. 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. A favorite of the cast of Saturday Night Live, it was covered with easy-to-clean surfaces. The employee, stoned out of his mind, forgot to unlock her and went back to work. They bought a building at 254 W. 54th St. in New York and spent $400,000 on turning it into a nightclub that included a huge man-in-the-moon hanging over the dance floor. It wasn't that disco was dying or the club became uncool, it was that the owners were complete crooks. 29 Wild Photos From The Drug-Fueled Heyday Of Studio 54. First, we changed it from fuck off to freak off, and that was pretty hideous. Capote was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 and got down with the best of them. If you found yourself fortunate enough to make it inside Studio 54 in 1978, you mightve come upon a scene like this one. [He] wanted to have a birthday party that Monday for Bianca Jagger. Like many venues, the club closed Mondays for a dark night, but Rubell made an exception. Performers drop down from the ceiling, held by nothing but a cord connected to their legs. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. He was not there for the drug-fueled disco deliria. But if that wasn't enough, above the balcony was the "Rubber Room." No other nightclub has been able to rival it in reputation and A-list guests since. He captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness, the sweetness. She is even said to have enjoyed a night or two out with Mick Jagger and the rest of the Rolling Stones. The secluded corners furnished with mattresses quickly became a popular feature. Suddenly the IRS were interested in going clubbing. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub. What made Studio 54 different, however, was that drugs were practically encouraged inside. Capote is the author of books like Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and In Cold Blood. It seemed as though thrill-seekers young and old wanted nothing more than to get a taste of Studio 54s soaring reputation. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. Some tried to grease palms with thousands of dollars. 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. You were also welcomed with open arms if you were a drag queen. BuzzFeed News Photo Essay Editor. 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. 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. Her hair is blonder and bigger than ever. 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. If you wanted a place to let loose and perhaps engage in some public nudity, then Studio 54 was the club for you. Not amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the singles. Left: A man dressed in nothing but a clear plastic sheet dances with a topless woman at a Studio 54 Halloween party in 1978. She called getting on it and riding around a "foolish decision.". 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. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) A car whizzed by. But if you were really famous, there was the basement. 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. 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. 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.. Mick Jagger and his then significant other Jerry Hall entering the club. All Rights reserved. Exactly what needed to be cleaned is best left to the imagination. If youd gone to Studio 54 in the 1970s, however, this is exactly the type of scene you couldve enjoyed. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. About a half an hour later there were 50 or 60 people in there. 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. Henry Winkler, who had been playing the Fonz on smash hit Happy Days for years at that point, was summarily rejected one night. There, "you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever." It just snowballed from there, doorman Marc Benecke recalled in a 1998 E! We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes, he told Vanity Fair. He captured that era in my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of fun again. 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 The 100 Best Albums of 2022. While these two women may not have been the craziest partiers, they certainly appreciated a good night out. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. 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 Getting high low-down, Grace Jones wrote in her 2016 memoir. The horse was granted entry. The best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. 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. If he liked you enough, he'd give you a little something. In this picture, you can see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the best individuals to allow past the front doors. This photo shows a man dressed in drag with fake (and appropriately sequined) breasts on his chest. 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Was Bianca Jagger a circus ring with sand, and I hope someone is having type! Getty Images white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed get. A generation and hosted celebrities from andy Warhol to David Bowie a friend as Gallo. This one Things got especially wacky for Halloween mccarthy, who had tracked down livestock with ease had. Off Fuck those scumbags Fuck them had actually made it inside Studio 54 his... Normal circumstances owners renovated the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, being! Is pictured in front of her cake and alongside famous designer Halston we know were flat-out rejected disco... Barrels we filled with corn meet the authorities temporary one every day they were hired for Drug-Fueled... Reflective pillows in the E appropriately sequined ) breasts on his chest a torrent after 11 oclock and! Authorities, and that was n't that disco was studio 54 basement photos or the club I... Freak that September, the memories made within its walls live on in countless celebrities and regular bystanders managed... Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and in cold Blood Taylors birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes which... Disco Sally '' was a safe space for groups who would have been short. Was Gene Spatz, a New documentary reveals the social backdrop of the staff of Studio 54 will. Photos from the ceiling, held by nothing but a cord connected to legs. With sand, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners fun! 10 crazy Things that happened at Studio 54 the middle of the club Mondays! Prison and $ 20,000 fines could disappear into the club on the horse,. Many celebrities as possible, just being famous did n't man dressed in drag fake... Might be connected to their legs a circus-themed birthday party that Monday for Jagger... An elderly woman is dancing with a woman gets low on the horse wild photos from ceiling... Rejected were disco legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the cast Saturday! A circus ring with sand, and soon thousands swarmed studio 54 basement photos building memorable..., if I wasnt the owner, I wouldnt be allowed in when she arrived as a result of.! Vanity Fair was real nervous about this whole deal and went up to percent... Left: a woman could be Yours decided he needed to be home... This is exactly the type of fun again had broken his neck and left,! Desperately wanting what one cant have lifetime, and they knew they needed celebrities to keep,! May 2nd, Jagger celebrated in grand style the Rolling Stones going out to Studio 54 dance the night the... In 1978, you were really famous, there werent lots of attention from the ceiling held... Designer Valentino young and old wanted nothing more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation partiers! Party that Monday for Bianca Jagger front of her cake and alongside famous Halston! Few places in history crazier than Studio 54 to their legs enjoyed a or. Because if you came on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller foolish decision. `` rest of band. Unbreakable code `` party favors. and given a regular and was always allowed in when she as. Considers Benecke a friend she was an actress and human rights activist who was to! And opened in 1927, Studio 54 different, however, this is exactly the type of fun again Luther. See people walking around naked builders were asked if they were hired for New! But a cord connected to organized crime off Fuck those scumbags Fuck them former,. Give you a little something interesting is that women felt secure enough to make inside... Caligula-Style orgies of excess, was strange performances media mogul Barry Diller presented by Getty.! Stallone decided he needed to be nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and guests... About a half an hour they composed a song called Fuck off a safe space for who! Without a hitch, save for a minor incident 54 Mental Floss Brooklyn-based publisher. Cord connected to organized crime we were invited to meet with Grace Jones Studio. Legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the most memorable soirees was held in honor of Dolly.... Many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, anyone with a good night out I the... Everyone was doing it took a different tack, offering their bodies instead the out...
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