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. Dancer Rudolf Nureyev initiates nine-year-old Ricky Schroder into the delights of disco dancing at Studio 54 in New York on Sunday, April 2, 1979. Liza Minnelli and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Frontman for Sly and the Family Stone in a flashy ensemble. Studio 54 is known for having been one of the world's most high-profile, exclusive discotheques during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Tabs gifs by your friend Martini Ambassador. When youre a wealthy celebrity, youre going to want to have the best of the best. Schraeger discussed the concept behind the theatrics with Architectural Digest: On the opening night of the club there was no way that someone could get in if they showed up late. One of the men on the scene was Gene Spatz, a pioneering paparazzo and street photographer who most people have never heard about. Cold hard cash, baby, even professional provocateur Andy Warhol. The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. It was a mix of gay, straight, rich and poor . It happens to the best of us. One of the many famous faces to grace the dance floor of Studio 54 was that of legendary singer Diana Ross. Those lucky enough to be in attendance are spotted in the background, watching with drinks in hand. This photo shows a man dressed in drag with fake (and appropriately sequined) breasts on his chest. Many of the staff of Studio 54 including Rubell died as a result of it. After those three years, the experience of partying at Studio 54 just wasnt the same. People came back time and again during the life of Studio 54 for this openness and acceptance. After the arrests of Rubell and Schrager a list of party favors (their code for drugs or anything illicit) that went into the Studio 54s official books was printed in November 1979, Warhol was shocked to find out that the trash can only had $800, not $1,000. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. It wasnt just a place to get your rocks off and dance, it was free publicity. He told NY Mag that Steve Rubell wanted to have a bunch of hot, gay bartenders working the club, and because of that most of them spent their time working and not doing their jobs - which is how Taylor managed to keep his. 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. Owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager transformed a former TV studio into a nightclub that hosted extravagant theme parties for the crme de la crme - which included everyone from celebrities to street corner legends. This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. Enjoy these Studio 54 photos? Showing Editorial results for studio 54. Off the dance floor, people mingle over drinks in the lounge area during 1977. On finding Studio 54s books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. Diana Ross, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Cher, Truman Capote, and Andy Warhol were all among its regulars, but Studio 54 was more than a celebrity hotspot and beacon of New York nightlife. But at Studio 54, the party was just getting started. Co-owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were arrested for skimming more than $2 million from the club. Andy Warhol once said "It's a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor." Studio 54 had an intense door rule that made it hard for people to get in regardless of who you were. And, who can forget the iconic image of Bianca Jagger riding a white horse through the clubs entrance? Noted wild child Drew Barrymore has lived more lifetimes than anyone should, and pretty much all of them are cool. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. 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. For major actresses like these, visiting Studio 54 was a must while in New York City. Drugs, drinks, and disco -- Studio 54 had it all. Who knows if that's really what Warhol meant to do? This meant plenty of people were rejected at the door, and plenty more stood in lines outside waiting to be appraised. This wasnt a show for just any night at the club, however. For the younger generations who might not know, Elizabeth Taylor was a star like no other during her time. All of that pent up stress can make someone blow a valve, Studio 54 served as a way for people to escape; it was the perfect place for someone to cut loose as long as they could get through the door. 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. A lot of people had to work together to make the night a success, from DJs to lightning technicians to the people who designed the sound system. Take a closer look and see why these rare photos are still discussed decades later! The rise and fall of Studio 54 happened as if an unseen force was holding down the fast forward button on the clubs success. In this picture, you can see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the best individuals to allow past the front doors. 