At this time, Fawcett had recently hit it big with her role in Charlies Angels, while MacLaine had just starred in The Turning Point. The brainchild of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the club opened in a onetime CBS soundstage on April 26th, 1977, and immediately became the epicenter of nightlife in New York City and the world. The party went off without a hitch, save for a minor incident. It got the attention of the IRS, and the club was raided on suspicion of tax evasion. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time The hottest celebrities and wildest outfits could be seen on the dance floor, and illicit substances flowed freely among partiers. She avoided the task of assessing what she had in her possession for nearly a decade until she began to unearth her brothers forgotten treasures. New York Post columnist Jack Martin found Rubell in the early morning hours. PHOTOS: Newly Released Studio 54 Collection Offers Rare Glimpse Into A Party Legend. In the aftermath of the Vietnam war, Rubell said people were tired of being serious everyone went out and went wild. Above our heads. She is seen here in colorful 70s makeup, big hair and a risque lace top. 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. The nightclub threw an annual Halloween party and expected guests to wear the most shocking, over-the-top costumes that you could think of. 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. Photographer Gene Spatz captured celebrities including John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger at the iconic New York City 1970s nightclub. 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. A car whizzed by. Other people openly smoked illegal substances or snorted drugs such as cocaine. 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 It wasnt just the celebrities known to enjoy partying who indulged in a night out at Studio 54. Oh, I knew I should have counted it, wrote Warhols colleague Bob Colacello in his memoir. 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. Studio 54 is immensely interesting just in terms of a sociological perspective. At this point, the club had been closed down and reopened under new ownership. 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. 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. The club also had doves and a snake present for visitors on different nights. 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. In 1973, upon the publication of the SoHo Weekly News, Tannenbaum became their Photo Editor and Chief Photographer covering the New York City art, music, politics, show business, and nightlife scene until 1982.In this capacity, he took thousands of pictures of events and icons such as Jack Nicholson . A pair of topless women parade across the dance floor during Folies Bergre night, circa 1977. 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. One guy fell and had to be stretchered away. This photo shows a man dressed in drag with fake (and appropriately sequined) breasts on his chest. You can find instructions here as to how. With someone like Diana Ross at your venue, you wont be hurting for attendees. A man wears a gold costume, eyeliner, and a headdress while dancing. Not only did she love a good time, but she also knew how to master the dance floor. Its immersive atmosphere and coveted location on West 54th street in Manhattan made the spot an instant hit. But soon the crowd started to build to ridiculous proportions. The animal-loving activist tried to correct the misconception in a 2015 letter to the Financial Times. But that picture started the ball rolling. 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. This guy got stuck in the vent trying to get in, Jones confirmed. 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. ' Even so, would-be patrons often took rejection badly. 10 Crazy Things That Happened At Studio 54 Mental Floss. In 1977, at the height of the disco craze, the Studio 54 nightclub opened . 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. She was an actress and human rights activist who was married to Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger at the time. With nowhere else to go, the party spilled onto the street. From my parent's basement to VIP Host at Studio 54 Las Vegas. He'd gotten stuck and no one knew he was there until it was far too late. The couple had been enjoying dinner a short time earlier with socialite Nikki Haskell and her date at the iconic Upper East Side eatery Elaines. Steven Stills is playing the drum, and 300 other people are in attendance. One of Studio 54s main attractions was its complex lighting. Read 10 of the wildest stories from Studio 54, including the time Bianca Jagger rode a white horse across the dance floor. Originally opened as an opera house in 1927, Studio 54 became a popular nightclub in 1977. This photograph offers a glimpse into New Years Eve at Studio 54. And finally it hit Bernard. Parton ended up being less than amused and sat quietly most of the night. We had big wine barrels we filled with corn. 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. In this picture, Robin Williams is with his then-wife Valerie Velardi and Studio 54s own Santa Claus. Nearby trash cans always had to be emptied of bottles and other things that could become dangerous projectiles. A nearly naked couple dances together on top of a speaker at the club's first Halloween party in 1977. 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 best people, from Baryshnikov to Jacqueline Bisset, Schrager recalled in a 1996 Vanity Fair profile. To this day the nightclub remains a thing of legend, even if it has been transformed into a theater. This exclusive event would have been the talk of the season. It was, after all, her fun yet insightful personality that won over the hearts of her many fans. One night a rejected hopeful came back and brandished a gun. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. We felt horrible., The men sulked back to Rodgers apartment just a few blocks away. While some front-door rejects got vengeful, truly tenacious clubgoers tried to find alternate access points to crash the party. These Studio 54 photos will take you inside the dance club that defined a generation and hosted celebrities from Andy Warhol to David Bowie. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Again, this is in a huge crowd of people on a street in Manhattan. 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. 60 Chilling Vintage Photos From Studio 54. The black-and-white photographs included scenes from iconic clubs like Studio 54 and Xenon; shots of Carrie Fisher, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Mary Tyler Moore and Robert Redford; as well quirky New York City street life tableaus in the 1970s and Eighties. Whats more, theyre almost all true. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. What made Studio 54 different, however, was that drugs were practically encouraged inside. We had a blast. Parties come and go; clubs fade in and out of relevancy. And I kind of let that slide because he didnt shoot. Another morning, someone did pull the trigger. A cheetah might be sitting at the bar. Footage shows co-founder Steve Rubell cherrypicking on the door, reprimanding one hopeful with the immortal line: Dont ever come here with a hat. Doorman Mark Benecke was charged with deciding on the chosen ones. He captured it fantastically the fun and wackiness, the sweetness. Behind The Velvet Rope Line Of Studio 54 S Short Sordid Life. Studio 54 was crazy all year long, but things got especially wacky for Halloween. 