Studio One

Those were the days! I started going to Studio One in 1980, after growing bored with the Odyssey. And I was too old for the Odyssey, anyway. I made the move to Studio One while still 20. I used to go there with my best friend, at the time, Frank T. I had a 1965 Plymouth Signet convertible with a license plate that read 'GOGOBOY'. We loved to dance. I didn't drink much and didn't do any drugs (other than poppers) but I still had a blast. The lights the sounds the way the place seemed to jump up and down with all the dancing guys was intense. I became friends, and then room~mates with a wonderful and sweet guy who worked at Studio One, Michael Mattor. We danced the night away at Studio on New Years eve in '84. Michael has since passed away. He died when he was 29. We all had so much fun but, sadly, so many of my friends died in the 80's. Still, those wonderful nights at Studio One haunt my dreams like a specter. 1980 was the calm before the storm.

Oh. and for all those who remember The Lovely Carol...ahem..she is now THE EVEN LOVLIER CAROL...newsflash! She will be opening on Jan10 for Cortes Alexander's THE SWELL SHOW at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel on Highland You can find out more about it by checking out The Lovely Carol page on Facebook. Please keep this group a going! Lloyd

Hi...great to stumble onto this thread and site. I used to produce many of the shows at the Backlot in the mid-eighties, had a company called Rocket Entertainment. With Scott Forbes and Ernie Caruthers' support, Myself, and my partners Gary Steinberg and Gary Mark had the time of our lives bringing shows such as Roseanne Barr, Michael Greer, Big Ed, The Monday Nights Live at The Backlot, The Les Stevens Show (the only weekly live midnite cabaret in LA at the time), Jo Ann Dearing's Comics Are People Too, John Kassir, Andrea Steward, Suzie Benson, Roslyn Kind, Rosie O'Donnell, Lois Bromfield's Irma Irma Irma, Penny Hamilton, The Lovely Carol, Candi Milo, The Original Sin Sisters, Connie Francis's Return, and hundreds of others. I just wanted to let yu all know that next summer, we'll be producing a weekend of entertainment with many of the original Backlot performers. If you'd like to be put on the list for information, or if you would like to be a part of this great weekend, please email me at TheBacklotReunion@gmail.com Happy New Year everyone. To Jude Edwards..if you see this, please email me..we'd love to have you be a part of this

Does anyone remember Elsa Lanchester doing some kind of an act in the Backlot?

There a number of nights that I would deliver 2 glasses of Red wine to the dressing room for Barbara Cook and Wally Harper. I learned a lot visiting with them after the late shows. Others 'adopted' me as a friend along the way: Chita, Bernadette, RIp Taylor, Earl Holliman...........

Ah yes...I remember pouring some brandy in a snifter just for Sally, so you could heat it up for before she went on.
Oh, those were the days huh?

Gary, I remember you being nice to me when i started. I just wrote down what people ordered. I didn't drink and I knew so little about alcohol I had to ask you which drink was which. Do you remember pouring the snifter of brandy for Sally Kellerman each night when I would take and put it in the microwave to heat it for her before her show?

Interesting post Chemin de Fer.
I was hired by Scott Forbes who watched me tending bar at other places and I told him I would work for him only if I could work the bar at the Backlot. He said ok. I went to see the club when they were still painting it and getting it ready to open. So, I was the original bartender in the Backlot and "rubbed elbows" with all the celebrities who performed there. I was a very good bartender and had a good following. I did not do drugs nor did I "sleep with everyone".
I was not a virgin by any means and did some wild things, including going to a sex party at a house up in Beverly Hills that Elton John had invited many of us to...it was like a bath house!
I did a good job and did not take any crap from Scott or anyone. I even refused to serve some of his tricks who I knew were minors...told him if he wanted them to drink, he had to come behind the bar and serve them himself. He would just roll his eyes and go to the other bartenders to get his tricks drinks. Haha.
I worked there for years and loved every minute of it.

I don't think it is negative to describe the Quaaludes and coke and egos and getting turned away at the front door. Or getting hired and fired based on who you would and would not sleep with. I suppose if you were part of the in-crowd you remember everyone as "being friendly." If you weren't doing drugs and sleeping with everyone, it was a little different experience…. All just facts of life at Studio One in the 70s. I think we have to respect each person's experience for what it was. All-in-all the memories are indelible and amazing compared to ordinary life outside Studio One. Who would change any of it??? I think you can't understand some of the things about the era if you weren't there.

I don't know what ever possessed me to even fill out at an application to work there. I was such a dork fresh off the bus in LA. It felt daring to me to even apply and I learned just how naïve I was. Somehow my pants ending up in lost and found and I had to follow Scott to the office to get them back and he wouldn't give them to me until I made out with him. Those sailboat orgies… whose boat was that? And Scott's birthday party at his house… omg.

Getting on the dance floor early before it was crowded and having your choreography criticized as being "too June Taylor" by an inevitably condescending critic. I Love Lucy the disco version… everything-TheDiscoVersion…. I'm sure I had Izod shirts in every pastel color. Or white painter's overalls unbuttoned on the sides, with nothing else. The notes with outrageous cash offers slipped onto your cocktail tray with a phone number. The bar tenders who wouldn't give you the time of day at work but screwed your brains out at their place. Rollerskating at that place on La Brea and Santa Monica.

How nice Sally Kellerman was. The night everyone in the disco heard that Barbra was in the Back Lot to see Roslyn and the gridlock trying to get her out of there. Getting burgers for everyone at Teriyaki Oki Dogs during rehearsals. Eartha Kitt without her makeup. Her laugh. Going to Teddy's (Theodore's) after hours or the French Market for steak and eggs at 3:00 am.

Anyone who doesn't like to remember those times once in a while just isn't happy.

I have a nice memory of John that might put a smile on your face. I met John just before Christmas and he invited me to spend Christmas with him at his house in Hawaii. We shopped for a Christmas tree at Gelson's Market on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood because John wanted to fly it over with us, putting it in cargo. The tree made it over just fine. We were to fly over a couple of days before Christmas. I was held up in traffic though and was going to miss our flight. After thinking it over a little bit, I gritted my teeth and pulled my Jeep into the emergency lane trying to make up time. I knew the people in the legitimate lanes must have been P.O.'d and I shouldn't have done it -- normally I wouldn't have done it -- but I didn't want to miss the flight and the pleasure of sitting next to John on that flight. Well I ended up driving right up to a police officer on a motorcycle. He looked at me and shook his head, then wrote me a ticket. Yeah I deserved that ticket all right. I missed the flight but made it to Hawaii the following day. John greeted me at the airport with a big grin and a bear hug. That was an unforgettable Christmas. I was totally in love with that guy. A class act.

Thanks Ken and Mike. Sorry to hear of John's passing.

Hi guys, I am an old West Hollywood survivor. I knew John Deason very well. He was a beautiful man. I remember John passed away. It's been a long time but I am pretty sure it was the late 80's. Mike

Hey Beachcomber.

I use a web site called Peoplesmart.Com to look up friends from the old days. You have to enter the persons name and and a city and state where they lived. I typed in the name John Deason and got a match from a person that lived in West Hollywood who also lived in Honolulu Hawaii.

Ken

Does anyone know where John Deason is these days? I remember his aquarium shop, "Captive Sea," in L.A. We met at Studio One in '77 when he lived in West Hollywood, on a street that was on the north side of Santa Monica Blvd. He had a place in Honolulu, Hawaii as well. I was in my early 20's and was totally in love with John. A sweet, handsome guy. I hope he is well.

I sang back-up to Julie Budd when she performed there. What a great time we all had. Recently I met someone who met me there back in the days...it brought back great memories. Celebs like Charles Nelson Reilly, Cheryl Ladd and Joan Hackett came to the shows then. Joan even sang to us in the dressing room. Of course, it also reminded me of the great days of cabaret in NYC where we all got to hear the greats perform, too many to name here but you have some of their photos on this site. Spreading the music and the memories! Thanks! Zenobia

Anyone remember Mark Nash from Long Beach? I met him at Studio One in 1978. Went to a party later at his house...someone had baked some brownies and before the party was over all of his cupboards were bare. We had all descended on them like locusts, it didn't matter what it was, we ate it. Dated Mark several times but lost touch after moving east. Anyone recall him? Goodlooking dark-haired dude.

WOW.yes it was way back in 1978 that I had my Magical holiday in the USA.and had the Honour to visit the Top Club in L.A .(STUDIO ONE),everyone was so cool and kind the music the lights the whole vibe,how things have changed.I still live in London U K and yes we have clubs ,but none can match the old STUDIO ONE,and those lovely kind people in L A............................Bless you all love from Alan Reid xxx

Thanks Alex575 I hope to go to Hollywood next year. I think I will still check out the area, if nothing else, to pay tribut eto those awesome times that I missed ;-)

Amazing time, I have so many memories of this place and the people. I lived a block away from Studio One for ten years. I truly grew up there.

@LondonGuy

Yeah, West Hollywood has changed a lot. Most of the bars, actually all of them east of Fairfax have closed and changed hands and I think they're straight now.

If you mean Studio One itself, it's now called the "Factory" and I'm not even sure if it's open anymore. I hardly ever go to WeHo. I mostly go to Silver Lake or Faultline.

@Alex575 - so is there no trace today of the place. I would love to check it out when I come to Santa Monica

@BROTHERBOY

Not sure how long you've been away from the Blvd., but if it's been a while, you're in for a shock. Places like "Hunters," "The Pub," and "The Spike" are no longer there.

Deep in boystown, a lot of things have changed as well. Although it looks lively on some nights, it reeks of consumerism and dimly lit streets.

In any case, have a good time. :)

For the life of me, until now I could not remember the name 'Four Star'. It was fun. At the time I used to go there, when I was maybe 23-24, it was 'the older guys place'. Had friends that worked there. Larry Weghorst was a bartender there (I think) before he moved over to open Blue Parrot. And David Amrhein tended there.

I remember Motherlode, but can't place the actual location.

All in all, such great memories of the entire neighborhood. I am going down to LA in a few weeks and I intend to do my own version of following 'maps of the stars homes', on SM BLVD starting at the car wash -if it's still there- and making my way west to Doheny and then back. Then I want to take a cruise down LaCienega. Is the Garden District gone?

Nice, Steven.
8709 certainly has it's history, but does anyone else remember the short-lived Studio One Baths - opened mid- to late-'70's??
Near Melrose???????
...and, a great quote about Motherlode!

Hi, brotherboy, and thank you.

I enjoyed your recollections of the neighborhood a bit further down (and of all the places you mentioned... so many bells ringing) especially the 8709. Remember that diner that adjoined it, with the little window through which you could order a sandwich or whatever? Used to hang out on Thursday nights with my friend Jerry, who moonlighted there (the tall, dark and handsome one, and also a part-time model), while he was finishing up his shift (before going on to Studio, of course). Lost touch with him long ago, but if the pics on his Facebook page are any indication, he's hardly aged a day in over 30 years. Remarkable.

Some of us had tight jeans, and some have great genes.

I headed north myself a few years back (Washington), but last time I was down there, I noticed all the places that had vanished or changed - The Greenery, the Four Star, the Parrot/Revolver - and then you see one like Motherlode, looking as though time had stood still.

There's a site called Citysearch that has "reviews" of nightspots, and one of Motherlode gave me a chuckle: "...it seems like an older man's bar...pretty cool, but if you're young like me, try not to smile too much otherwise you'll have older guys all over you." Sounds like some of my (or our) friends are still hanging out there!

To Stephen: 'MAGIC VIBE' is perfect. Thank you.

Hi, Glen -

Yeah, I share your "just one night" fantasy. If anyone ever figures out a way to do it, I'm there, too. And while they're at it, if they can also figure a way to get me back into my 25-year-old body... well, that would come in handy.

And, oh man, did I have some tight pants! Amazing, isn't it, the discomfort you're willing to endure when you're young just to look good? 'Course, it didn't really bother me then, but it seems unimaginable now. My around-the-house wardrobe of choice these days is loose, comfy sweat pants and a T-shirt.

Funny thing about this thread. It's been here for years now, and it kind of goes dormant for weeks or months at a time. Then all of a sudden, it comes back to life with a handful of new comments within hours of each other. Must be some kind of magic vibe. I find that appropriate; "magic vibe" seems a perfect phrase to describe what we're all remembering here.

If only we could live it again for just one night...the nostalgia, the yearning for an era and way of life that will never be again...hot guys walked hand in hand and people respected each other. With Studio One to meet at, Scott Forbes brought us a place of laughter, fun, trick after trick, awesome entertainment, PRETTY BOYS IN TIGHT PANTS and not this gross large butt sagging crap guys wear now. Music, lights, costumes, magic, parties, actors, food, decorations,...There has been nothing quite like it since the 70's & 80's...and if I could go back and relive those days, you bet I would be there in a minute. It is one of those things that you never want to let go of!!!

Good grief! Really? This used to be a fun site to share memories of the Studio One era - but has turned into an ego trip as to who worked there longer, or was more important to it's history, and a catalog of YouTube links.

Just curious here...and maybe a bit of my ego has kicked in, but is it at all possible to put the four pictures of me (as the Backlot bartender) up with the other pictures so they are not way down here at the bottom of these pages...in areas that go back to 2006???

Thanks!~
Gary Mortimer

Here is a photo from my Flickr page of Les Stevens when he worked The Backroom Comedy Club...
<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/5151990980_ff5607fcba_z.jpg" width="497" height="640" alt="Les Stevens at Studio One West Hollywood,CA">

I visited la for the first time in 1980,at 24 years of age the appeal of the wonderful climate the palm trees and the constant outdoor pedestrian traffic appealed to my east coast mindset.NEVER HAD I BEEN TO STUDIO ONE,but having noticed their adsin after dark i thought i would visit that evening.i walked the stairs not sure if i had an la look,but at that age with a 31 waist and 6feet,youth trumps all.NEEDLESS TO SAY I LOVED THE SPACE,THE LOCATION,THE VIEWS and what turned out to be friendly young guys that lacked the pretension of clubs today.I sometimes visit the abbey when i come to la,but when i gaze at the front of that camera factory it brings a rush of memories of a time that we will never see again.I think that people make the experience and it was not about material status or the house west of doheny,it was fun,laughter,and great shows that everyone could afford.If we could live it again for one night.....thanks bob

As I mentioned earlier I worked briefly in Security in the Summer of 1988, front door, back lot door, the floor. I have read some of the negative comments which is unfortunate, I thought this site was devoted to fans of Studio One. Anyway it was a magical time for young and older Gay men, a place to be who you are and play with others who didnt fit into society openly. Todays youth come from a different world, its more open, less discrimination, an internet to satisfy your greatest fantasies. Back in the 70's 80's and 90's we only had our imaginations to rely on, and save havens like Studio One to go and meet up with friends on the weekends to play and escape with the music and maybe meet a dream man. I'am thankful for my Studio One days as a customer, and then as an employee. The Backlot was a club and anyone could get in if they paid for the show. One side was for dancing and crusing, the other for comedy acts and entertainment. Rest in Peace Studio One, and thanks for having this forum to honor its memory.

