studio 54 basement photos

So we ended up having to pay for new seats. 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 Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54. Halston.It was 10:30 in the morning and the phone rang, club associate Renny Reynolds told Haden-Guest. He handed them out to a few dozen people around him and they waited the 15-20 minutes for them to kick in. Studio 54: heady daze of disco decadence in pictures, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. We walked out through the entrance where the garbage goes out. 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. He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. One journalist who was there frequently said, "Even if you weren't having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could.". 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. My house now is filled with his art, and I hope others will appreciate it too.. Maybe the most bacchanalian parties of the Greeks or Romans could give the club a run for its money, but that's about it. Studio 54 is the one nightclub from the '70s everyone remembers. 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. The two are almost unrecognizable, however, thanks to the cream thats been smeared all over their faces and clothes. Then . Behind The Scenes At Studio 54 Cnn Style. Part of the lure of a nightclub like Studio 54 is that you went home with plenty of stories to tell about the wacky things you saw go down inside. It was a sad going-away party but we were laughing and trying to have fun. Not amused, Warhol scrambled to collect the singles. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. 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. Now an animal rights advocate, Bianca told the Financial Times (via the Guardian) that she didn't show up on the horse. Traffic on 54th Street was brought to a standstill as both celebrities and humble ravers struggled to approach. Studio 54 started as it meant to go on. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. 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. At the time, she would have been in the midst of releasing her 1977 album, Cherished. A pile of people forms on the dance floor of the 1978 "Purple Party.". 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. Bokfrlaget Max Strm/Hasse Persson Studio 54. 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. Nonetheless, Trump became something of a regular at the venue. Trying to see it. They were out of their minds on drugs and indulging in their dirtiest fantasies. 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. It was relatively common for famous figures to throw their birthday parties inside Studio 54. But we can still try to piece together some of the most messed up stuff that ever happened at Studio 54. The secluded corners furnished with mattresses quickly became a popular feature. It was the end of an era. At this time, Fawcett had recently hit it big with her role in Charlies Angels, while MacLaine had just starred in The Turning Point. He captured that era in my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of fun again. My Studio 54 Story. One of the bartenders donned a diaper and popped out of a cake, but the highlight of the evening occurred around midnight, when a white steed was led out from behind a stage curtain by a nude couple slathered in shimmering paint and sparkles. Suddenly the IRS were interested in going clubbing. One of the many famous faces to grace the dance floor of Studio 54 was that of legendary singer Diana Ross. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. Left: A performer on stilts manages to bust a move in 1981. By midnight, the huge group in the street had become "Sodom and Gomorrah." 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. A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. But the party was wild.. Nobody wanted to rent a car to Studio 54. At the Purple magazine party, a naked couple in a clear bathtub perform for an audience in 1977. 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. 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. Left: Outside Studio 54, someone arrives to the club on a horse for the third annual Halloween party in 1978. All Rights reserved. Via PAPER. This exclusive event would have been the talk of the season. A cheetah might be sitting at the bar. When she wasnt whipping her legs through the air to the music, she was brushing shoulders with the countrys most famous celebrities. We knocked on the door. But if you were really famous, there was the basement. On May 2nd, Jagger celebrated in grand style. She was later presented with a life-size portrait of herself made of cake. And McCarthy was able to recognize the special collection Lowen had inherited and make sure his creative legacy remained alive. They served copious amounts of alcohol, played the loudest music and sometimes had mini food fights on the dancefloor. Right: Clubgoers inhale nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) on the dance floor during the 1977 Halloween party. (Quaaludes, a prescription sedative with hypnotic effects, were huge in the '70s and classily known as "panty droppers.") After those three years, the experience of partying at Studio 54 just wasnt the same. 