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. The high ceiling of the building allowed for such displays, though they must have been quite careful not to step on anyones toes. Even a brief sampling of these parties is enough to scramble the senses. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. By midnight, the huge group in the street had become "Sodom and Gomorrah." At the Purple magazine party, a naked couple in a clear bathtub perform for an audience in 1977. 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. Drugs, drinks, and disco -- Studio 54 had it all. Then, all of a sudden it just hit me. This would not be the only time the nightclub had a horse on its premises, nor would it be the only animal ever invited inside. But he could be generous with his cash. This kind of debauchery came to be expected of the venue and marked its no-holds-barred approach to nightlife. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. Here, a woman twirls her hat and two men chat over drinks. 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. Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in his office, which he claimed was ransacked by federal agents looking for drugs, in 1978. Debbie Harry of Blondie arrives with her friends to the nightclub in 1981. . In the clubs first year open, Cher showed up to the scene at Studio 54. According to a New York Times article from the time, one night they were finally figured out and told they couldn't serve booze. But the party was wild.. 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. It wasnt until he was gone, and I had brought everything home and put it in storage, that I began to open up these envelopes and discover his work.. About 30 people standing around us took them, and then everybody started having this mad sexual orgy. It wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. 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. Getting into Studio 54 could be impossible. By . 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. For that reason, his photos are not only fine art, they are history. All Rights reserved. If you found yourself fortunate enough to make it inside Studio 54 in 1978, you mightve come upon a scene like this one. 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. Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. According to him he actually took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied. If a regular night at Studio 54 was crazy, it was the special parties that were totally unacceptable. McCarthy, who happened to frequent Studio 54 on occasion, was amazed by his access to the notables in attendance. Clubgoers dance amid light towers on the dance floor at Studio 54 on May 15, 1978. She called getting on it and riding around a "foolish decision.". My favorite shots though, are post-party. Right: People wait in line outside of Studio 54 in 1978. In this picture, you can see doorman Mark Benecke sweeping the expectant crowd for the best individuals to allow past the front doors. It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. A throwback to the heyday of authentic New York nightlife, the room also boasts wonderful lighting by Tony winner Ken Billington and the best sound in town . Studio 54, New York. It wasn't that unusual for people to rappel down the neighboring building using full climbing gear, trying to get into the courtyard over a 10-foot wall with barbed wire on top. IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. The nightclub was typically packed full of people. To many, Rubell and his army of doormen and bouncers appeared to be, in a word, dicks but it was never personal. 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. Desperately!. I dont know what Im going to do without Studio! And everyone was crying and weeping.. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. Not only was this accepted, but one of the biggest suppliers was the co-owner Steve Rubell. For the last fifty years, Allan Tannenbaum has been the quintessential New York photographer. All very un-PC. Henry Winkler, who had been playing the Fonz on smash hit Happy Days for years at that point, was summarily rejected one night. Other photographers didnt capture that. 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. And we were laughing, Rodgers described to Haden-Guest. These two people, covered in silver, dance for onlookers inside Studio 54. ' Released as Le Freak that September, the song would become Chics first Number One and biggest hit. Shes just finished with a 1978 concert, following up a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance. 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). Nobody knew him in those days. Their knocks went unanswered. There was an anything goes attitude to sex at Studio 54. Club employees were tasked with stripping nearby garbage cans of bottles and cans, lest these potential projectiles land in the hands of disgruntled guests. With famous and wealthy people as the main guests of the venue, expensive drugs were seemingly in ample supply at all times. A photograph of Yoko Ono and John Lennon by Gene Spatz (year unknown). We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes, he told Vanity Fair. We were just yelling obscenities: Fuck Studio 54 Fuck em Fuck off Fuck those scumbags fuck them! According to Haskell, the non-drinking, non-dancing mogul had business reasons for making the scene. This made him extremely popular, and they demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to fire him. We want to hear it. The birthday girl took the place of honor astride the horse, which trotted across the dance floor while cameras greedily snapped. For those of us who prefer photojournalism to actual opulent dance clubs, the morning-after exhaustion on patrons faces may be the most relatable theme of the series. 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. 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. Studio opened on a Tuesday. At Studio 54, the taboo wasnt seen as undesirable instead, it was invited inside. Actress Jaid Barrymore, mother of Drew, bore witness to the ceaseless parade of lurid attire. In this picture, women pose on top of giant reflective pillows in the middle of the crowd. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. It would be decades before New York City's smoking ban forbade smoking in indoor spaces. Studio 54 The Ultimate Den Of Vice Photography Guardian. It wasn't just animals that were taken advantage of. We had chickens in a pen, he says in The Last Party. Even if you werent having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could, says former editor of Interview, Bob Colacello. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 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. We use ads to keep our content free for you. 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. If you wanted a place to let loose and perhaps engage in some public nudity, then Studio 54 was the club for you. They put up signs apologizing, and everyone enjoyed juice instead. Studio 54 started as it meant to go on. Contact Gabriel H. Sanchez at gabriel.sanchez@buzzfeed.com. According to Rolling Stone, people would offer him anything to get in. 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. 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