There was so much packed into such a tight little neighborhood. I lived all over the place during '72 - '83, before heading north to San Francisco. Those places like Shur-Mart, which has been the CHP building now for so long. Ed's Coffee Shop was the place for lunch (and breakfast) during the workweek if you were near the Robertson/Melrose area. Duke's at the Tropicana was awesome. Changed my life. Propinquity. I had my first 'gay' cocktail at The Garden District, served by Freida herself. Por Favor...The Flick....Ernie Bensen's FacePlace...The Taming of the Stew...Rascals, of course (Larry Weghorst!)...The Melting Pot...Hilldale Coffee Shop before it became Drake's. I think it's a Starbucks now....The Bitter End West (Dog Squeeze).

I spent so much time at Studio One. I even once had a date with Scott (who didn't ?) Countless quaaludes and many nights at the 8709. As much money as I spent in the late '70's at 8709, god only knows how I could possibly be sitting here today still alive to write this. What a place.

I lived just one block from Studio One in the 70's. I lived behind the Safeway, (Pavillions), market. I worked at Rascals bar from '77 until '79, and then went to work at the Blue Parrot. Many good memories of the neighborhood I lived in for nearly 20 years. Now I live in Studio City just a few blocks from Oil Can Harry's. Married to my beautiful husband for 25 years. .

Patrick -

I've never set foot in a Starbuck's (except for one at SeaTac Int'l when we were stranded there overnight a few years ago), but what you describe - a place where they didn't mind how much time you spent there - well, that was Theodore's.

I can't recall if it was 24-hours, but if not, it was awfully close to it. Didn't matter if you were alone or with a crowd, you could hang for hours nursing cups of coffee or whatever, with no hassles. There were a number of regulars - some recognizable to any movie-goer or TV (or maybe porn) watcher - who treated it like a sort of second home/office/meet-up spot. They eventually added a nice covered patio out front (or was it always there [?]; oh, those jumbled memories), but an unfortunate early-'80's remodel took it more in the direction of generic coffee shop from its earlier, well-used living/dining room atmosphere that encouraged cross-table conversations.

Nice, dark and intimate - but friendly - little bar room, too.

You should have ventured over there. Sounds like it would have been right up your alley.

Gary -

Thanks for the kind words. So many great moments at The Backlot, but one of my favorite memories didn't involve any headline entertainers; more of a vindication of sorts (of an ego-boosting, look-at-me-now variety). Some friends of my ex (a dancer-singer-actor) were doing their cabaret act there, and they even had an opening act (a stand-up) who turned out to be someone I'd gone to high school with. So, the place was mostly filled with people I knew through my ex who'd come to see Mike Hawkins and Marsha Mercant (the cabaret act), and the rest with people I'd gone to school with who were there to see Jeff (the comic).

It should be noted here that, in high school, I was a rather geeky, hanger-on type who hadn't come into his own yet, so I was having an odd, "meeting of two eras and identities" kind of experience. I had ducked away from the table I was at with some of the school friends to say hi to my other set of friends who were there (most of whom were entertainers themselves), which took some time, because there were people I knew at virtually every table.

When I stopped back at the "school" table, one girl - whom I hadn't seen in years, and had a wicked, cutting sense of humor - said to me, "What are you doing, waiting tables?" We all laughed and I moved on, but as I walked away, I heard her say to the others, "My god, he knows everybody! What happened to him?"

That felt good. And I owe a great deal to the atmosphere at Studio and The Backlot for helping me emerge from my shell and turn from a duck into... well, if not a swan, at least less of a duck.

Hey, this site has suddenly turned interesting! Very interesting! Anyway, I mentioned that I was living in Westwood at the time. It would have been a bit of a walk, so I had a small motorcycle in my subterrainian garage on Kelton that in 5 minutes got me to the student center at UCLA (right next to the research library) Sunday through Thursday (it was all open until midnight). But Friday and Saturday nights, that all shut down at 5 PM. So weekends, I'd hit book Circus First (which back then was not a porn shop, but a pretty decent bookstore) and then go over to Winchell's, a block away, to read for an hour or two before checking out S1. They didn't mind that I spent so much time there. Remember, there were no establishments back then even remotely resembling a modern day Starbucks (you had to go to Northern California to find that sort of thing-- Santa Cruz, Berkeley, San Francisco).
By the was, I was working in Culver City at the time for a defense contractor that the employees used to lovingly refer to as "Huge Aircrash Company." Later, Huges moved to El Segundo. Around 5 PM, it used to be bumper to bumper traffic to the freeway getting out of there. There were aerospace contractors everywhere. I think that's now about 1/10th of what it used to be, or less. So, it's not just the entertainment industry that declined. I retired at 62 myself a year ago because I had to. Luckily those defense contractors paid me enough that my Social Security is enough to get by on. Having a cheap little place in Long Beach, and no car, helps make that possible. Plus, the Metro Blue Line is only a 20 minute bike ride away, and is only $1.80 for an all day pass-- less that half the cost of a gallon of gas.
In Long Beach, I spend a lot of time transcribing lecture tapes I made in the 1970s at the U of Chicago. Hoping to get them published eventually. Life is good :)

Patrick -

There may be much in what you say - I'm sure there are many elements and a lot of "connective tissue" that go into a changing cultural scene - and I can attest to at least some of it. Specifically, about employment in the entertainment industry. I was working on the MGM lot in the '80's, and except for a handful of TV shows shot there and maybe one or two features going at any one time, the place was mostly dead, with stage after stage sitting idle months at a time.

I have noticed that many of the comments here refer to times well into the '80's and '90's, so I gather something of the club scene survived and - obviously - continues to. I'd pretty much "retired" from it by the early '80's. I met my partner around Xmas '81 - we've been together ever since - and he's not much of a partier so, except for the occasional night out with old friends, I've been out of it going on 30 years.

I think of the "disco era" as probably the closest thing to the pre-depression "roaring '20's:" a cut-loose time when anything and everything was worth trying, and just having a good time was at the top of most everyone's list of priorities. Economics helped put a damper on both eras, but whether it was the hard times of the 30's or the epidemic (and right-wing backlash) beginning in the '80's, it seems there's always been a segment of society determined to make the best of things and keep the party going in some fashion.

Although there are things I don't love about approaching Social Security age, I figure I was fortunate both to have born when (early '50's) and where (L.A.) I was, and to have survived when so many haven't (total crapshoot, in my estimation... I wasn't doing anything different than anyone else I knew).

I don't recall the doughnut shop at Sta Mon and CHB; when I was hungry, I was usually a block west at Theodore's (with its homey, albeit slightly run-down atmosphere and threadbare scotch-plaid carpet). I've forgotten the foghorn-voiced, chain-smoking manager's name, but she was sort of a mother hen, and would cash my checks when I ran out of funds during those pre-ATM/debit-card weekends.

Steven: What you say in your first paragraph was *exactly* my point! Even though I listen to KPFK all the time, I really hadn't connected all of this political stuff with the decline of the "scene" before. But the post about young people today wondering about the "good 'ol days" suddenly made me see it this morning. Of course, the epidemic had a lot to do with the decline of that entire atmosphere that once prevailed. But it wasn't the sole driving factor (I can remember that in the early 80s when health wise, things were at their scariest, the clubs were still full).
A tiny bit of "sociological supporting data" now if you will allow me. About a year or two ago, I had a very interesting conversation with a lady who owns a dry cleaning and laundry business on Santa Monica Blvd and Crescent Heights. I started the conversation with her because I hadn't been there in years, and wanted to verify that the doughnut shop next door was the one I used to patronize decades before then it was Winchell's, and I lived in Westwood. (In the early 80s, I used to see lots of punk rockers with serious injuries walking down the hill near there. I've long since wondered what venue they would have been coming from, and what bands they were hearing. But I'll leave that discussion for another website-- maybe punkmusic.com :).
In any case, this lady verified that it was indeed the same physical place, and was soon telling me about the severe economic decline in the area over the years. As I recall, she attributed it primarily to a sharp decline in employment in the entertainment industry, which surprised me. Personally I don't know, but as a person operating a business there for the last 30+ years, it seems to me that she was in a position to know. So if she was right, that would imply a decline in restaurant jobs, high end clothing store jobs, and other sorts of jobs that supported these former entertainment industry people as well.
My main point: to anyone who is wondering why the "disco era" died, a good part of the answer lies here. Maybe this is just me, but I think this sort of thing is worth knowing for everyone today-- especially the young people today who ask the kinds of questions the previous poster mentioned. You never know, they just might do something about it.

Steven...loved your memories and you are so right..."It was even better".
It was a time unlike anything we have seen since. Studio One was THE place to go, dance, be seen, see the shows, and at one time even have dinner. I so loved working the bar in the Backlot and seeing all the shows and meeting the stars.
But also, the other clubs all over WeHo...there was a kind of "brotherhood" among the gays. It was an exciting time...probably too free with the sex everywhere, but that's the way it was.
It was an awesome, exciting time and yet devastating as the AIDS crisis showed it ugly head. It was a time when those of us who are still here can remember with a mix of wonder and sadness at losing so many people.
Let us not forget that time of our lives and perhaps share the good with others with honesty and love.
We were a part of an historic, unbelievable era. May the good memories keep coming.
Peace my friends!
Gary

Hey, Patrick -

400 of the uber-wealthy boogying? Now, there's a picture I don't need in my head. Anyway, I think they're too busy making the rest of us dance to their tune. And that's all I'll say about politics here (you should join us over on Huffington Post; I regularly rant there).

One thing I always loved about the Parrot (besides that sign) was the way it felt so open and airy with those big windows (and the fans and palms). Felt the same way about Backlot after they opened it up and uncovered the north-facing windows. Loved being in there on Sundays at dusk, with the setting sun illuminating the hills in the near-distance. It was also a great place to sit and cool off after a long session on the floor. Speaking of which, remember those great "cooling pods" they had at Probe?

To the next whippersnapper who asks you about the 70s, tell him they were great, but not just because there were clubs like the Blue Parrot (anyone know what happened to their wonderful old neon sign?), but because even ordinary people who worked for a living had money to spend at them, thereby enabling all these clubs to thrive. Now, it's basically just the wealthiest 400 people in the country (who now have half the country's wealth) who could afford that kind of luxury, because those old 70s jobs don't exist anymore-- or if they do, you'd have to commute to China or India to work them. So that leaves you with a potential pool of 400 today to potentially fill the clubs. How many of that 400 would you suppose know how to dance? Of those that do, how many would you suppose would want to dance with a mere mortal, like one of those whippersnappers? About zero.

Just stumbled across this site and have been reading the comments, so I thought I'd chip in my two cents.

I wish I had the powers of recollection of so many here, but I do vividly remember my first glimpse of Studio One. I had gone with some friends to see Barbara Cook at The Backlot - must've been '76 - and as we exited after the show, the doors to the dance floor were open, so I just had to peek in, and...Oh!...MY! A candy store to a kid...the Emerald City to Dorothy...Shangri-La...Nirvana...such a place, and such sights, as I thought existed only in my dreams or the deepest recesses of imagination!

I wasn't officially out yet to anyone but my roommate, and my friends were continuing on to somewhere else, so I didn't say to them, "I'm going to stick around here," but I resolved to be back as soon as possible and join all those beautiful boys on the dance floor.

Oddly, I don't remember details about my first "official" visit, through the front doors, possibly because it was more like one long visit lasting five or six years, interrupted only by things like work, sleep, etc. Well, I did cultivate other hangouts - Rascals and later, The Blue Parrot and, later still, Mother Lode, Probe, Greg's Blue Dot and so on, and I eventually sampled just about every place in greater L.A., from the Valley clubs in the north to Apache to the west and Detour to the east - but if I was in town, I never let a week go by without at least a couple (and usually more) visits to Studio.

Sometimes I thought there was no way that old building could hold together, the way you could hear (and, my recollection tells me, feel) the thump-thump-thump all the way outside as you approached, but once inside, I never worried about it, including on one New Year's Eve when, out on the floor, it was so packed that the only directions you could move were up and down.

It's all so long ago now that it seems not only like another life, but almost like a dream itself. I know it wasn't, not only from my blurred flashes of recall, but from the Studio One t-shirt and matchbooks I still have.

A few years back, some whippersnapper said to me, "I'm always hearing about the '70's and how wonderful everything was. I know it was before AIDS and all, but, tell the truth, it wasn't really as great as they say, was it?" I told him, "No, it really wasn't," and paused just long enough for the faintest hint of a smug smirk to cross his face before I added, "It was even better."

My first trip to Studio One was back in 1977. I had just divorced my wife and got on a plane in New Orleans and flew to L.A. I had heard of this place and I just had to experience it. As soon as I got to the top of those stairs I spotted the blond headed, blue eyed guy that I wanted. We went to his house and we were lovers for one year. Those were the days.

Hey Lewis is on Facebook just look him up. He loves to bowl and was a great guy and still is. Still have a mix tape made from one of the nights I worked security. Eria Fachin Saving myself for you was on it and and always brings back a flood of good memories. Thanks Lewis V.

Apologies have been made!
Now, let's move on, and remember "the good ol' days!"

All this hatred, all this venting, at someone you don't even know, for saying things you don't even understand. You say you "feel sorry" for me, but that's a lie and you know it. The truth is you see a guy who appears to you (rightly or wrongly) to be down, and you just can't resist the urge to kick. This is very post modern. It also shows that if nothing else, you guys have kept up with the times. I'm not going to elaborate any further on what I said before, but I will tell you that none of the posted responses indicate the slightest comprehension of what I was getting at.

If you want to know the truth, my whole interest in this site and you guys generally is the crucial role you played in getting us (as a culture) to where we are today, which in my view, is not a very good place to be. But just the same, this is a place that two former residents of the West LA area, Max Horkheimer and T.W. Adorno, predicted we would eventually be in. Yes Hollywood Bowl and the Ravinia Festival, which used to have some incredible programs, today basically offer a bunch of crap.

Why? Because the younger generation is so dumbed down that such this is about all that will sell tickets. If the programs of the 70s were repeated today, the seats would be mostly empty (not so 35 years ago. When Levine did the Arnold Schoenberg (another former Brentwood resident) Gurre Lieder 35 years ago, Ravinia Park, in Highland Park Illinois (a place that made Bel Air look like a slum neighborhood in comparison, lest you get any false ideas about Chicago's "North Shore"), was packed. Likewise both Mahler 8ths done at Hollywood Bowl. Why? Because the current generation has been brought up on the spiritual analog of junk food (of which Disco was the "high fructose corn syrup"). It knows and can comprehend nothing better than the Beatles or Led Zeplin. Thank you Donna Summer. Thank you Andrew Lloyd Webber, Thank you Studio One. Thank you, capitalism.

"Boys"...

I thought we were over the bickering. Remember, fabulous memories are the thing and the reason we read and contribute to DiscoMusic.com. Let's keep it in that spirit.

However, before I rekindle my own spirit and once again savor the great memories of S1, I have to say, Patrick, I feel sorry for you. A lack of companionship screeches loudly in your words. Your treatises on haute musique are deeply embedded in a personal and unfulfilled need to share and to be acknowledged. If you want to debate about or share of your passion for the undeniable beauty and value of classical music, there are a myriad sites to engage like minded individuals. This is not one of them. And, Patrick, though you may not agree, I believe a majority of those who enjoy reading and sharing what you might call pedestrian silliness are also aficionados of the great Maestros. One more thing Patrick, listen to the music. Don't hear it.

Now, back to memories of sweaty boys, all night parties and Shannon singing "Let the Music Play".

