New doc recounts the story of Studio 54

 

“Studio 54,” opening Nov. 2 at the Ritz at the Bourse, documents the rise and fall of the storied nightclub as seen through the eyes of co-owner Ian Schrager, among others. In an almost-confessional tone, Schrager explains how he and the late, gay Steve Rubell met in college, created an exclusive club before going to prison and then undergoing a reinvention.

It’s a great true-crime tale, full of ambition, greed and fame, as well as culture, music, sexuality and drugs.

Studio 54, which opened in 1977 and closed three years later, rose from Rubell and Schrager’s dream to create a successful nightclub in a part of town where one was most likely to get mugged. They took the energy that was on display in gay clubs and “turned it up a notch” (several notches, really) to “capture everyone’s imagination.” Studio 54 was a place where anything could happen — “and it did!” according to one interviewee.

“Studio 54” portrays the era with considerable interest and affection. Director Matt Tyrnauer transports viewers back to when the “age of celebrity” was created. There is a terrific interview with a young Michael Jackson talking about the excitement of the club. Moreover, the film shows that Studio 54 was a safe space for the LGBT community, as it promised inclusion and acceptance in a world where homophobia and transphobia were prevalent.

Rubell was gay — but not out to his mother, the film reveals. He also died from AIDS, which was not reported in the press at the time. He was eager to court celebrity friends, like Liza Minelli, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote, who were regulars at the club. He also identified with outsiders and invited transgender patrons, including “Disco Sally,” an aging widowed lawyer, and “Rollerena,” a Wall Street banker in drag who acted as a kind of fairy godmother in the club.

While Rubell was the social butterfly, Schrager worked behind the scenes. He recounts most of these anecdotes with an infectious attitude. It is as if even he can’t quite believe what he and Rubell did and lived through. Schrager is regretful about some of what transpired at the club, namely illegal activities involving drugs, tax evasion and skimming unreported income. And he is cagey when asked a direct question about the bookkeeping. He also describes the guilt he felt when he gave information to the feds while in prison to get a reduced sentence. The shame weighs on Schrager, who also reinvents himself.

Rubell, who is seen only in interviews, also is shown to be who he is — a party promoter and braggadocio who truly wants others to have a good time. He is fiercely loyal to his business partner Schrager and friends.

But as the story unfolds, Tyrnauer shows how slippery Rubell was. It was, after all, a claim he made in an interview that brought about the IRS raid of the club.

“Studio 54” shrewdly chronicles the rise and fall of the club. It starts out as all good times and a heady atmosphere; the film’s soundtrack pulses to popular disco music. However, the fall is arguably more interesting. Tyrnauer juxtaposes the prosecutor in the case against Rubell and Schrager talking about garbage bags full of cash in the basement’s drop ceiling with club manager Michael Overington’s explanation that he filled the ceilings with quarters for the bartenders, because the safe where they kept the change was a pain in the neck to open. Which story viewers want to believe is up to them, but both seem plausible.

Likewise, when the club’s criminal investigation unfolds and Schrager is caught with cocaine on his hands, one can choose to believe he was innocent — as he claims — or chalk it up to one of the litany of mistakes he and Rubell made. Whether or not Studio 54 had ties to organized crime is also open to debate.

Tyrnauer presents the facts rather than speculate on what is true. “Studio 54” is more about how two young guys from Brooklyn captured lightning in a bottle for 33 months. It also traces the changes in American society and culture over that time to show the significance of the era and what it represented.

“Studio 54” is not a cautionary tale about how Schrager and Rubell paid the price for their hubris. It’s a fascinating story of success, failure and reinvention, well told by Tyrnauer. It should appeal to anyone who went to Studio 54, or anyone who wishes they had gone.

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