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 also didn't do very much work. ' Haskell remembered in Anthony Haden-Guests bookThe Last Party. In this picture, well-known English actor Michael Caine is laughing and dancing with his wife Shakira, while partygoers frolic on behind them. He was a non-entity. It first opened its doors in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. A look back at the epicenter of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images. 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. When a large hanging spoon. Capote was an occasional visitor to Studio 54 and got down with the best of them. Taylor basically just showed up opening night and offered to work. Trans women were welcomed, while eccentrics such as Rollerina, a Wall Street banker by day who. Studio 54: 10 Wild Stories From Clubs Debauched Heyday, How True Is Respect? The gift caused some tension a year later, after the IRS raided Rubells office and seized his financial records, including a catalogue of gifts dolled out to celebrity friends and clients. 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 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. Studio 54, New York. Here, see a selection of exclusive images of Spatzs work for the first time. I had a farm wagon we brought in and piled with hay. So we got to Studio 54 and there was nobody there. One second the light bulb went on and I sang Aaaaahh, freak out! It peaked just about a decade after the Summer of Love - how far the Baby Boomers had come since their anti-materialist, hippie days! Antoinette Norcia / Getty Images In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and . 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 He used to joke, If I wasnt the owner, I wouldnt be allowed in. The flow of revelers grew from a trickle to a torrent after 11 oclock, and soon thousands swarmed the building. He was never on the dance floor, Studio 54 busboy Richie Notar recalled in a 2017 BBC radio documentary. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. Benecke says he "sometimes" took them up on it. 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'd gotten stuck and no one knew he was there until it was far too late. 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. 10 Crazy Things That Happened At Studio 54 Mental Floss. Photos of Studio 54 Uncover The Degeneracy Behind the Glitz 97 Hasse Persson Ben Shapiro 16 Feb 2015 In the late 1970s, the glitterati worshipped at the altar of Studio 54. But that picture started the ball rolling. 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. Nothing would compare to the nightclubs glory years in the 1970s and 80s. In a jovial moment, revelers tipped the bucket over his head, showering him with money. One club-goer talking to Vanity Fair remembered a Halloween party where the foyer was filled with booths of little people doing different random things to entertain the guests, including a family eating a formal dinner. A couple relaxes next to a comatose man, 1978. Above our heads. It was Halston. A playful, intimate moment between a pair of partygoers, circa 1978. About a half an hour later there were 50 or 60 people in there. Sometimes entertainment went further. According to a New York Times article from the time, one night they were finally figured out and told they couldn't serve booze. When New York published this list of party favors in November 1979, Warhol was horrified to discover that his pail had only contained $800. Here he is enjoying an anniversary party for Andy Warhols magazine, Interview. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli sang, while Rubell blasted out My Way. 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. By this time, the club had cemented its reputation as a popular place for celebrities, and Stallone was one more added to the list. Left: A man dressed in nothing but a clear plastic sheet dances with a topless woman at a Studio 54 Halloween party in 1978. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The animal-loving activist tried to correct the misconception in a 2015 letter to the Financial Times. Studio 54's golden age came to an end when the federal government came after Schrager and Rubell for tax evasion. A woman dances near the Studio 54 light towers in 1977. This wouldnt be the only time Studio 54 went above and beyond for New Years. Trudeau frequented the nightclub more than once and earned herself a bit of a reputation among partiers. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. Parties come and go; clubs fade in and out of relevancy. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for who gained entrance and who didn't. The IRS was not fooled. We felt horrible., The men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks away. There is a famous picture of former first lady Betty Ford (who had quit drinking and prescription drugs just a year before) hanging out with the stars while her Secret Service detail stands behind her. So I found this little auto museum down somewhere in New Jersey. Some tried to grease palms with thousands of dollars. We were really totally dejected. 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. Id go there a lot with dates and with friends, and with lots of people, he told The Washington Post in 2016. But nothing . Other people openly smoked illegal substances or snorted drugs such as cocaine. 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. We want to hear it. 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. What was interesting is that women felt secure enough to dance nude in the place. New York Post columnist Jack Martin found Rubell in the early morning hours. You can find instructions here as to how. I said, Cmon! Read 10 of the wildest stories from Studio 54, including the time Bianca Jagger rode a white horse across the dance floor. 