Tell me how to remove my post!
How do I tell the site owner I made a big mistake?
Tell him to remove it...tell him to deny me access.
I was only trying to warn others of what someone sent to me...with all those email addresses attached.

Does it mean now that everyone is going to be bombarded with emails they don't want?

I apologize to anyone if I have "blown your cover" or something.

Forgive me for being human and as someone so very nicely said to me...."STUPID". I am very sorry!

Gary Mortimer,
How dare you post e-mail addresses on this site. You obviously didn't read the Terms of Service, because you have broken them. You, of all people, as a long-time contributor to this site, should know better.
I have reported you, and this infraction, to the site owners.
You and I worked together for a few years at S1, and I never imagined you'd do something so damn stupid.
Just curious: is YOUR e-mail address still your first name and zip code??

Just reviewed some of the hateful rants against me, from a few months back, by former employees and managers of Studio One. All that over a vague recollection I made the mistake of posting regarding the old "Backlot." Would I be alive today had I said something in person to you guys back in the 70s? Your postings make me wonder. I think I retorted once that while you guys were working the Backlot, I was hearing Erich Leinsdorf (and maybe 8 years later Michael Tilson Thomas, a performance which made front page news in the next day's Herald Examiner) conduct the Mahler 8th at Hollywood Bowl. On another night, I heard a dazzling performance of the Prokofiev (you know, that guy who wrote Peter and the Wolf) 3rd Piano Concerto there
Well, the Backlot is gone, Roger is gone, and if you look at this year's Hollywood Bowl schedule, Hollywood Bowl might as well be gone because the Brahms 3rd is about as adventurous as they get in their programming this year. Something similar could be said about the Ravinia Festival, where I once heard James Levine conduct Schoernberg's Gurre Lieder (a couple of minutes before that, it was a nearly doubled 150 piece CSO and a 600 member CSO chorus, prepared by its founder, doing the national anthem-- and doing it flawlessly-- there are those who say in 40+ years, "Jimmy" hasn't made a single mistake). My point: I didn't miss a thing (except for Barbirolli doing the Nielsen 5th with the CSO, but that was because Sir John died 4 months before the scheduled concert--- cso.org if you can't figure out what CSO stands for). It's you guys who can't comprehend anything more harmonically advanced than A Chorus Line who "missed it." How many of you have ever so much as heard of Carl Nielsen, the greatest symphonic master of the 20th century? I used to think Disco was pretty bad, but that was before I heard the kind of drivel being electronically produced today.
Oh, by the way, "Jimmy" did an incredible Die Walkure yesterday afternoon from the MET. It was broadcast live world wide as it happened, and carried locally on KUSC. I didn't miss a note of it, Bet you guys did.

Hi everyone,
My name is Gayle. I was Scott Forbes younger sister. I just want to thank everyone who shared their wonderful memories of my "beautiful Scott" and Studio One!!! We all miss him dearly, & if we close our eyes for a moment, we can all still see that disco ball spinning the night away!!
Love and good wishes..
From Gayle Forbes & my wonderfull husband Franny Gaudette.

Hey Eric, I remember Mark Donnelly too, and you're right he was SO f-ing hot and had the body of death. I think he worked for a short time at the Gallery Room also, as a waiter. My friend Carl told me he was a screenwriter and producer now, and lives in LA or Malibu. Carl says he is still hot.

This is a great site. Kudos to whoever put it up! I only visited Studio One right at the end, but had some awesome times.

David, NYC

Hi guys! Loved studio one in the days. I was 17 and visiting from new Hampshire in 1982. I wasn't in the door 5 min. And some hot stud scooped me up... awesome! I'm praying one of you can hook me up with a video did of BIG ED at the back lot. I lost a copy I bought from him in P-town quite a few years ago. Please....anybody. It will mean the world to me. Willy carter. billycarter428@yahoo.com

@ tvwayne1

That is disturbing! I don't know who owns it now, but either they don't know the history (which I would find hard to believe) or it's sour grapes. They probably don't want anything competing with whatever it is they're trying to create now.

Is it even open to the public?

I was a patron of Studio One and The Backlot from 1981 until it became Axis. I have lot's of positive comments to feed, but for now I just want to say something that is disturbing to me... at The Factory website, in the About Us section, there is no mention of the rich history of Studio One and The Backlot Theater after the period of the original factory. I wonder why they choose to skip that entire period?

Here is what they write: Bordering Beverly Hills, The Factory features a 15,000 square foot multi-permitted space in which the versatility of the dramatic interiors are ideally suited for film and television premieres, wrap parties, fashion shows, film shoots, music industry showcases, and most other industry events. This event center features state of the art lighting and sound, which have earned The Factory the reputation as being one of the premier event locations in Southern California. The Factory was built in 1929 as the Mitchell Camera Company owned by movie studio mogul William Fox. Retooled during World War II as the Norden bomb site factory, the space regained it's Hollywood connection in 1968 when Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack opened the site as a private club called The Factory. A rich heritage, spectacular renovation and ideal location make The Factory standout as the place for your next event.

Did I miss mention of Studio One hosting the 'Official Opening Night Party' for the L.A. run of "A Chorus Line" on July 7, 1976????
THAT was pretty monumental...and tons of fun to work at!!!

@ Alex 575
It will all be included Alex - wish we had a chance to meet to exchange stories The book will tell everything in a positive note though - since it will be an historic gay-culture work and thank you for your positive post. My best

I wonder if anyone remembers a guy named Marc Donnelly, whom Scott Forbes was so in love with? He was blond, had a mustache and was totally gorgeous and had a amazing body. He was this total surfer dude, and although I didn't surf, totally got off on watching him come out of the water soaking wet. Scott was just bonkers over this kid, but I don't know if they ever hooked up. He worked in TV as I remember, but was not in the clubs much. He was a friend of Dr. Wes Weadon too, and dated Roger LeClaire, too. He used to show up at the Rock Hudson "beauties" parties. Love to know if anyone knows if he is still around? Used to lust after him from a distance back in the day and would run into him in NYC at Studio 54.

Does anyone know if Lewis Van der Wyk is still around?

@ Philip Riley
To the first crew member who worked at Studio One, from the last crew member who worked at Studio One:

Good luck on the book! I hope it will contain pictures!

Also, I'm not sure what the mooksman was referring to but I do hope your book will also discuss the drugs and sex culture that also went along with the scene.

Since your book will be about Studio One and West Hollywood in general, hopefully you will also include the discriminatory practices that happened at the front door of nightclubs like Studio One and Rage, and cruising spots like "Vaseline" alley and male prostitutes that used to work on Santa Monica Blvd.

You're right: Studio One and West Hollywood made such an impact on the lives of gay men and lesbians that it cannot be forgotten, especially now since most of the gay bars/clubs are gone i.e. "Spike," "Hunters," "Peanuts," and "The Pub," etc.

Hope you'll keep us updated as to the progress of the book! :)

For me, “The Hustle”, in its heyday, was one of the things that fun at Studio. I like to dance and I remember the floor was always pretty crowded, but when the first beats of The Hustle would be heard, it seemed like everyone joined in. It was really a sort of pre-Thriller group dance and everyone eventually would wind up on the floor and after a few wrong turns would get it. Nowadays, on occasion, I’ve tried doing it and I feel like I have three left feet. Oh well. And life goes on.

I'm outta here for a while because I'm not getting involved in this disco-ussion. Any one want to contact me ronhamill818@yahoo.com And themooksman need not contact me fo he is the reason I'm staying away for a while. I mean the WEHO City Council? Tear down the building? Wow!

@ Ron - What a great piece of history! I'd love to have one of those old Mitchell cameras and a tripod to put up in the house! Thanks for posting this info

It's amazing how negative can come out in some people. But I guess its ok for them and that is what matters to them. The rest of us that enjoy remembering a part of our history, lets keep it that way and enjoy what we do remember about those times that we mostly enjoyed. My best to everyone!

I didn't mean to start a maelstrom of negative comments - This site is set up for happy memories of a great time in life. All that I'm trying to do is get personal stories for a book about Studio One and all of West Hollywood in the 70s - and it's importance in being a vanguard, an positive influence on Gay life and paving the way for the more open lifestyle that today's gay youth live. It was an historic time and needs to be preserved for the future.

Ron, your recent comments were great! And I had totally forgotten about the open toed shoes rule! I can remember bringing female friends to the club, and that was an issue. hahaha Work the high heeled boots!

History lesson, before Studio One the club was called The Factory. I was once told that the sink in the mens room was there when the building was known as the Mitchell Camera Factory in the 20's and 30's. They made most of the motion picture cameras Hollywood used. Sort of like Panavision today.

Ladies, please! This site is for remembering happier times...the disco era as it was in WeHo.
Please no more nit-picking...it does no one any good.
I know "you can't go back", but "some of us" have mostly good things to say about Studio One and our times working there and going there.
Can we just leave it at that?

Thank You Ron,
Couldn't agree with you more. Oh one other thing I forgot too mention. Never ever did we charge $30.00 too see a show in the Backlot theather. NEVER....Try $12.00 for a show. If you stood by the curtain we would politly ask you too step back from the curtain and maybe purchase a ticket and watch the show like all those who paid to see it. If you could not afford the show that was not our problem we offered great entertainment for little money.
So please know your facts before you spit out false info. Because I was there. 99.9% of the blog write in's are positive about Studio One. I guess we could not make everybody happy.
Jack

Patrick,
You made my point but you do not get it.
The bathroom was a reference to you living in the past. You have been holding a grudge for over 30 years. Your Pentagon story is over 25 years ago. This is a Disco message board to re-connect with people and happenings in the past, specifically, Studio One/Backlot Theater.
I'm sorry that you did not have a good time back in the 70's. For many of us there were good times and bad times. The bad times started in the early 80's.
Enough said. Let us be thankful we are all still here in 2011. And remember. No open toed shoes!
Oh and Patrick, you did pee in the sink didn’t you?

I went to college in Boston, moved to LA and in 78'/79 got a job doing lights and sound in the Backlot which I can only compare to college. There was no other place that I could have received the kind of hands on experience with lighting (which I also did in Boston). On Monday nights many performers that had a show at the Pantages came in and did showcases, Eartha Kitt to name one. I learned things from top Broadway lighting directors that came in with the performer. Funny story, on one occasion I was told that Lainie Kazan was coming in for a week to do a show. I was told ahead of time that she could be a true diva. She came in for her rehearsal and sound check on the afternoon of her performance. I had the coffee ready, the lights and sound ready and showed her what we could do with the lights (the few we had, but that's another story), everything was ready. She was thrilled and could not have been nicer. She was great. There were some performers who had their issues but they were in the minority. It was a great time.

Thank you Jack.

It's unfortunate that some people were not able to experience the good times most of those on this site had. An individual's collective memories and experiences are an integral of whom he/she is at present. It's a joy remembering, not because one is stuck in the past but because one relishes the feeling of contentment at knowing that no matter what one's situation is in the present, no one can take away the fact that he/she lived through some really fun times.

One more thing. People might not like what I have to say but for those no longer actual members of the 20 and 30 year old generation who cling to the idea that youth is everlasting, it is they who are living in the past by sadly trying to hold on to something that once was but is now gone and no matter how hard they try, will never return.

However, that is what makes us an interesting species. Different strokes for different folks.

Yah! Ron you said it. Excuse me you are peeing in the sink where I was going too wash my hands, so I would go in the kitchen to finish that process.
I am amazed that some people would think that we were all stuck up that's so far from the truth. Studio One lasted 24 years we must have done everything right. The most successful club ever.
The Backlot was a very successful showroom lasting some 15 years. Thanks too Steve Applegate who opened the Backlot in 1974 he would stay on for the next 10 years. A total class act. He was loved by everybody. In my years of managing Studio One I can only attribute all those years of success too my staff. Anyone who thinks just because we have this site available to everybody dosen't mean we are living in the past. But rather we all had a wonderful past to enjoy. Sorry for those that didn't
Jack former Mgr

This is why most of my friends are in their late 20's early 30's. I live in the present not the past. While I dont mind going down memory lane, I do have a problem with those that still live in the 70's. Really, going on about all that BS.
Go wait in line for the bathroom. Like the fish? Your peeing in the sink!

I was in my mid-20s and though not much involved in music, I do recall going with friends to see Broadway shows at the Shubert in Century City and taking crazy weekend trips to New York to see those fabulous shows that were so much part of the culture we were surrounded by. And though not everyone in audience at the Backlot was in their 20's, as a whole it could not have been considered an “older” audience. Maybe we (the younger ones at that time), were more involved in the whole cultural and societal revolution that was changing our lives, so we participated and enjoyed all that was being offered.

Well Patrick, did you ALWAYS see this blue curtain hanging up there?
I was the original bartender in the Backlot and have to tell you it was awesome! I worked the small bar there...just a few stools at the bar, and one end was the service bar for the patrons of the restaurant...yes there was at one time a GREAT restaurant back there...and the people who came to see the shows. As Ed mentioned in his note after your 3 notes, there were MANY celebrities that you probably didn't know as you might not have been up on Broadway stars or other entertainers that were very popular and famous AT THAT TIME.
I do recall that sometimes we had to close a DOOR to keep the disco music from blasting in the back so the performers could do their act without competing with the loud dance music.
Didn't you ever hear of Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Craig Russell, Sally Kellerman....so many to name here now...but look at all the pictures right here on this site and you "might" recognize some of them.
And as Ed said, there was another bar in the Backlot area, with a TV, game machines etc....and a small hall leading into the dance floor...maybe THAT is the little "hallway" you referred to. The main entrances to the Backlot were from the large DOOR coming from the dance floor and the entrance on the south side of the building...a staircase coming up from the parking lot.
How old were you then?

I'm somewhat confused by the last postings. If they are referring to Studio 1 on La Peer, I can't remember it as described. The Backlot I remember was located in the rear of the building. The main entrance on La Peer had stairs going to the "lobby" which had a coat check, a bar and bathrooms. Then you entered the dance floor. To the rear of the dance floor wall there were 2 side openings, as you went though them, on the left there was a bar area, on the right there was an area with pinball machines and I believe another bar, behind these two areas was the Backlot. There was also a side entrance (fire escape) coming up from the parking lot off of Robertson. There were bathrooms right by the entrance door, a short corridor, a bar and then the Backlot.

I remember seeing Peggy Lee, Chita Rivera, Barbara Cook, Sally Kellerman, Eartha Kitt, Wayland Flowers, Charles Pierce (all of them), and countless other Big Names performing. I was, needless to say, much younger and not as monetarily solvent, so a $30.00 entrance fee would have been a little high if I recall correctly. Access to the area was pretty much open until show time was getting near and people were being seated. I was there with friends and we were not old by any standard. We would enjoy the show and then go dancing until closing time.

Anyhow, that's what I remember about this Backlot. Am I wrong?

Just found this on youtube! For all you newly created Snooky Lanson fans! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztzmD4rMM9E
This is what I meant in the prior post by a "live music video." Note that every week a song was on the chart, they felt compelled to do a different dramatization. I read somewhere that when a song was on for weeks and weeks, that got to be a real challenge.