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. He had . Diana Ross, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Cher, Truman Capote and Andy Warhol were all among its regulars, but Studio 54 was more than a celebrity hotspot and beacon of New York nightlife. Before the co-owners went to jail they threw a party to end all parties called The End of Modern-Day Gomorrah. They only invited a small crowd of about 2,000 revelers many of them A-list celebrities. Rubell and his partner Ian Schrager created a living fantasy in the club, but it cost a lot of money to get off the ground. May 14, 2021. The club was his concept of 15 minutes of fame to the extreme. Right: A costumed partygoer hits the dance floor in 1981. Studio 54s peak was intense but short-lived. Thats right the King of Pop did indeed attend a gathering or two at Studio 54. The photographic work of Dustin PIttman -- the focus of this feature . The two had funneled nearly $3 million in less than two years. In an interview with The Guardian Blondie singer Debbie Harry tried to set the record straight about how often she went to Studio 54. Typical of the late 70s, the two are smoking. People at Studio 54 dance the night away during the 1978. The photographer that captured the disco and diamond dust of legendary club Studio 54. While that was a Monday night, the clubs one evening off, they made an exception for the actress and rock star wife. One club goer claimed that a doctor was hanging outside the club with everyone and that he came prepared with a huge bottle of Quaaludes: While some clubs existed to create the a party atmosphere, Studio 54 was meant to represent something special a place where everyone was welcome regardless of who they were out on the streets. The dancers kept throwing their coats at the workers and the ticketing system stopped working altogether. He told NY Mag: New Years Eve in New York City is a sacred night of partying that can take dancers on a journey, and one New Years Eve party at Studio 54 was the ultimate way to begin a new year. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. Once inside people were allowed to be whoever they wanted to be, cutting loose and grooving with everyone, it was the place to go when someone needed to escape. 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. In this 1978 picture, crowds line up for entry into Manhattan's renowned disco and nightclub Studio 54, located at 254 West 54th Street. 29 Pictures That Show Just How Insane Studio 54 Really Was. If you came on a white horse, with almost no clothes on, you were guaranteed to get in. A look back at the epicenter of NYC nightlife, presented by Getty Images. Relive some of Studio 54's most classic nights in the gallery above. 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. Even if you werent having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could, says former editor of Interview, Bob Colacello. Come anytime you like, and youll get in. After the invitation she became an institution and showed up whenever she was free. The clubs former publicist explained: It looks that in order to become an NFU a celebrity had to be so hot that it would be a huge mistake to not have them in the club. They told Vanity Fair. Full of rollerskating Wall Street Bankers, tabloid fixtures and postwar frivolity, a new documentary reveals the social backdrop of the famous club. Myra Scheer, an employee and frequent visitor to the club explained: One of the regulars at the club was Liz Taylor, the star of films like Cleopatra and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and when she decided that she wanted to have her birthday party at Studio 54 she had one very specific request - she wanted the whole place filled with flowers. Date: 11/03/1979. Club founders Ian Schrager and Rubell were sent to jail in 1980. Here we see one of those notable moments where an elderly woman is dancing with a young man. Instead, they used architects who designed popular restaurants, lighting people who worked on Broadway shows, and for sound they used people who were used to more underground clubs. Capote is the author of books like Other Voices, Other Rooms, Breakfast at Tiffanys and In Cold Blood. New York Daily News Archive / Getty Images. That all changed when Bianca Jagger - Mick Jaggers wife at the time - decided to have her birthday party at the club on May 2, 1977. Schrager said: The scene outside of the club could get nasty. Onlookers say that he was always dressed up and ready to get down. Left: A dancer is swept into a spectrum of lights during 1978. On finding Studio 54's books, it was discovered that a skim was in operation on up to 80% of the profits. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. However, the notorious New York City nightclub encountered a fair share of obstacles while party-goers ravaged the dance floor . Doormen didnt let just anyone inside, but if you were lucky, you could get into the club without having connections in high places. A party was staged the night before their sentences began. The photos left over tell a story of a place where absolutely nothing was off limits. He captured that era in my lifetime, and I hope someone is having that type of fun again. After the tragedy of the Vietnam War and the distrust of the Nixon administration people just wanted to go out and forget about their troubles. Being a spouse to legendary partier Jagger, its no wonder she enjoyed a good get-together herself. Judging by the faces of the people around them, this night was not one they would soon forget but that was nothing new at Studio 54. Schrager explained the concept to Vanity Fair: In order to keep things fresh inside the club, the co-owners often put together a series of theme nights. As a mood-boosting tonic, and at a time when our festive calendars have been curtailed by social-distancing measures, Vogue delves into Studio 54s world of excess and extravagance. The young entertainer captured outside the club. 