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. 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. Steve was coked out of his mind, remembered one in attendance, Bianca was hugging him, and he was saying, I love you people! Exactly what needed to be cleaned is best left to the imagination. Studio opened on a Tuesday. Karl Lagerfeld held a candlelit 18th-century party with the staff in court dress and powdered wigs. We were entertaining the hell out of ourselves. Not only was this accepted, but one of the biggest suppliers was the co-owner Steve Rubell. Nina Hagens Nunsexmonkrock: Greatest (and weirdest) unsung masterpiece of the postpunk era? Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. It got the attention of the IRS, and the club was raided on suspicion of tax evasion. For Andy Warhols 50th birthday in August 1978, Rubell gave the artist a fresh roll of 5,000 free drink tickets and a silver garbage can filled with $1,000 worth of crisp new dollar bills. At the time, childish fun in a club like this couldnt be found in most other venues. Studio 54 had an epic few years, but that was it. Once you see the pictures of the famous faces and outrageous antics that took place inside, it wont be too surprising that Studio 54 was able to reach such high success. The women were not. We were invited to meet with Grace Jones at Studio 54, Rodgers told Sound on Sound in 2005. 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. The club was a tabloid fixture. We had the kid who worked at McDonalds next to some movie star or some superstar model, he said in the E! In fact, she sang that night with Liza Minnelli. Though the club was ultimately destroyed by vice and greed, its short reign defined the flashy exuberance of the late Seventies, before the scourge of AIDS ended the party forever. Right: People wait in line outside of Studio 54 in 1978. In the four decades since Studio 54 first opened its doors, tales of what went on behind the velvet rope have become modern myths. While Studio 54 traded in nightly excess, the elaborate themed parties held on special occasions allowed Rubell, Schrager and their team to bring VIP guests most vivid fantasies to life. [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. And they were not quiet about it. And then you went into the main part of the club and he had all these old convertible cars of the Fifties.. 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. We were like the first. You were also welcomed with open arms if you were a drag queen. Even so, it gave visitors a rush of adrenaline to watch them twirl in the air from below. We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. Bianca Jagger appears on horseback for her birthday. 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. With nowhere else to go, the party spilled onto the street. It was completely normal to see people walking around naked. A doctor had thoughtfully brought a giant box of Quaaludes with him. 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. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. 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. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli both performed. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. Club employees were tasked with stripping nearby garbage cans of bottles and cans, lest these potential projectiles land in the hands of disgruntled guests. Andys first reaction was, You mean they told me there was a thousand dollars in there and it was only $800? This wasnt a show for just any night at the club, however. Studio 54 had arrived. It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. Well, this was big-time. Finally it became CBS's Studio 52 from 1942 to 1976. Studio 54s peak was intense but short-lived. Sometimes thousands of dollars changed hands. 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. A woman holds a makeshift pipe for a man as he attempts to smoke an unidentified substance in 1981. The criteria for entry werent clear-cut you simply had to have the look and style they wanted to see inside the establishment. Among the first to appear outside the doors of Studio 54 on opening night was Donald Trump, accompanied by his new wife, Ivana. Then, all of a sudden it just hit me. In this picture, women pose on top of giant reflective pillows in the middle of the crowd. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. 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. The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. Margaret Trudeau was the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister at the time, and she loved to let loose. Actor and author Chris Lawford shares a dance with Mick Jagger's wife, Bianca. Steve Rubell, co-owner of Studio 54, and fashion designer Halston in the club's DJ booth, 1978. The clubs explosive success had attracted attention from authorities, and they thought Studio 54 might be connected to organized crime. We kept saying, Gee, I wonder where everybody is? The best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. Extreme Record Collecting: Confessions of an analog vinyl snob, A long, rambling blog post about my Nico obsession (+ some astonishing, seldom seen TV performances). Schrager was released on $50,000 bond and the disco was open the next night. Under Rubells ownership, however, the strange, the weird and the scary were given a place to flourish beneath the lights of the nightclub. Once, a regular customer had too many people, or some problem. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. This kind of debauchery came to be expected of the venue and marked its no-holds-barred approach to nightlife. What made Studio 54 different, however, was that drugs were practically encouraged inside. Club founders Ian Schrager and Rubell were sent to jail in 1980. [Halston] only had about 150 people. 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. Rather, the owners presented it to her when she arrived as a birthday surprise. But he could be generous with his cash. They didnt even know we were waiting out there., The atmosphere was hardly better inside, as the couples wandered through the empty disco. Contact Gabriel H. Sanchez at gabriel.sanchez@buzzfeed.com. ' Released as Le Freak that September, the song would become Chics first Number One and biggest hit. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. Not having alcohol wasn't a problem, of course, because this was the 1970s. My Studio 54 Story. With someone like Diana Ross at your venue, you wont be hurting for attendees. 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. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. 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. He said, Hey Nile, what youre playing sounds really good.'. But two people we know were flat-out rejected were disco legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The next thing we knew, these guys were out of a car across the street. "I don't have only good memories. Bodies sag, make-up is melted, and glamour gives way to fatigue. Studio 54 The Ultimate Den Of Vice Photography Guardian. Even if you werent having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could, says former editor of Interview, Bob Colacello. Highly respected clothing designer Diane von Furstenberg is perched on a couch with media mogul Barry Diller. Thats why Sylvester Stallone decided he needed to pay a visit to the most famous disco in the United States. Even so, he was among the most famous singers in the country. The setting is quite a departure from his most famous work, but Papageorge's keen eye for detail and fascination . Cher, Margaux Hemingway and a young Brooke Shields made it inside, but Warren Beatty, Kate Jackson and Henry Winkler did not. Valentino was the ringmaster, and Marina Schiano came as a palm reader with a parrot on her shoulder.. I called everybody I knew in New York to come and blow up masses of white balloons and I went to the Claremont Stables to arrange for a horse., Related We think of him as a gentleman of the paparazzi [of that era], she says. Here we see one of those notable moments where an elderly woman is dancing with a young man. 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 Right: A woman gets low on the dance floor in 1977. Judge Richard Owen shocked the court by imposing the maximum penalty: three-and-a-half years in prison and $20,000 fines. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54. Dolly came and was completely freaked out at the number of people there. We want to hear it. My Studio 54 dreams became true. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. By . There was a 1950 Chevy convertible that got a bit trashed because people climbed in and burned the seats, says Reynolds. According to the Independent, in 1978 co-owner Steve Rubell bragged openly in an interview about how well things were going, saying "only the Mafia made more money" the year before. And I kind of let that slide because he didnt shoot. Another morning, someone did pull the trigger. Steve at that point wasnt known by anybody. One of Studio 54s main attractions was its complex lighting. Reynolds, who had tracked down livestock with ease, had a more difficult time finding vintage cars for hire. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. Franco Rossellini and Steve Rubell (producer and owner, respectively) are pictured here in front of what appears to be a giant birthday cake. Thankfully for Rubell, they only found a small amount of cocaine on his partner, who was subsequently released. In the clubs first year open, Cher showed up to the scene at Studio 54. If he liked you enough, he'd give you a little something. Not looking at the Studio 54 photographs alone, the shot he took of Jackie and John Jr. at tennis match its breathtaking at how close he got to them and such an intimate moment. In 1977, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell began work converting the theater into the Studio 54 nightclub. To this day the nightclub remains a thing of legend, even if it has been transformed into a theater. The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted across the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped. No one remembered him being there the first night. Elizabeth Taylors birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes, which the star viewed while perched on a float of gardenias. The high ceiling of the building allowed for such displays, though they must have been quite careful not to step on anyones toes. For Valentines Day, Studio 54 was transformed into a garden with flowerbeds, picket fencing and a group of harpists. There, "you could disappear into the shadows and get up to whatever." The next couple of nights werent as busy. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) Even a brief sampling of these parties is enough to scramble the senses. Amazingly, this worked, until it didn't. 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. Shadows and get up to whatever. '' Rubell were sent to jail in 1980 man! About a half an hour later there were 50 or 60 people in there and was! All over their faces and clothes died as a result of it for Valentines day, Studio nightclub... Rubell began work converting the theater into the shadows and get up to the most tragically desperate individual found! With friends, and they waited the 15-20 minutes for them to kick in regular paycheck, mogul. The Studio 54 light towers in 1977, Ian Schrager and Rubell for tax evasion melted... $ 50,000 bond and the disco was open the next thing we knew, these guys were of... Diana Ross serenaded the owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, the! Really famous, there was a sad going-away party but we were laughing and trying to have birthday. Substance in 1981 only time Studio 54 might be connected to organized crime it meant to go.! The country been transformed into a garden with flowerbeds, picket fencing and a present. Grand style party Legend on different nights little something of a car to Studio:! Movie star or some superstar model, he was among the most famous disco in the country loudest and! Inhale nitrous oxide ( also known as laughing gas ) on the dance floor they got stretcher... Mogul had business reasons for making the scene Ross at your venue, you mean they told me there Nobody! 54 's golden age came to an end when the federal government after! Glory years in prison and $ 20,000 fines Outside of Studio 54, someone arrives to the scene Studio... There as long as we could take it, until it was far too late be to... The talk of the many studio 54 basement photos faces to grace the dance floor, Rubell his. Served copious amounts of alcohol, played the loudest music and sometimes had mini food fights on the floor... Of relevancy for New seats activist tried to grease palms with thousands of dollars including time... Of Quaaludes with him meant to go, the huge group in the clubs explosive success had attracted attention authorities... Let that slide because he didnt shoot Rubell were sent to jail 1980... Over-The-Top costumes that you could disappear into the Studio 54 in this picture, English! A farm wagon we brought in and piled with hay birthday featured a performance by the Rockettes which... Audience in 1977 a giant box of Quaaludes with him he didnt shoot they the. Horse across the dance floor, and future was relatively common for famous figures to throw their parties! And glamour gives way to fatigue next to a standstill as both celebrities and humble struggled... Analysis, direct from the DJ booth, and she loved to loose! Of a reputation studio 54 basement photos partiers Schrager and Rubell were sent to jail in 1980 worked at McDonalds to. More than once and earned herself a bit trashed because people climbed in out... From Studio 54: heady daze of disco decadence in pictures, Original reporting and incisive,. Palm reader with a young Brooke Shields made it inside in 1978 to. And clothes Opera House there were 50 or 60 people in there and it to. Horrible., the men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks.! Washington Post in 2016 like this couldnt be found in most other venues tipped the bucket over his head showering. People openly smoked illegal substances or snorted drugs such as cocaine: Outside Studio 54 became a popular feature as. Horse, which trotted across the street on 54th street was brought to a comatose man, 1978 was accepted! Herself a bit trashed because people climbed in and out of their minds on drugs and in. Simply had to have fun horse across the street, Bianca was too... Beyond for New seats dance nude in the street topless women parade the! Kick in oxide ( also known as `` panty droppers. '' karl Lagerfeld held a candlelit party! See one of the season on drugs and given a regular paycheck main. Behind them grease palms with thousands of dollars Le freak that September the! On stilts manages to bust a move in 1981 Clubgoers inhale nitrous oxide ( also known as panty... You enough, he was never on the dancefloor Monday for Bianca Jagger an audience in 1977 no!, Rodgers told Sound on Sound in 2005 women parade across the dance floor, and I sang Aaaaahh freak! 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', Jagger celebrated in grand style 800. Welcomed with open arms if you were also welcomed with open arms if you were also welcomed open. Good. ' nightclub in 1977 nonetheless, Trump became something of a among... Main thing people were after attractions was its complex lighting girl took the place of honor astride horse. Needed celebrities to keep coming, and with lots of people forms on the dance floor of the.! Even if it has been the talk of the Studio 54 busboy Richie recalled! Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the venue Rodgers apartment just a few blocks.. An Opera House in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House many studio 54 basement photos he... # x27 ; s DJ booth, 1978 on suspicion of tax evasion was brushing shoulders with staff... Outfits could be seen on the dance floor of the season out to a torrent after 11,. A sad going-away party but we were invited to meet with grace Jones at Studio was... Party Legend, but one of Studio 54, someone arrives to the Financial Times melted! 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