Errata: I meant to say that to the best of my knowledge, the former stars of the the old 50s TV music show "Your Hit Parade" who did the "live music video" (not sure what else to call what they used to do) of the 1956 mega-hit Green Door, were NOT patrons of Studio One, to the best of my knowledge. Would not surprise me to learn, however, that Gisele Mackenzie, who lived in the area in her later years, had attended a Backlot performance or two. Who knows? Maybe Mr. and Mrs Snooky Lanson accompanied her. Lanson died at age 76 in 1990, survived by his wife. If I am not mistaken, having been retired Hollywood entertainers, they would have been typical of Backlot patrons. Please tell me whether this is correct. At the very least, I am pretty sure that the typical attendees weren't the general dance floor crowd, and if anything, the dance floor crowd was discouraged from going back there. This was the main point of my prior post. I further suspect that the reason Backlot existed in the first place was that this was Scott's way of giving the entire establishment and aura of respectability. No other club of the era, anywhere in the country, did anything like that, as far as I know. I think this shows how much thought was actually put into the creation of Studio One. I wish one of you other guys who worked there would comment further on this. Whose Idea was it to have a Back Lot?
And yes, I *have* heard of Liza Minnelli and Peggy Lee, as well as Bette Davis, but my point was that I never saw names such as these posted in front of the Blue Curtain (good name for a new venue? Better than Green Door! That one is tired! :)

Reading these last comments, I cannot tell me how much I wish I could meet you guys for coffee some weekend morning-- as close as possible to the old S1 (hope nobody takes offense at this crass abbreviation!).

What perplexes me most is that what, in the late 70s, I thought was the least of S1, is what you guys most remember and love talking about. Here is a very *very* different sort of recollection of the place which I hope you will get a kick out of. You will enjoy it most if you think back and realize that this (mis)perception was entirely plausible, given what I had to go on. Also, check the links I supply. They are crucial.

What I remember of the Backlot is basically this light blue (and certainly not new! Like it was purchased in a Salvation Army thrift shop in New Orleans:) curtain covering a hallway, with a sign in front indicating showtimes. I had no idea who the people involved in the shows were. As I look at some of the pictures here, I still don't know who most of these people were. Bette Davis, yes. The rest, no. In any case, one night "Why would anyone do shows in a a narrow hallway?" I wondered for years. I wondered that not because I was an idiot, but because people working at the entrance made sure that the narrow hallway opening was all that anyone without a ticket could see. I don't remember the prices of any of the tickets, but I have this vague recollection that they were not low. So why should I pay $30 or whatever for a seat (presumably :) in some dark and dreary hallway? (And yes, I do remember it being particularly dark and dreary at that entrance).

Looking back, I now realize that the Backlot was the late 70s version of a Speakeasy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speakeasy It was "the place behind the green door." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Door

But even though I heard the song "Green Door" hundreds if not thousands of times when I was a child of 8, because that was the only song the radio was playing back then (I even remember Gisele MacKenzie http://www.incredibletvandmovies.com/gisele.html and Snooky Lanson doing it on YOur hit Parade in '58), I didn't realize that at the time because instead of a green door, they had a blue curtain. Gisele and Snooky were, to the best of my knowledge, S1 patrons either. So I would I know? And while I do not recall any laughing or piano playing coming from behind the green door.. I mean, blue curtain.. I think I may have heard a round of applause once or twice. "Wow! All those people in that little cubbyhole/hallway!" Hey, I was just a dumb engineer working at a place the employees called "Huge Aircrash Company" in Culver City. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVlcqMLMbVA

There's an old piano
And they play it hot
Behind the green door
Don't know what they're doin'
But they laugh a lot
Behind the green door
Wish they'd let me in
So I could find out
What's behind the green door

@ From the front door - I meant to say - scheeesh I shouldn't post things before I've had my "ines" - caffine and nicotine - LoL

My name is Philip Riley and I was one of the original crew frin the furst nught Studio One opened it's doors. I was at the front door for a while, then at the Backlot entrance door and finally assisted Steve Applegate in the Backlot. Steve is the reason I'm posting this. We were best friends and are now in touch quite often and Steve expressed a desire to hear from any and all the guys that worked there but especially from our customers for the Backlot Shows. Steve as you remember WAS the backlot - He was there from the day it opened and stayed on as matre'd in black tie for 10 years - really there would never have been such a wonderful showroom with all the stars if it wasn't for Steve - So any of you who remember him and have stories to share please email me here or at themadpen@hotmail.com and I will forward your response to Steve so that he can get in touch with you. Stars, managers, agents, photographers and all industry people are invited to write to him. He'll really appreciate it and so will I. Phil -

PS If any photographers have the shot of Steve and I escorting Bette Davis down the backlot steps that appeared in the LA times - we'd love to have a copy.

If they plan on making it a success again they should open with acts in the backlot. It's all part of Studio One always has been. I am in contact with Manny he was DJ for almost 10 years. I know enough of the right people that can contribute to helping if they offer it. Consulting them since I was Mgr 6 months after it opened I'm open too. Should be interesting. Guess we'll wait and see.
Jack

I hope so - I'll be back for the opening; I wonder how they will do this without the backlot?

In any event, whoever is doing this: How about a grand opening event over a period of weeks with guest DJs that actually played in the club? They could promo it by the years open, and follow the music that was played in those timeframes - I'm game!

Just was told by a good source that the building that Studio One had, has been sold, From what my source has told me they are planning to revive much of what it once was, So too quote my source she ain't dead she's making a come back. I will let you know more as I get more. They are even planning on cute guy bartenders with sexy shorts again. Where did I see that once. They seem on the right track just hope they do it right
former Mgr

Ken, They donated the Studio One T-shirts left over after the Party sorry I can't get you one.
Jack

From the days the doors first opened Studio One made history and gave us all the most exciting days of our lives. Since I was there almost every single night I can truly say it was magical!!!

Just wonder if maybe all the pictures can be placed in one area of this site...there are many at the top, some in the middle and some WAY down near the bottom.
Is this possible?

Hope you all are doing well and enjoying this great site that some thoughtful man put together for us.

Gary M

Jack

Can I get that email address too? I want to buy some t shirts also.

Thanks

Britton and John were part of the crew of the 70s - sorry about that!
Phil

Hi Everyone - Does anyone know the where-abouts of Moses - a waiter in the backlot during the 70s. I was told that he had a restaurant in San Diego.And I'm still trying to find Britton Cole and John McCumber - part of the crew from the 60s too.
Thanks

Phil, I will email you the guys that did the Studio One Night Party.
Jack W

Does anyone know the people who put together last years "Studio One" Night? - I'd like to buy a few T-shirts if they are still available.

Some of you have asked me about the art work that Vivian Walker did in my bird store. Here is one shot of Muhammed Ali in my shop and the picture behind him is a floor to ceiling likeness of King Tut that Vivian painted. He actually painted the entire shop and hall leading into it with an Egyptian theme as we were called "Pyramid Birds".

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2029741&l=6492e543b7&id=1313374122
Gary Mortimer

Hi..I was one of the few lesbians that came to
Studio One in the early years of it's existence.
I knew Steve Appelgate really well and would like
to know how he is doing.
I can be reached at dovieula@hotmail.com Steve
always made me feel at home there and I am glad that
I knew him for those few years. Steve if you are out there email me.
Judye Best

Just curious. Who is "managing" this site? Is it possible that maybe a link can be put on it so we can go right to the latest comments and not have to scroll thru the whole thing?

And I wonder if maybe ALL the pictures could be put in on place?

Just a thought.

Robin, Yes, Dennis your uncle was the mgr of Studio One back in 1978. He went by the name Dennis Hunt but I think his real name was Dennis Haulting. When I gave my notice Dennis took my place as mgr.
He managed for about 3 years.
Jack former mgr

Hey "Mad Pen". How do I contact you? I was the original bartender in the BackLot and Vivian Walker painted the inside of my business that I had about the same time. I only have pictures of what he painted, but it was awesome. Let me know if you want me to send you those pics.

Gary

A piece of West Hollywood Gay history. A Studio One sign I recently acquired. *Thanks Sandra & Billy*
My favorite dance club and a major party of my younger days!

How do I upload a pic to this?

Anyone know what happened to Robert Gilmour, the guy who took thousands of pictures at the club in the 70s? Email me at themadpen@hotmail.com if you do. Thanks, Phil

Hey Edvin, I remember you. It's Alex and I started working at Studio One in the early 90s, a year or so before Scott sold it to C.C. Construction Co.

I was one of the "flyer boys" along with Damon and James, passing out the "free passes" on Santa Monica Blvd. and San Vicente, LOL, till 10:45 pm and then Scott would make us come in and work the back door and/or coat check. I remember my first Halloween at Studio and I was coming to work in costume, big afro and in drag, and the line was going around the block and you stopped me at the door and said very politely, "M'am, there's a line." And I go "It's me, Edvin, I work here," and you went "Oh MY GOD!" hahaha. And you were always asking if this friend of mine named, Dawn, had any pot. I remember Nick and his mustache and the piece he used to pack strapped to his side.

And I remember that staff meeting when Scott called all of us together and announced that he had sold the club and broke down. If I remember correctly it was sometime in December because shortly thereafter we down to Mark Gallo's soon to be opened lounge/restaurant called "Checca" that was not only a closing party for Studio, but also a Christmas party.

I remember a time in the front office and Scott was telling me, "Why don't you butch it up a little? I was driving by the corner and saw you standing there, looking like a nelly-queen, with a cigarette in one hand and a Studio pass in the other," to which I replied, "well, they take 'em don't they?" LMAO. He couldn't argue with that!

Even though this was the tail end of Studio's glory days, I was able to get a taste--albeit vicariously-- from all the stories from Scott and some of the bartenders that worked there back in the day.

I remember Jeff Phillips who worked the front door with Sandra, and Patrick who was one of the bar backs. Also, Bernardo, one of the busboy that was there from the beginning, or at least close to it, he was still working there in 2003-4. And Dhani who was the jr. accountant was my roommate during that time. I remember Ruthie working in the office during the day.

Jordan, I remember you, too, although I think you quit shortly after I starting working there. I also remember Mike, Bob, Rod, Georgina, Dani who were all bartenders either for Studio or Girl Bar, because I would drink coke by the gallons and would always pester them.

I didn't really appreciate it back then, but today I realize what an honor it was working at a place that's left behind so many happy memories for many people. There were a few times that weren't so happy for us behind-the-scenes and it was hard work to always be working on weekends, every holiday, and ALL GAY PRIDE events, but I wouldn't trade my time at Studio for anything.

So sorry I missed the 2009 reunion but this is the first I've heard about it.

To all those who wondered why Scott sold the business it was because towards the mid-90s, Studio One was no longer a lucrative venture. People were jaded, music had changed, and the young crowd that made the place a happening spot during the "M & M" nights were now of age and going to places like Rage, Probe, and Mickey's.

The newer crowd of 18 and over never paid to get in, because we were passing out the "free admission before 11" passes, and they couldn't buy alcohol, so again the club would lose money even though it would be packed on "18 and over" nights to beyond capacity. The techno music was a turn off to regulars and other patrons and so the club went into a further tail-spin. It also gained a rep as being a "teeny" bobber club and many felt like it had become passe, feeling too sophisticated for all that.

Eventually, C.C. Construction Co. from Palm Springs, CA, bought the place thinking they had a goldmine--based on the name recognition of "Studio One" and the fact that it was crowded whenever they would come into town--always after 11pm. But Scott had the last laugh because after he sold it, we went dark for two-weeks, they had the club reconstructed, changed the name to "Axis," and named Sandy Sachs, owner of Girl Bar general manager.

And though they had a few hit nights it stumbled badly and never regained the glory of its heyday.

Prologue:
I ran into Scott at 24-hour fitness towards the end of the 90s and he was still a horn-dog, LOL, but he would always ask me if I've seen this person or that person and how everyone was. In fact he started doing a night at the club--either still "Axis" or now "Factory"--called "Campus"and asked me if I wanted to help him run it. But I had to decline because I had a regular 9 to 5 and couldn't possible run a nightclub, even if only on Thursday nights, not get home until 3am, and then go to my day job.

Not too long after that, I learned of Scott's death through a friend who read it in the obituaries. I was very shocked and saddened by it. He was a sweet man.

Sorry to have written so much but reading all the comments and seeing the pics of the club brought back a flood of memories. ;)

What GREAT memories of hosting at The Back-lot and writing reviews for NIGHTLIFE MAGAZINE as TEA WITH BRUNO in the 80's and 90's. I SO miss Charles Pierce, Big ED, Wayland and Madame. What a GREAT Memory Lane you have here!!

Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Safe!!!

BRUNEAUX

I'm still searching for Britain Cole or his lover John McCumber - Brittain worked at the front door with me from 1974-1978, had an impish smile - curly hair - please email me at themadpen@hotmail.com if you have any leads - Thanks Phil Riley

I have to say that my time at Studio One was the best of my life. It was 1977/78. I remember the elevator up to a place that I could never have imagined..the doors opening and the heat coming from the dance floor. I can still see all those perfect bodies with no shirt on and the planet saturn in neon above the dance floor. Damn, they just don't make clubs that fun anymore. I got to see Waylond, Bernadette Peters, Sally Kellerman, Carol Burnette...and I remember dancing next to Cary Grant. I worked at Joe Allen and spent some time at 8709...(thats another story). I just want to thank everyone that worked there...you are the best!! I wish I could capture that magic from a time that will never be again. I miss my friend Gary Bozick, I know he was very sick, and I lost him. I can only say that knowing I danced at Studio One makes for NO REGRETS. I live in Key West now, home of the former "MONSTER"...now that was some club too!! Happy trails to everyone from a more special time!! If anyone knows a Neil Bell tell him Space Captain Mark from Joe Allen sends his love....
Mark

Any status on the Studio One documentary?

re the 1984 exotic dancers, was that when Sylvester performed?

I was just kidding above, btw. :)

Ernest,The bartenders name is John Colletti he is still alive and well. You might be able to google him.
Jack W

If you get them, can I have copies? ;)

could anyone give me the name of the bartender that had the albino streek in his moustache and who also had a photo studio in Marina del ray.Im a former model and would love to get my hands on those pics. I was also one of the exotic dancers in 1984 at studio one. It would be great to blow my friends minds of those nudes of me when I was 19 get a hold of me at suave_350@hotmail.com or respond here

Here is a photo from 1988 when I worked as a doorman. Love you guys!...
<img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1124/4726233219_9af83d0dbc_b.jpg" width="666" height="954" alt="Studio One West Hollywood" />

Does anyone know how to find anything on tape of Les Stevens ( Craig Seeley ). He was the funniest act I have ever seen. I was so sad when he died. I saw him many many times and always someone was videotaping him. First he was with the Lovely Carol, and then that horrible magician and Chi Chi "It's magic" and then Sheila Sands. I so badly want to hear him again. I loved the part in the act when he would talk about the Chuckwagon Buffet "All you can stand really" and Pablo in the kitchen working his fingers to a bloody stump. I miss you Craig, thank you for making me laugh till I cried.

I worked at this club in the 80's. I met Olivia Newton John, Carl Reiner and his wife, Wayland & Madam, Michael J. Fox and a host of other actors, singers and porn stars. I think you had to be good looking for Forbes to hire you because all of the guys working there were always hot. I remember Halloween and the White Party. In my time Studio One was not that big of a deal to me and was just another bar but, now that I am looking back, it was one of the best times in my life. I have forgotten the names and faces of those I worked with. Sorry. Everyone was wearing tight jeans, T shirts, parachute pants, high tops and boots, long feathered hair. The guys really knew how to look good and took pride in themselves and their clothes during those times. I got laid so many times from there and after working hours going home. Next to Carols on Halsted this bar had the best dance floor and music I ever danced at. It is sad to see Forbes has died so young. He is someone you never forget and helped a lot of guys get started working in L.A.