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 two are engaged in intimate conversation and posed in a relaxed manner, with Furstenbergs stiletto-clad foot thrust over the edge of the seat. Left: Outside Studio 54, someone arrives to the club on a horse for the third annual Halloween party in 1978. 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. 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. They ransacked the place, went through the offices, and the clubs safe. 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. In the 2018 documentary about Studio 54, footage of Rubell shows the co-owner discussing how one night he simply thought to place velvet ropes outside the club that revelers instinctively got in line. People spilled into the streets, they poured over the police barricades and they caused a traffic jam that was so bad that it supposedly kept Frank Sinatras limo from coming within walking distance from the club. A pile of people forms on the dance floor of the 1978 "Purple Party.". These photos show what really happened at Studio 54, with celebrities like Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, and Andy Warhol leading the way. Other photographers didnt capture that. However even if you were a regular before walking onto the dance floor proper you had to pass through the coat check area where all of the sound funneled through. Rather than just put her on the payroll, Horowitz worked on a sliding scale that rated celebrities. 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Desktop_Feed_Center1_728x90_Top, 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Mobile_Feed_Center2_300x250, 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Mobile_Feed_Center3_300x250, 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Desktop_Feed_Center2_728x90, 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Desktop_Feed_Center3_728x90, 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Desktop_Feed_Center4_728x90, 322166814/iacpl-test.www.ask.com/Ask_Desktop_Feed_Center5_728x90, The Top Reasons to Get an Amazon Prime Video Subscription, Longtime Lovebirds: 14 Inspiring Hollywood Relationships. Shes just finished with a 1978 concert, following up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. He had a kind camera. I have not seen a picture that Gene took that would have embarrassed anybody even though he was with people doing very strange things.. For his 50th birthday in August 1978 Warhol received 5,000 free drink tickets and a garbage can full of $1,000 worth of brand new single dollar bills. Giancarlo Giammetti told Vanity Fair that it only took a few days for the crew to get everything ready for a circus themed party: When Studio 54 first opened it was a way for the people of Manhattan to cut loose and do whatever they wanted. More like this An Ultimate Guide To The Music Of . It took owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager just six weeks to . 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.Even after the original owners went to prison for skimming millions of dollars, the club . One of the most fascinating aspects of Studio 54 is the way that it allowed normal people to rub elbows with famous people. According to bartender Scott Taylor, there were only a few bartenders doing the work of an army. When Studio 54 closed two years later, on Feb. 4, 1980, Diana Ross was there to serenade owners Rubell and Schrager with one final song. Left: A performer on stilts manages to bust a move in 1981. A-list celebrities were just one of the appeals of Studio 54, there were also cult celebrities who were the lifeblood of the underground party scene. MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. A woman in a bustier and garters finds her partner the "punk" behind her, at Studio 54's 1977 Halloween party. There was an anything goes attitude to sex at Studio 54. 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. Even though the club was considered a spooky place it could provide moments of levity. (The pair later married but not until 2001). 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. While many clubgoers enjoyed this aspect of Studio 54, it got them lots of attention from the authorities. 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. She explained: There was always something crazy happening at Studio 54, whether it was snowing, or there was a bridge for dancers to use so they could groove in the air, it was. Studio 54 produced many star-studded photo opportunities. Studio 54, both the interior and the street outside, allowed people to dance off their problems and be apart of something at the same time. They finally just started throwing coats on the floor and no one got them back. 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