Hollywood isn't the same good fun today and has turned rather creepy but back during the Studio One days, having too much fun was a reality! Thank you very much for bringing back some great memories and warm nostalgic feelings. I wish at times I could live it once again, even for just one night:)

I just stumbled across this site. I worked off duty security at Studio 1 now and then in the mid 80's when they had special events and Scott was on his cop kick. I still have fond memories of Big Ed and all the great people who worked there and played there.

What amazing memories!!!!!

The very first gay night in Disneyland was sponsored by Studio One and took legal steps to secure the space for us. I'd love as much info about that as possible. I vaguely remember 1975 or 76. It was spectacular, a book's worth or stories. Please contact me with anything you remember.

Thanks,

Jim

Studio One Disco Nightclub - West Hollywood on FACEBOOK

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=nf&gid=68745887988

Odyssey 1 Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124284430439

Brian,
I used to go to the Hard Rock Cafe on San Vicente and Beverly when Jerry was in school and bartending there and get soused for free. Jerry was such a sweetheart.

1988 Studio One Tour on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7WvfyqCJFI

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I don't know where Jerry Leeds is. He was going to USC from New Jersey

Where is Jerry Leeds?

Studio One was so FUN!
Some highlights include seeing DIVINE perform Live there. Seeing the play "Rocky Horror Show" at the Backlot" and being in a disco scene from "Can't Stop the Music" that was filmed there. Remember Allen Carr? Roger LeClaire was a friend of mine and taught me a lot about photography and he also took some great pics of me as well. Had my 21st B-day at Odyssey, were I handed out quaaludes. Many fun times at that Bowling Ally turned Roller Disco (turned Sav-On) also.

Here's a pic of me and some pals from back in the day that you might remember.

I'm on the left, John, Larry (who worked at a float tank place in West Hwd) Jerry Leeds (USC) and Bruce Anderson

wow. that's about all i can say. i lived in West Hollywood from June '79 through the end of 1980 and worked at the old Ah Men store on San Vicente and Santa Monica. i went to SO a few times, but tended to hang out at the Blue Parrot and Probe the most, as well as 'church' at Greg's Blue Dot. god those were the days, right? i can see all of those bright smiling faces, and bodies, just enjoying the hell out of life. anyone remember a guy named Stanley? he was a roller-skating black guy, a fixture along the blvd and all the clubs. for some reason, he's about the only name i can remember. i was at the Mother Lode on their opening night. i went with my best friend. we had spent the day moving him into his new lovers house, and Andy had given up a great apartment to do so. just as we were entering, Earl, his new lover, came stumbling out smooching some stranger, lol. Andy and I just looked at each other like, 'here we go again.' i LOVED that time of my life-seeing Martha Raye every time i ambled over to the Garden District, wandering into Circus Books, my first porn store ever, Cher's roller skating disco just down the street from my apartment on Holloway Drive. MDA... Ah Men was quite a hoot to work in-i moved to LA right after i graduated from Vassar, so i had led a bit of a sheltered life, although i had partied in Manhattan quite a bit. But we had 'stars' come in the store almost every day, Charo, Sylvester Stallone, Barbara Baine, Barry Manilow. i was so naive, we sold "Bite the Pillow" novelty gifts, and i had no idea, NO IDEA what that meant!

thanks for the memories everyone. i'm going to check this site out again. i'm a reclusive artist in connecticut now, i rarely see anyone except for the grocery store delivery people, and this site has reminded me of a very, very different time in my life. you can check out my art here. so much of my the way i see the world, can be traced back to those 2 years that really opened my eyes. i visited LA in 1985, five years after i moved back East, and a mural i had done in my apt was still on the wall! i could see it clearly through the open window of whomever was renting it at the time. i couldn't believe a rental apt had left it all those years and all those renters that had lived there. i bet the building isn't even there anymore.

peace people!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artbycasey/

Photo of me and a friend at the Backlot working the door.

To the old Studio One fans as well as the Probe card carrying members of the late 80s and 90s, Happy New Year and may nothing but good memories be the only baggage you carry into the 2010s.

Ron,

You've got the place I wrote about. Alpha Beta on SM and Fairfax. The Stampede was across the street.

I believe there is a mortuary or something like it at the old locale.

Ron E. You walked to Safeway (where Pavilions is now) to get limes and such.
Alpha Beta was at Fairfax and SM Blvd all the way in East West Hollywood. A few times I was waiting for a show to start and every one was busy so I went over and got lemons and limes.

Ya Arnie it was Alpha Beta on the corner when I had to buy stuff for the bars at Studio I would have to run up the block and across the street and I remember the nice looking guy behind the deli counter then next thing I knew he was on General Hospital, he disappeared from Alpha Beta shortly after that. Too bad huh?

Dave,

Unfortunately you were not unique. A friend of ours from Amsterdam tried to go by himself and was also denied entrance. He went with us the following night and had no problems thereafter. Murphy's Law applies everywhere. Fortunately, it was not the norm.

Sorry you missed out on Studio. However, your own Troc and the I-Beam were great spots for many years. They were must stops for Royd and I everytime we went up North which was usually 10 times a year. We had season tickets to the SFO Opera in the Fall and also went in the Summer.

Oh, Le Fun Le Fun. Toujours Le Fun.

Dave I checked ID's and I would have let you in, I was there from 88-89 must have been earlier then that. Sorry you missed it, something everyone should have experienced.

I came down from San Francisco once and went to Studio One, but they would not accept my British Passport as an ID, so I never got in. Never had that problem at the Troc, Cabaret After Dark or the I-Beam in The City. That was kind of sad as the place was legendary even up north.

Randy Goss-- it's very faint but I do remember him because of the last name. There was an upscale restaurant on Chicago's South Side called the Franklin House, owned by a corner neightbor of our (nicest house on the block) Frank Goss. No relation as I recall. About the extent of my memory right now, except I do have something every so faint about the Ice Capades... did I just have a flashback memory of a "Joey Goss?" Very very faint if I did.

Anyone remember a blond Steven who lived up a steep street in West Hollywood, I think it was Larrabee St., around 1978? He put together a coffee table book that featured upscale gift ideas. Can't remember the title. One night he invited me and his friend Rusty over to party. Rusty, who was blond and from Arkansas, is one of the all-time handsomest guys I've ever met. Anyone remember Rusty?

Patrick, did you know a guy named Randy Goss? I met that exceptional looking young man in '77 at a Chicago club. He'd been skating for the Ice Capades but they had just let him go. He was taking it pretty hard.

Also Patrick, did you know two guys in Indianapolis who owned this great 8-story home (I think it was 8) and had a blow-out affair every year with guests from all over the country? One floor of the house was a big ballroom that had a balcony that extended around the entire room. Very nice, soft-spoken guys.

This site does my heart so much good -- conjuring up wonderful memories of friends and good times, and giving everyone a glimpse into every poster's life, history, past affairs and experiences. It puts a smile on my face. I love hearing everyone's memories and stories.

Hey Joe,
Did you see the photos of you I posted? I was the guy in Santa Barbara at Brooks Institute (we met at Studio One). I did the photoshoot.
-David Minichan

I worked at Studio in the early '80's as head waiter & maître d' in the Backlot - will have to find my employee ID for date I started ...plus I will have to find the photos and scan from Rose De Castro ...Joe Garcia

Memories of good Van McCoy at the Bistro in Chicago. I had had my own reworking of that one line from the song, "Be a Hustler!" As I recall, nobody at the time thougth that was funny but me. I still think it is. It was so true-- which is probably the exact reason, now that I think of it, why none of my friends at the Bistro in Chicago (which included a sweet little Native American boy who was called Jimmy, later to be a John Wayne Gacy victim) thought it was funny.

Something I'll always remember and get a kick out of is telling my nieces and nephews of the hours that I spent at Studio One doing The Hustle. It is such a riot looking back and remembering how everyone would just jump in line and hustle for what seemed like hours.

There is a video on You Tube of a Filipino jail that has the prisioners film videos of group dancing to MJ's Thriller and Queen's greatest hits. It just makes me chuckle remembering that phase of my life at Studio.

Walter & Alex, of course, and the Gallery Room East!

Larry's -YES! on Melrose.
The Line Up and the Tool Box on SM and the One Way!
Oh the Hayloft! And the Corral Club! I "spent" many a day and night at the Corral Club!
I had a business down a few doors from the old Basic Plumbing on Fairfax, and we used to find condoms and empty popper bottles all over our parking area. I had a lover then, so I could not stalk the parking area for tricks! Bummer!
The Meat Rack and MB Club.
I am glad you brought up all those old places!
Maybe some of us should get together and write our own book about those days?

That very nasty bar under the 10 Freeway was where they filmed lots of porn films!@ I never did any of those then (but maybe should have?). I did however...well, I appeared in one a few years back for a company in Palm Springs, but that is another story...that I might share with you privately! LOL

Thank you Gary, Arnie, Patrick,

The Gallery Room. Oh yes. It was owned by Walter and Alex. They also owned the Gallery Inn in the Valley. They used to have a white Cadillac convertible with the plate reading WALEX. I met some wonderful people there. Lots of interior designers and artsy people. Billy Schmidt, Michael Nicola, Roger Franks, Steven Chase, Ed Blood, Jimmy Piccote, Gary Faber who owned "La Plume D'Or". I was in my early 20's and drank sweet drinks. I still do, can't stand the taste of whiskey or whatever. I remember I would walk in and the bartender...one of them was Leo, the other a very tall very sexy Latino who had bartended at the Bitter End West... would fix my Screwdriver and have it ready for me at the bar. I would go to the jukebox and play Dinah Washington's Unforgettable. Harbor Lights, which I did not like, was the "B" side. There was also a waiter, a cute English man who not too long after starting there became a porno star.

And the Sunday brunches at Harry Weiss’ (I think that was his name…a short little man…attorney who always wore a hat) Tower Road estate. Always what seemed like a couple of hundred of the boys all eating on real china. Harry liked to be surrounded by pretties. Somehow someone always asked me to come along.

Arthur J's. I always had the Denver omelet. There was this old very thin white haired waitress with glasses who walked on her tip toes. She had either been a ballerina or had some serious foot problems.

The place with the back entrance was "Larry's" on Melrose. There was a gas station on one of the two corners. I spent many a night there in the private upstairs area learning lots of new “things” that I had not even read about. The Line Up which was on Santa Monica almost on the corner of Western. It had a side entrance. It was very leather poster looking. A Tom of Finland kind of bar. And the Tool Box on SM and the One Way on Hoover with the Eurotech music which I found so energizing. The place in the Valley with the porno was the Hayloft. And the Corral Club on Cahuenga, my first bath house. And then, of course, LA's own versions of the Mineshaft...Basic Plumbing on Fairfax, The Meat Rack on SM & Vermont and the MB Club on Melrose near Normandie.

How we ever managed to survive and live to e-mail about these institutions of lust, debauchery, thrills and oh so much fun is a miracle.

There was also a very nasty bar on La Cienega under the 10 Freeway that was a sex maniac's paradise. Somehow, back then I think most of us were sex maniacs we just did not realize it. The Jaguar on Sundays was wonderful if you could make your way all the way to the back into the meat locker. Nowadays just thinking about it is enough sex for a month.

C'est la vie.

Oh one last place. There was a drag bar on either Hollywood or SM near Western called The Honey Bucket. I remember going there with my crazy friend Jim. We had smoked come cannabis before hand. The show was such a hoot, or so we thought, that we could not stop laughing and were thrown out. Some of those boys took their lip syncing too seriously. We were young and foolish.

Good old Arthur J's. Dare I say what that place used to be noted for? I went in once or twice (back in the early 80s when I lived in Westwood, and wanted a change from the Winchell's on Crescent Heights-- weekend bloody punk rockers in the area were beginning to get to me) just to see for myself, and it seemed just like any Denny's or any other diner of the sort at the time. Maybe that was all more fiction and fact, and what really did happen along those lines happened in the street on SM Blvd. I've heard stories of who used to drive up and down the street at that time, looking for ..... but will never tell. Let the dead rest in peace, as the saying goes.

Thanks for the walk down (Alzheimers) memory lane.

A couple of things:
1. Oddly, this just popped into my head this morning as I drove past. The market that was on the NE corner of Fairfax and Santa Monica was Alpha Beta. Today it is a Whole Foods.
2. The coffee shop referred to on Highland and Santa Monica was Athur J's
3. Yes, the Gallery Room was on the corner of Crescent Heights and Santa Monica. That whole strip mall will shortly be torn down to become a huge Walgreen's and some housing.
I'm glad I still have my memory because I should have taken pictures and become a Gay Historian.

OMG, Ed. What memories. Glad you brought them UP!
I sure as hell recall the Stampede, the Detour and of course David & Goliath's!! I remember being in D&G, sitting at the bar, and the nude dancers actually had hard-ons!! Delicious!!
And there was some club around the corner from that place that I think was a lesbian bar, but we went in a few times to dance or something. I heard that Debbie Reynolds used to send some gal in to pick up tricks for her there! Who knew? (Can I be sued here for slander???)
Did you ever go to the Gallery Room on Santa Monica and Crescent Heights I think was the cross street?
We always closed the Gallery Room after walking the boulevard and hitting all the gay bars. And let me tell you...things went on right inside the door to many of those places that would make a sailor blush...well, maybe not a sailor (I was one!), but I mean it was blatant sex right in front of everyone to see and enjoy!
And of course Cuff's and Basic Plumbing.
And some big club in the valley where they played porno on the big screen and there was an upstairs? And a bath house near there too...not that I would ever go to a bath house! Hahahahah.
And speaking of Western...there was also a gay bar there where you had to go in the back door through the alley and show ID and pay to get in...and talk about free sex IN the bar, ON the bar, UNDER the bar. WHEW. Pig heaven!
I also ate many times at Theodore's. Once, Bobby Gentry was there at the table next to us and asked me to pass her the bottle of katsup! (Many years later, she was a customer of mine).
Too bad we can't all go back to those early days and relive them all again.
Gary

I must confess, Ed, that I don't know any of the places of which you speak either, because during those years, I was studying philosophy with the "Chairman" at the U of Chicago. I didn't get to LA until April 1977 or then abouts, on an Amtrac $150 2-week "USA RAIL PASS." Got off the train in downtown LA and had no idea where I was going. All I knew I wanted to see the "Sunset Strip" that Edward "Kookie" (a good name for him in recent years! :) Byrnes had immortalized on the TV Show 77 Sunset strip.
Took a Sunset bus and found the spot. The most exciting place I'd ever been in my live-- the whole damned city, actually. On the way this old dude warned me about "homosexuals" on Santa Monica Blvd. a few blocks away. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself, but thanks dude!" was my reply. Haha! :)
Within the hour I'm standing in line on LaPeer and an hour or two after that I meet a wonderful guy who made one appearance on the Waltons, named Ben Wilson. The rest is history.
If you're interested in that Chairman character, do a google search on these words: "Mckeon semantics." I still have tape recording of McKeon's lecture on open reel tape. I'm looking for an old 10 1/2 inch machine so I can play them one more time and make a digital copy. Many lectures I already have typed out. In brief, McKeon had figured out the various ways in which different people put knowledge together and had mapped it all out. He never published this stuff. It's unlikely Pirsig ever quite figured out what McKeon was really up to. But I can tell you this: when he was asked by McKeon what his "substantive filed of study" was, "Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance" (rather than English Composition or philosophy) is the answer that would have gotten him into the Ph.D. program at the University of Chicago.
Pirsig's was definitely a book of the later 20th century. McKeon's thought, if I can get it published, is the path (if there is one) to the 22nd century.

The good old days.

I must say it is nice communicating with people who know what the hell I'm speaking about.

For years I've spoken about The Stampede and no one seemed to know WTF I was talking about. If I'm right, it was almost on the corner of SM and Fairfax. There was a market or something on the north side of the street with a large parking lot. There is something else there now but the same parking lot. That was my first gay bar. I was underage (I did experience that stage in life) and going to UCLA. I would park my midnight blue GTO with power windows in that parking lot and watch these men whom to me seemed to be Gods of Valhalla go in. I itched to get in line with them. This was always after hours. After several months of nervous and very horny anticipation I decided to try and get in. The doorman looked at me and asked me if I was with the sailor. I had no idea of what he was talking about nor do I have any idea now. I was so nervous that I’m sure that’s what he said. More than likely he just said “Go in”. It was hot and sticky and crowded with real men who were grown up, unlike my floor mates in Sproul Hall, and "Can't Help Myself" by the 4 Tops was blasting and I almost had a walking wet dream. I was home.

Things are so different nowadays that kids have no idea of how daring and risky and rule breaking and thrilling that first step many of us took into our real life actually was. Anyone remember the "Lavender Nights" at some theater on Western & Melrose (I think) where they showed the worst soft gay porn? I seem to remember it was always like midnight and always a long line behind some building. Or David & Goliath's on Melrose. It was a restaurant on one side and a cruise bar on the other. I believe it was owned by Marcel who later had a bar where the Fubar is now and then owned "The Detour" in Silverlake. He used to called it "Le Detour". Or dancing at “The Farm” until closing and going to Theodore’s across the street for scrambleburgers or to the coffeeshop at the corner of SM & Highland. It had busy loo.

Well enough of this. By the way Patrick, I remember "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". It was like the book that "everyone" read or had read or had bought to read or held in one's hand as if they were reading it. That was in the last century. How weird is that?

Enough. Yes, it would be fun to meet some of you for coffee one of these days.

The GGRC!!! Oh....my....GAWD!! Do I remember that! I even used that acronym for parties I used to have at my house in Burbank years ago, when all my "sisters" and I would get together. But, I called it the GGBSC...the "Gay Girls BBQ and Swim Club"!

Talk about costumes! When one of the people went into the house for something, we never knew who or WHAT they would come back out dressed as! LOL

Gary

Hi Ed!
At the moment I am at the Carona Del Mar Starbucks in Zooport Beach. Since I have this habit of Staying for hours and hours-- also because I have a monthly bus pas and I LOVE sleeping in the rear corner of OCTA buses-- I rotate what coffee place I go to on a daily basis (San Clemente is where my computer and I sleep at night:). Sipology on Broadway in Long Beach is one of my favorites. Library in Long Beach OK too. But the "gay" coffee place in Long Beach (called Hot Java; but trust me, nobody in there is truly "hot," but don't tell them that ;) I have a problem with. Coffee is just so so and the music is horrible (but from having gone in there a number of times, and seeing and hearing the "adult contemporary" videos (enabling me at long last to connect names with music I've been hating for years), I now have a great comic line: "Was that a Harley that just went by? Or did someone have Tracy Chapman turned way up on their car stereo?"). Also, if you spend too much time at Hot Java, the ugliest guys in there will think you're stalking them. I'm NOT making this up! And no, I never "stalked' anyone there! LOL!
I love going to WeHo, but it's a nearly 5 hour trip for me each way. Have to leave by 5 PM at the latest, else my computer, my bicycle, and I risk getting stranded in Long Beach all night.
Lucien I learned about from an old prefessor of my known to many as "The Chairman of the Committee for the Analysis of Ideas and the Study of Methods (so identified, correctly, in Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance).
Love to meet for coffee sometime! Maybe some Saturday morning I can leave early and make it to Weho by late morning. ;)

Patrick,

OK. I did go the website and started listening to The Searchers and went. Whoa!!! Thanks for the explanation. Now I get it.

Lucian...that's going a long long way back. Good satirist also.

By the way...34th & Vine is found in Coos Bay, Oregon.

I'm in LA...Where are you?

Hey! Thanks for the response. But what you need to understand when reading many of my comments is that I'm a sort of comedian who never made it in Hollywood (the fact that I never tied might have something to do with that).So when I spoke of "history" before, I meant in the sense of the "true history" of 2nd century satirist Lucian of Samosata.

I did a little checking, and have concluded there really isn't a 34th and Vine in Hollywood. It seems there is one in Ohio somewhere, and that may be the one in the song Love Potion Number Nine. Just so you have it for reference:

LOVE POTION #9
(Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller)

Recorded by : Jewel Akens; Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass;
Beau Nasty; Blue Stew; Elkie Brooks; The Clovers; The Coasters;
The Countdown Singers; Neil Diamond; The Downliners Sect;
Ian Gillan; Herman's Hermits; Kerry Hodgkin; Inga; The Javelins;
Hansel Martinez; MDC; Mike Pender's Searchers; The Searchers;
The Surfaris; Tygers Of Pan Tang; The Ventures.

I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She's got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine

I told her that I was a flop with chicks (*)
I've been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
She said "What you need is Love Potion Number Nine"

She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
She said "I'm gonna make it up right here in the sink"
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like India ink (*)
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink

I didn't know if it was day or night
I started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine

I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink

I didn't know if it was day or night
I started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine
Love Potion Number Nine
Love Potion Number Nine
Love Potion Number Nine

I meant Patrick. See what I mean by youth. I have no idea why I addressed it to Bernie.

Bernie,

34th & Vine???? I'll watch. I remember Frieda was a member of a group, I believe it was the GGRC (Golden Girls Riding Club) or something like that. They used to have these great costume parties (perhaps it was Halloween) at the Palladium on Sunset. I recall one of the last ones my better half and I went to. We had parked just south of Vine & Selma. We were in a "very good mood" and were having a great time with friends. One of them, Daryl, lived on Sycamore and Beverly and he suggested we all run over to his place to "freshen up". I volunteered to drive but when we got to our car I realized I had left the keys in my coat which I had checked in. So being in a "good mood" we decided to walk. In the wink of an eye we found ourselves back on the dance floor. It felt like we were only gone two minutes. Somehow we walked to Daryl's, refreshed ourselves, walked back to the Palladium and started dancing without even knowing it. When we realized what we had done we just could not stop laughing. What days those were. Nowadays just running downstairs to pick up the newspaper I feel I need a nap. Oh days of liberated youth. Fortunate to have had them and still have Royd by my side.

Fascinating story there Ed. I rather have a suspicion that the cop you refer to was stationed at 34th and Vine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rXhXLsNJL8&feature=fvw at 1:00-1:10 or so you can hear about this particular cop's role in gay and in law enforcement history.

Haha. Ah yes, Frieda! I remember "her" very well!
And the Garden District of course.
Thanks for the reminder Ed.

Gary,

The bar/restaurant on La Cienega with the front patio was the Garden District.
Martha Raye could always be found at the bar. One of their bar tenders was Frieda. Frieda was older and bald and used to be a well known drag queen. A friend, Tim Love, use to tell the story of the time a bunch of them went to Acapulco and were all sunning themselves at the gay beach. Frieda had " older hanging breasts". He had wrapped a towel, turban like, around his bald head to prevent a sunburn. A policeman walked over to the group and said "...Madam, you have to cover your breasts. This is not a nude beach." Frieda almost swallowed his dentures and the rest of the group could not stop laughing.

Hey Charlie!

Sorry we didn't get to chat at the party. I met Jack Wheeler there and much of the evening chatting with him and his friend Andy, and Phil Riley (another original). I wonder if we would have recognized one another?

Did you see the pics from the party yet? There are over 120 pictures. What a trip. There is a shot on the first page of Jack Wheeler and myself and Jack's friend Andy. Jack and I are both wearing the new Studio One t-shirts. I might have to grow my beard back for the next party and of course I'd have to DYE it too! ARGH! Such is life.

I hope to see more remarks here from people who went to the party in October.

Peace!

Gary

The Studio one party was wonderful. Yes they could have done a lot of splashy stuff, go-go boys etc. but why would that be any different than any club now a days. You did not nor was there ever really all that fringe stuff just the music, the boys, and the dance in the big highschool gym...Studio one.

My partner and I and my friend Jeriann, who had gone with me to Studio one in the late 70's had a blast. Lots of smiling faces with all the decades represented and young ones jumping up and down dancing and singing along to the classics inquireing what is was like back in the day.

Those who are gone would have smiled and probably were wedged right in between us all. Great meeting you Jack Wheeler. Not sure if I saw you Gary. Palm Springs contingencey was there. My partner and I wore lace see through vintage 70's shirts, fry boots and retro flaired "Angel Flight" style pants. City counsel members were there celebrating. I recognized some of the bartenders including Rob Barnes who still works there who I used to dance with. Met Mark who is doing the documentary. I have an expression for the all natural sleeping pill...dancing your brains out to exhaustion and then getting a good nights sleep. and I did.

Wendy Hunt, My god, You were Miss throw the parties as a young teen. I still remember teaching Scott Cook how to dance and bringing him to one of your parties. He invented "Quick Book". I am so sorry about our friend Chris Cox who we lost in the early years of the epidemic. I know you were especially close. My twin Richard passed away in the late '80s as some others that you would have known. I see so many of our classmates...They actually are pretty cool considering how conservative our town was. I take my partner to reunions and everybody insist on us dancing along with the rest. Send me an e-mail.

Charlie Drayman
charlesdrayman@sbcglobal.net

Just saw Frontiers Magazine, vol 28, #13, and on page 56, there is my picture with Liza Minnelli, when I was the bartender in the Backlot at Studio One! Ah, those were the days! I wonder if I should grow the beard back? LOL

Hi Wendy, the first gay club I ever went to was the 1270, in 1971. I was 18 and fresh from the woods and potato fields of northern Maine. They were playing Diana Ross' "Surrender Your Love" when I walked in. I'll never forget the feeling of complete and utter joy that washed over me when I went there that first time. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Did you know a fellow named Grant Windsor? He was a handsome guy I met who invited me back to his place that first night at the 1270, a night I shall never forget. I moved to upper state New York after that (Word of Life Bible Institute...I know, I know, I was living a very conflicted life at that time...) and never got back to the 1270. I sure loved the experience of being there, though, my very first gay club experience. There were so many boy babes there, I couldn't believe it. That's also how I felt about Studio One when I first went there in 1977, six years later. The feeling was, "I'm home, I'm home."

Wendy, I listed the 1270 as one of the discos on this (disco club listing) site, but I didn't leave much info because I never really learned much about the club from my brief experience there. Do you think you might access the 1270 listing on this site and share a bit about the club? I for one would really enjoy seeing that. You sound like the perfect source of info for the "1270."

Jack, I've never met you, and I didn't get to attend this recent "Studio One, One More Time" event (although I did purchase a ticket ahead of time), but I would love to attend the next one and the idea of you filling the place so that the boys are hanging from the rafters sounds great. I hope they seek your advice for the next event. I believe your input would make all the difference in the world. They'd be crazy next time around to leave you out of the loop.

Ron
Just read what you had too say about the party. I couldn't agree with you more. A party that size must be advertised. I think they did this on a shoe string budget. I would have done it totally different but that's because of my experience as mgr. Thanks for talking with me and for all your kind words, you are a treasure. I have emailed Marvin who was behind the party and haven't heard back from him. I certainly would be available for consulting them for there next event. I could fill that club with so many guys they would be sitting in the rafters. I saw a number of things that I would change back immediately.
When I come back to L.A. would like to have lunch with you and talk more. Here is my email. desertwheels@yahoo.com

Ron Hamil
It was so nice to have met you at the Studio One party last weekend. You sure are interesting to talk too. We go back a long way baby and you look great. The party was well worth the wait, hope they have more. Take care.
Jack

These are very serious criminal charges you're making, I will have you know, cracka! Has the statute of limitations against Scott (personally) and the establishment (in terms of its liquor license) run out? Hmmm... without even checking, I would imagine so. In a way that makes me happy, :) in another it makes me sad :(

Started going to Studio One in 79. Steve Forbes was awesome!!! He knew I was underage and never kicked me out! Got in free all the time from TJ and David Ramono (I think that's his name)! Met so many fun people and saw so many great shows in the Backlot...even a Divine performance, which I think was in the main dance floor area. I'm surprised I can remember any of this considering all the drugs and booze I was FORCED to indulge in! LOL!

Did anyone spot former bartender Joe Garcia, or former bar boy (maybe something else later) John Kline?

Charlie,

Yes, I'm the same Wendy Hunt that you grew up with in La Crescenta (believe it or not, still in touch with Lorena King and Pete Swope). However, in the early-mid '60's, my mother remarried and I was moved to Massachusetts where I remained. In 1974, I started DJ'ing at the 1270 and then, the club of clubs (in Boston), the Metro. That's the "nutshell" version of the story anyway. These days, I'm in Ft. Lauderdale looking for a way out but I don't know where I'd go. At this point, a log cabin in the woods would be nice. People down here are just CRAZY!!

So, how did everyone else like the party??

Hi Ken. I bought two of those t-shirts from the Studio One site where they were selling tickets for the "event". And they were for sale at the club Saturday night.
Try the link to the Studio One, One More Time link and if you have trouble, let me know and I will send it to you. They sell white shirts with a blue log "Studio One, One More Time", and blue shirts with the same thing in white. I got one of each! LOL

Gary

Hey Gary,

You mentioned you wore one the new Studio One t-shirts you bought for the event. Are there Studio One t-shirts for sale? Where can I get one?

I forgot to mention that I hope the host of the party leaves details of the event on this site!

Studio One Night was wonderful. 9PM was kinda slow like it always was but a few hours later the dance floor was packed and part of the old spirit returned.You could tell by the looks of all the guys at the dance floor that they wished someone would revive the old club perminently. 35 years dropped away from me that night and the only thing that reminded me of my age were the stairs! I used to run up them without thinking but that night between dancing a few times and going out to have a cigarette I felt my age creeping up. A young 61 but still. . . then to top it off I was introduced to the photographer as the "Oldest studio One employee there" What the person introducing us meant was that I was the front doorman from opening night til 1979. I recognized guys who used to try to get in but they were underage and other regulars. The front bar was showing videos of the ealier days and I got to spend time with Gary Mortimer, the only other opening night original - And Jack Wheeler! Our manager! I wish he had been consulted for the event - he knows more about the spirit of the club than anyone.
I couldn't have made it til the younger guys started coming in after hours. But it would have been wonderful to see their faces as they felt the magic. Once a silent film star remarked that she was getting all this attention on the revival of her movie only because she was the last person alive from a Classic silent film. That's how I would have felt after hours. I kept imagining seeing much loved friends from the original crew who are no longer with us but was gifted by those who are still with us like Richard, Mike Solomon (one of the original owners and others.)The excitment could still be there for a new generation if somebody out there has the vision to do it. Great seeing everyone - especially Ron Harris too! Hope to be around for Studio One Night number 3!

Hi Ron. I was there also. I totally agree with you.
It should have been promoted better. (I met Jack Wheeler and his friend Andy there) and spent much of the night with them and Phil Riley and another guy who remembered everything about me when I was the bartender in the Backlot. I was VERY disappointed that the Backlot was closed to us, but I did ask the security guard to let me look into it...changed alot, another bar in that room but "my" bar looked pretty much the same.
For me, it was just another night at a dance club. It was great to hear the disco music we loved and there were some hot men there (one bartender was freakin HOT...but when I told him I was the original bartender in the Backlot, he said he said he wasn't even BORN YET! LOL).
I was hoping they would at least make some announcements about the night, maybe have the older bartenders gather in one spot so others could see us, show the club through the years, something like that. And have some entertainer of yore perform something! I finally left at 12:30 as I had to be up early Sunday morning. I wore one of the new SO t-shirts I bought for the event, had a couple beers and tried to find guys I knew. I met maybe 6 guys who remembered me! It was an ok night, but I was disappointed with alot of it. Mark, who is doing the documentary came up and said hello to Jack Wheeler and I, and he was there filming. He said the documentary might be finished in the spring...I sure hope so. Can't wait to see it. He interviewed me over a year ago for it. I missed the bigger dance floor, didn't like the frilly curtains in the front bar, but hey.."you can't go back" I guess. What should I expect after 30 years. Haha. If any of you remember me, come visit me on Facebook and drop a note.
Gary Mortimer (original Backlot bartender who opened the club...worked there about 3 years I think).
Peace everyone.

Sorry I missed the fun, I was gonna drive up but it just didn't happen. Please tell how the party was. I wanted to see all the bodies 20+ years since I have been there last.

I was there on Saturday night. The only one I recognized was Jack Wheeler. We spoke for a while about all kinds of things. I never worked for Jack because I started there in late 78 I think. I did recognize him though because he looked the same. The moustache was trimmed a bit but wow! The night was fun, but I think it was just not promoted correctly. There seemed to be several guys there from the later days of Studio One just before the name was changed to Axis. I would have gotten a performer for the the Disco and had the Backlot going with one of the performers that had once performed there like Julie Budd. The Campers could have done something too. I saw no promotion from this event other than this site. I have a constant list of promoters contacting me on my Facebook account regarding their events. I know this could have been a bigger night.
But I did have fun and that’s what counts. I had forgotten that I threw my Studio One shirt out because it was ripped and splattered with paint because I used it for work in the Backlot a long time ago. I did find my Odyssey shirt clean as can be but it had a hole in the back. Hey, I tried it on and it still fit great so I shouldn’t complain. LOL

This website was fun to read. I used to go to Studio One from about 1982 to the early 1990's. My friends and I had the same routine a lot of you did. First to Motherlode to get a few drinks, then off to Studio One, then to the Probe after 2:00am. I miss those days. I still have my Studio One ID!

Here are some of my recollections of Studio One...
1.) That hallway in the middle of the bar to the bathrooms. There were photos hanging on the wall of celebrities who had visited the bar. The ones I remember are of Kate Jackson, and another of Nancy Reagan and the Bloomingdales sitting in the Backlot.
2.) The aquarium in the Men's restroom. How many times did we witness "out-of-towners" mistakenly think the round sink under the aquarium was a urinal? hahaha
3.) Dancing and dancing on that huge dance floor with my friends. I met 3 of my West Hollywood boyfriends at Studio One!

I can't wait to hear how the party went. I live in Vegas now and didn't hear about it until it was too late.

Oh, I just re-read your words, Rick! Sorry about you losing Bill and that the 24th was your anniversary!
Sorry you won't be at the reunion. Where do you live now?

I met my lover John when I was the Backlot bartender and we were together 19 years. I lost him 16 years ago to pancreatic cancer. I have been single ever since.

If I had known we would be having a reunion all these years later, I would have saved those t-shirts, match books and other things to share now. Oh well. Who knew, huh?

But, I hope Mark is able to finish the documentary soon... can't wait to see everyone on film that used to work SO all those years ago and relive all the memories of that magical time in our lives.
Drop me a line sometime Rick.

I am sure there will be many comments here after tonight's shindig! Let's hope it will be a great time for all.
Gary

Hi Rick! Wow, I sure remember Chita opening her act with "Shame On You". She put the place on the map I think. Remember the t-shirts we had that said "TRASH" on them? That was from one of her songs too wasn't it? I don't recall now. But she loved the t-shirts and my lover, John, peeled his t-shirt off (that was all sweaty from him dancing all night) and gave it to Chita! We went to see her in Vegas and after her show there we went to her dressing room for a drink and she remembered him giving her that t-shirt.
I hope tonight is a great time for everyone who shows up...I'll be there. How would I know you Rick?

I was there in the beginning in1974. Bill Hileman was my roommate when he got a job as one of the the elevator boys. He was a tall 5'11" naturally blonde blue eyed Southern California boy that had his a** grabbed so much in that small elevator that he asked Scott Forbes to reassign him. He became a bar back where he met his first partner David Jeffries. David was about 5'6", so everyone referred to them as Mutt & Jeff.

I have great memories of dancing at Studio. I will write more later about Chita opening her act with Shame On You... when it was the #1 song being played in the Disco, The Halloween debut of the Cycle Sluts, the brilliance of Graig Russell's impressions.

I found Bill in 1997 and we became lovers until his death in 2003. Oct. 24 was our wedding date. I will be thinking of all of you and all those wonderful years of discovery At 'STUDIO' on the 24th. I wish I could be there.

So, I wonder how many of us "old" employees will be at the party tomorrow night? I guess getting there right at 9pm might be a good idea, if the place is going to be packed? I hope many of us recognize each other after all these years. Should be interesting.
I will take my digital and hope to get some good pics of the place and guys. I am sure Jack Wheeler will be here from Palm Springs. See you guys then!
Gary

just got home from hunters in palm spings. Looked around "studio one, studio one studio one! Spread the word about the reunion on the 24th. Got my ktickets today. O.K thanks for the e-mails. Isn't it wierd in the 70's we did not communicate on computers. See you in the 24th. If you want to get in touch my # is 310 595 4999. Friend reminded me ab out the lines outside and whether it was worth going in if the outside walls were pulsating and you could here people hoot'n and holler"n and their feet pounding on the floor!

Charlie Drayman

Good point Josh. I am just going back to see the old place and hopefully the Backlot where I worked in the beginning, and to hear (dance to?) the songs we knew back then. I sure hope some of us recognize each other, cuz the new "kids on the block" may wonder what all us old foggies are doing there! LOL
And if it is chilly, I sure hope there are some man's arms to wrap around me and keep me warm, if I am just wearing a SO t-shirt!
See ya all then@!
Gary

Well Josh, it may be true that its not an official reunion, but I see this as an opportunity to go back to the club - I'll likely never set foot in there again (just like I'd probably never do any of the WeHo clubs of my youth). But S1 was special, and if we can make it more special, and help the anti-prop-8 movement by forming our own reunion, then so be it.

BTW, if you are a supporter of anti-prop-8, you should check out the 2010 California Protection of Marriage act. Its a real ballot initiative to outlaw divorce. Following the lines of "if they want a real biblical mariage, then they should have real biblical marriage"... Its kinda funny!

C-ya all there on the 24th!

The party on October 24th sounds like it'll be a fun night with a chance to hear a lot of the songs I loved to dance to. For that reason alone I plan on attending. But no where does it say anything about this being a Studio One Employee Reunion. It's only on this site that people seem to assume that. In fact, I have seen very little promotion for this party. Does anybody know if there are any organized efforts toward this, or are we all just hoping to bump into one another once we're there?

Jack,
I'm sure your head will be spinning on October 24th. I am in San Jose for business and while driving up here yesterday I put in the cd's from the soundtrack to the movie 54 and did my own flashback to yesteryear. I'm sure there were drivers around me wondering whether or not they should call the Highway Patrol for the mad queen dancing in the car next to them!!!! I cannot wait to play Cerrone's "Love is the Answer" on the way back to LA and go even crazier.

Charlie Drayman You and I must have known one another or maybe even brushed shoulders back in the infamous 70's. Tony Randall has been a friend of mine for over 30 years. I recently emailed him and mentioned that you had written in and mentioned his name. We know many of the same guys, John Deeson, Micheal Grossman and several others you wrote in your message.In fact John Deeson installed all of our fish aquariums in 1976 during our remodeling. I will be there for this big reunion waring a Studio One T-shirt a bit older this time around than when I was manager of the club.I asked Tony if he would be coming to this party he said no. I believe there are many of us still around scattered all over the country. I have contacted several guys from my days and told them about this event too include the only owner still alive, he may be going, I'm still working on him. Well guys rest up this is sure too be a long night and I hope to meet as many as possible.
Jack Wheeler former MGR

No, but you just triggered a hilarious youthful memory of mine, of a variation of the "Jello" TV jingle (which went "and don't don't don't let the week go by without J-E-L-L-O, Jello!) some old straight drinking friends (who mostly drank wine) used to sing when they got drunk. ;)

Has anyone heard from or seen Mark Gallo?

One of many favorite Studio One/Backlot memories: After Geraldine Fitzgerald's opening night performance, Ray Stricklyn introduced me to Bette Davis and she autographed my Bette Davis LP, on which she sings such ditties as, "They're Either Too Young or Too Old," and "I've Written a Letter to Daddy."

Need I add, I still have that now technologically obsolete LP?

My guess is that the documentary still has a long road to travel before it reaches a TV or multiplex near you.

I spoke with Mark last month. At the time, he said he was putting together a reel for investors. My prayers and highest thoughts are with him. I'd love to see this documentary made.

Great post Charlie! So many memories. Funny you should memtion "After Dark" which became the Odessy. I worked up the street at what was "Oliver"...a restaurant with piano bar...I was one of the bartenders there. Its name was changed to After Dark, so there were two bars with the same name...no connection....very confusing I am sure! The owners of Oliver were friends of Johnny Mathis and he used to come in and drink as did many others. Martha Raye was a hoot...used to go to her house and drink. I think that is where Scott Forbes found me...maybe another club, but he asked me to come work for him at a "new dance club". I went, I saw, I said, "Ok, but I want to work the Backlot"! So, I opened Studio One. Oh those were the days. I too, met my lover of 19 years, at Studio One. We opened our own business so after a few years, I had to quit the bar as I couldn't party all night and work the business in the morning! I look forward to the party Oct 24th. I wonder how many of us "seniors" will know each other? But I know it will be a trip down memory lane. Does anyone know how the documentary is coming along? I have not heard from Mark since I was interviewed for it a year or two ago. I look forward to seeing Jack Wheeler (who was the the manager when I worked SO)...we met for lunch in Palm Springs a month or so ago and he looks GREAT! We had a wonderful time talking about the "old days".
Maybe we should all hold pictures of ourselves showing as we were back then...like "A Chorus Line" or something? Haha. Cheers people.

So it sounds like there are many of us from such different times going to the S1 event on the 24th. Even though I dont know many of you personally, I would still like to meet y'all!

Since I have no idea what you would look like now (and many times my mind does not translate 2-D to 3-D very well!) should we plan to congregate in a certain area at a certain time?

I have a facebook page for Studio One at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=68745887988&ref=ts that might help with current pictures, etc...

JORDAN, ( Blond german bartender/actor)
Hey Jordan,...Its Michael(Ice Skater) ...met you
circa 1994(backlot). I remember when you went to work at Incognito Pasadena. than the earthquake hit
and you dissapeared, but turned up breifly in 96..where I saw you at Rage. Had a small crush on you in those days. It was cool to see you on Sundays and Thursdays. I still live in the same house in West Hills and in Military Advertising and teach Ice Skating. DROP ME A LINE MISS YOU !!

Charlie,
That was absolutely onew of the most beautiful postings I have read and brought back even more memories.

I can still see my friend Christine Mulholland dancing to the swirling strings of Love's Theme at After Dark as I was the d.j there when it opened.

I am so excited about Studio One in October. I guess I'll just have to sleep from Oct 1st until the big day so I can dance my a** off with everyone else.

My name is Charles (Charlie) Drayman. I was twenty-one when Studio one opened. I was graduating from UCLA with a major in Fine Art and a minor in Dance. I had just come out and come out the year before in 1973. At that time there was a club called "The Bitter End West" on the corner of Santa Monica & West Hollywood. It closed and the "After Dark" opened which then became the "Odessey". I remember dancing to "Love Theme" by Love unlimited. There was also the "Starwood".

In 1974There was a new club opening by the name "Studio One". After finishing my school projects I walked up to Sunset and Hilgard Avenue in Westwood and hitched into West Hollywood and made my way there. I danced my brains out and I returned many times to do some more. It was a safe place with a great energy to let it go and boogie. Plat-formed shoes, tight knit tops and bells, Roger Daltry hair, the bump, the hustle, and "ooo love to love you baby", fling the shirts off, tribal dance in a circle and each boy would take the center for a minute and get down.

I made lots of friends there celebrity and otherwise and fell in and out of love many times. I would never turn down dancing with anyone as long as they had the spirit of dance and treated me with respect. One night a tall skinny guy or was it a girl,with curly mid length hair, I couldn't tell the gender, asked me to dance to "Turn the Beat Around" by Viki Sue Robinson. I smiled and said yes. It turned out it was a girl and she later became famous as Sandra Bernhardt.

I met a rock manager who introduced me to Elton John, Sylvester, Lou Reed, Steven Arnold, and Andy Warhol. One night Dennis Lopez (sylvester's manager), Elton and I got to the front door and the doorman asked Elton for his I.D. So He turned around and flashed him his a** and said "Here's my I.D."

I met an artist from Hawaii, who was visiting Hollywood, at Studio one who beaconed me to be lovers in Hawaii of which I accepted in the Spring of 1975. I went and though the relationship did not last Hawaii has become a permanent part of my life since and I still own a home there...all from a night of dance at Studio One.

I came back to L.A. and at Studio One I me an Ice Skater from "Ice Capades". He offered me a summer job that was offered him working with wardrobe as a dresser on the Whiz and I became a costumer and designer for television of which I was awarded an Emmy and a career of twenty eight years all because I was out dancing at Studio One.

I even brought the first national touring company of the Whiz to come dance after one of the shows to Studio One. I have to say that they tryed to make them show 3 i.d.'s and tryed to keep Stephanie Mills out because she had open toed shoes. Heck I was wearing corkys and they were going to let me in.
I met a dior model from Russia who had been sent to screen test with Bob Evans. She be came one of my best friends and her children became my god children. She and her husband are since past but her kids are in their early thirties now and doing well. All because I was dancing at Studio One.

I met my Partner of thirteen years at Studio One in 1981 on the dance floor. Our friends started dying, many who's smiles and rhythms we had shared on the dance floor. Aids had hit. In 1984 I got tested and so did he...We tested positive. When they had the first Dance-a-Thon Studio one was the first host and we were there. I could feel the spirit of those gone smiling and dancing and those of us who had survived it were still dancing. Although, not as decadent Studio One was L.A.'s Studio 54 and long before.


I often wondered what happened to many of the original players on that dance floor and behind the bars and the lights except the usual thoughts of "died of aids or drugs". I reside most of the time in Palm Springs with my partner now Karl Waldbauer who is my contemporary but had not come out in those days. I tell him of those times and of Studio One days. Living together in Palm Springs I have re met old acquaintances from Studio One and because of that bond have become good friends. I now know where many of us are and many of us still love to dance. We smile and shake it and it is as if all the others from those days join in.

I grew up with a Wendy Hunt in La Crescenta. Are you the same one? I also have drawings I did of Joey Garcia in the 1970's and ran into him at the white party in 2001 or 02. I hope he is o.k. He is a sweet man. I have gotten to know Tony Randall in Hawaii. He is a talented artist.

I went to the first Disney Party. I think we freaked out the employees. Remember the "Mothership Party" at the Observatory? Remember when "Probe" was "The Paradise Ball Room"? Remember Dennis Casper & John Cambell, John Deison, Bill Triplett,Michael Grossman,Shawn Tramel, David Swanson, Rueben Limon, poof gone. I know you would have recognized them tearing off their shirts, beautiful men inside and out, smiling in a circle "Love to Love you baby"

I hope to see you all at the reunion.Let's celebrate them all!

Charlie Drayman

I remember Studio One fondly. I had just turned 21 and was an student from Sweden, living in Long Beach. A couple of times, I managed to sneak away from my "family" in L.B. to do the Studio. I was totally in awe of the place, it was just so great.
I remember, one guy I hooked up with, Don Brown. He lived up in the Hills, in a house in which the Andrew Sisters once had lived (or so he told me). Wonder, if he still is around - this was -79. I moved back to Europe, but Studio One will always be in my memory. Sad thing, AIDS would come along and ruin the fun.

Just read the prior post Evidently the dress was sent to the cleaners a few too many times, it fell apart, so now she cannot perform. Tell me now guys, are we just going to leave her this way? after all these years of her begging us not to?

Has this same dress she's been wearing for a few years recently been sent to the cleaners-- hopefully?

Let's just make this the most fun evening!!! I have seen Thelma Houston at least 3 times in the past couple of years and you won't be missing much particularly because she will be wearing the same dress again and won't be singing "Don't Leave Me This Way" in any form you will recognize. Let the recorded music speak for itself and transport us all to a time that will live forever in our hearts and memories.

From the Keep the Music playin website:

"Due to a scheduling conflict Thelma Houston will no longer be performing, ticket prices have therefore been reduced to $20, We apologize for any inconvenience."

I still plan on attending - Whos all going???

http://www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=67154

Here is the site for Tickets to the Party. For some reason the web site for let the music play does not always come up.

Do I get in for free if I show my Studio1 employee ID?

http://www.keepthemusicplayin.com/memories.shtml

Here is the web site for Tickets..

Who is to say? Maybe the Vitamin Q crowd had it right. BTW. There aren't senior discounts available for Oct. 24, are there? ;)
Either way, Who would I give the $30 to?

Loved it, Miss it, Hope to see all Oct. 24th!

Memories. Good old "Vitamin Q." That was the old euphemism. As for me, never took it once. Now, it's vitamins M and R-- Mochas and Red Eyes from Starbucks, the Library in Long Beach, or wherever good coffee is served. "Times they are a chang'n" as this guy with a horrible raspy obnoxious voice used to sing. ;)

I haven't seen DJ Sharon White's name mentioned. Didn't she spin at Studio One?? Hi Arnie!! Quaaludes are closer to you than you think. APPARENTLY, you can still get the Rorer 714's in Mexico...NOT the Lemmon's, the Rorer's!!
BTW, having dinner with Robbie Leslie next Tuesday! YAY!

I was Entertainment Editor of The Advocate during Studio One's heyday. I remember vividly and fondly so many of the people, shows and events represented on this site. Studio One reflected the best of times in a pre-AIDS West Hollywood.

Way too go Jude. Hope to meet you one day.
Jack

Here's 2 promotional flyers for the upcoming Studio One Tribute Night:

This is a cool thing. I plan to be there too! I worked with Jack Wheeler when he was manager there. I was the 1st bartender in the Backlot. Can't wait to go back in time and see what the place looks like now and what they will do for this exciting party/tribute to Studio One!

Gary

http://www.keepthemusicplayin.com/memories.shtml

Well someone is finely doing it. A tribute to Studio One. I've attached the web site just above so you can get tickets. It's October 24, 09. Looks like it's going to be fun. Thelma Houston is the guest singer. Wow! they are doing right. Keep up the good work guys. Brings back a lot of memories since I was once the Mgr. Pulling off an event like this is not easy. Wishing you all the best for this party.
I'll be there
Jack

Hey Mullholand:

The "Bronsonesque" bartender could have been Peter Petrucci. He was dark and handsome. I remember him because he always bought me cocktails. He moved back to Ft. Lauderdale and worked at Cathode Ray and in Real Estate. There was another bartender, Ross Williamson (AKA Kevin Adams) who had the "Pierce Bronson" good looks. He was a model and worked there until it became the Factory.

I started going to Studio when I came out to attend USC in 1980. I'd always end up at Studio after the frat parties. After graduation, I headed back to Coral Gables but found myself back here for the '84 Olympics and haven't left since. Celebrating Studio One on October 24 will be a blast. I have a box at the Hollywood Bowl that night for Barry Manilow but what a way to finish off the evening.

I wasn't working at the Backlot till about 1978-79. When I first went there as I recall the backlot bar was in the room with the back part serving the lobby. The lighting booth was over that bar which was much smaller than the one finaly put in. When I started working there the bar had been relocated to the back corner of the room and the lighting/sound booth was above that and very small. The bar under the booth was a service bar only with a window into the saloon. Oops have to go. I'll continue later.

...and I would so like to contribute to everyone's memory but nothing was more important to me at the time then how many quaaludes I could take!!!!! Amazing that I could spin records at the time and have sex but not much else!!!!!

Hi Jude, Just read your piece and noticed you had some questions. Studio One's name was Scott's idea. Back in 74 Scott would rent one night a week from the owner to launch his vision of one day leasing the place out and calling it Studio One. That dream came too life in July of 1974. He designed the club to look like a old Studio backlot from the movies. The Backlot was launched at the same time since it was all the same club. They would serve dinner there. Shortly after it opened he brought in entertainment I'm not able to tell you who the first act that Scott booked there because I wasn't hired until 6 months after it opened. I was just recently in the club back in May of this year and the bar in the backlot was still there in the same place. Gary Mortimer writes in here quite often and he would know who the firt act Scott opened the Backlot with since he was hired the night the club opened and was the Backlot bartender.
Studio One's Party keep the music playing sounds like the good ole days coming back too life.
Maybe we run into each other there.
Jack former Manager

How cool!! Can't wait for the big night!
I will be wearing one of the new t-shirts!
A trip down memory lane.

Gary Mortimer

Here's some news I just found out that I thought I'd share with everyone:
The date for the Studio One Tribute Night that the Factory Nightclub is holding has finally been set. I just received an email from DJ Robbie Leslie that included a flyer for the event. It's scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2009.

I'm attempting to upload a copy of it here, but there's also a website that's been set up to provide all the information you need. Here's the direct link to it:

http://www.keepthemusicplayin.com/

Ron, I found your last post very interesting. I never knew there was a restaurant there before, though it does make sense considering how large the kitchen is on the premises. You are just a wealth of knowledge! And since you seem to be so well endowed (I mean versed) on Studio One trivia, I have a few questions for you:

When the Backlot first opened, where was the bar located, and just how large was it? On the photo that I posted, there doesn't seem to be any in the room. It may just be that it's out of frame, but even so, it's pretty clear that the bar I'm familiar with (which ran along the left wall next to Scott's office) didn't exist at the time. Do you know when it was put there? Also, what was the seating capacity in the original showroom?
By the time I started in 1987, there no longer was any food service going on. When and why was it discontinued? When it was a Supper Club, what kind of things were on the menu?
I was also wondering if you knew who happened to be the first Act to ever appear on stage there? And, if Studio One and the Backlot both opened their doors at the same time? (I once heard from someone that the Backlot came first, and Scott used profits he derived from it to help finance the construction of the disco. Is any of that true?)

Finally, here's one last question I'll throw out there to see if anyone has an answer: How did the club get the name "Studio One"? (I'm sure there's gotta be some kind of a story behind that!)

I started going to Studio One in 1975 when I first arrived in LA from Boston. I remember my first time there. I entered the front door on Lapeer and took the elevator up to the second floor. I remember the music getting louder as the elevator rose. The doors opened and I felt like I was in a different world. I walked thru the club to the Backlot area and came up to the old Backlot bar. I ordered a rum and coke from the bartender who was hot. The bartender turned out to be Roger. Oh, and he comped my first drink there. Very nice.
After I was working there for a while and after the Backlot was remodeled in about 78 I was out in the parking lot talking to Scott about the Halloween party and where the tent was going to be and the stage etc. He looked up at the building and said something like “I should think about painting the building" and I said "you mean to get rid of the Spaghetti Village painted sign that you can see through the paint over the Backlot"? He said that it used to be an Italian restaurant and that is why the original Backlot had all those little house facades lining the walls, thus Spaghetti Village. Who knew!

Did anyone go to Studio One in the 60s, when it was called The Factory?

I wore OP and Hang Ten surf clothes to the clubs in the 70s. All those OP and Hang 10 shirts and shorts must have had an influence on me. In 1987 I finally learned to surf. I think the surfing may also had something to do with the Whittier Narrows Earthquake that hit Oct. 1, 1987. I was staying in a Motel 6 in Arcadia and was just walking out of the shower (ready to go to work in Pasadena) at 7:42 am when the quake it. I stood up through it! "Hey, maybe this means I could surf?" I thought. The rest is history. I am now a local San Clemente Surf legend known (in my own brand of surfspeak called "Moobonics") as "Da MooMan." In English, that's "The Moose Man."
PS: Although I did in fact stand up during the Whittier Narrows quake, I did hit my head on the side as I walked out of the shower. Think that might have had something to do with me taking up surfing as well?

Thank You Jude for reminding me about the O-boys. May I remind you....never mind. LOL. Yes by the time you were at the Backlot I already was shooting video most of the time. I do remember doing the lights for The Troupers, Jim Baily and Charles Pierce on that horrible little stage in the corner (it's back in the center again).
But most of the middle eighties I was on the road with Wayland and Madame. Ya, I bought a camera in 88 and the shooting the nightclub shows lasted just a few years later when everyone got their own camcorder. I have some posters from the Backlot and those Best Friends VHS tapes. And yes, someday I'll transfer them to DVD. By the way I've been telling the 20 somethings who are into 70's retro clothes that gay guys DID NOT dress like that in the clubs. I tell them that they dress for the most part the way they do now, jeans and t-shirts, and jeans and no shirts (which is not allowed at the Factory). Oh well.

Ron Hamill...I remember you. We worked together on a number of occasions in the Backlot. I think we first met sometime in 1988 during the remodeling of the club. Didn't you also do some work with a group known as the OBoys? I sort of recall you being involved with at least one of their documentaries.

During most of the time I was involved with the Backlot, the person in charge of Sound was John Winkler, and the person who ran Lighting was Bobby (Bev) McClure. I remember you being there, but I believe it was primarily to do Video. You had a business called Ditto Video, where people would hire you to come in and videotape their performances. In fact, I hired you a few times myself to tape shows that I was presenting. One was a Broadway Night I did in May 1988; another was a show I did in April 1989, called 'Best of the Backlot". In fact, to this day, it is that show that I'm most proud of. It featured a lot of performers who were very popular at the time.
Each had appeared in a number of shows at the Backlot during the previous year, and came together to share the stage again that one particular night. Some of the people who were involved were (Vocalists) Christine McEvilly, Patrick Basile, Angela Carol Brown, and Ellen Smith; and (Comics) Steve More, Martha Jane, Glynis McCants and Caldwell & Winfree. A few others also took part.

I still have copies of both shows I mentioned, as well as a few others made around the same period. However, they're all on VHS, so before I would be able to share any of them, I would need to have them digitalized. And since I'm not that technically inclined, that may take a while.

I just posted a whole bunch of photos from the years I was working there, but so far, only a few of them have been added. Those that were appear at the bottom of all the others, right before the comments start. I also noticed that the webmasters for this site have redesigned the way some a lot of the previous photos are laid out. You don't have to use the horizontal scroll bar anymore to see them. Now they're all vertically lined up with eachother, and it makes viewing so much easier. Special thanks to whoever did that!

yeah i remember big ed. I was his bodyguard for awhile. he was real funny.I was an exotic dancer at studio one..I also did some modeling for fox.Im looking for the bartender who was also a photographer that had a studio in marina del rey.I would really love to get my hands on some of those pics.i think his name was bob or bill.. yeah studio one was the bomb i was there 84-87

Hey Ron! Not sure if we ever met. I use to run the spot and some sound in 1977. I have many cassett recording of when I was there and anouncing. It was such a great time that I will never forget. I hope that many of us will be able to gather for a reunion of memories.

Thanks. You did describe the "when" but not the "where." A number would be fantastic pfcrosby@yahoo.com

Cannot find the number, sorry. i'll still look for it. I described where and about when I saw him above.

Ron, pleeeeze! Where did you see Joe Garcia? Any idea where he was living, at least, at that time? Tracking him down with a common name like that is extremely difficult.

I don't think the Studio One Video was available outside of the club and I think it was broadcast only a few times. It was hosted by Tom Dreesen and had performances by Rick and Ruby, Maureen Mcgovern.
There may be someone else on it also but I haven't looked at it for years. I should transfer it to DVD.
I also have those Best Friends videos hosted by Scott.

Gary,
In the immortal words of the Big Bopper,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TcC_ni0ojo
"Pick me up at 8, and don't be late." ;)

Ron Hi I'm Jack Wheeler former Mgr. I like what you wrote in. Interested in the HBO special A night at Studio One's Backlot. How can I see that. I live in Palm Springs Ca. I would guess it's VHS tape. I was manager there in 75,76,77, 78 and 86. You can email me at desertwheels@yahoo.com Did you know that a Documentary is being done on Studio One. If you are interested in being interviewed let me know. That's if you are in So.Cal area. Hope too hear from you.
Jack Wheeler

Ron,
Thanks. I have a whole photo shoot of pics we did together so I wonder if he wants them.

I too fondly remember studio one. I used to tend bar at the Four Star Saloon. Remember Erica's Drag Search? Sorry, I don't have any photos, but what a great time. I fondly remember in 1984 when West Hollywood incorporated as America's First Gay City. Is anyone that I knew still around? It would be great to hear from you!

I was coming out of Numbers (now straight) on night and I think it was a Halloween a few years ago. I started to walk down Santa Monica Blvd towards Palm in front of the car wash and I heard "hey Ron" and I looked over and there was Joe not dressed in a Halloween costume. I said Hi Joe nice costume. We talked for a minute and I think he gave me his number. I think I have it somewhere. I'll check.

Ron,
So where did you see Joe Garcia? I wonder if he wants some old pics I have.
-David

Hey Patrick. You can go as my young "date". Actually you ARE younger than me! LOL

[gim]http://antirand.org/me.jpg[/img]

I am elated to hear that as of 2 years ago Joe Garcia was alive and well. A couple of us have been working years to track him down. Is he still in Australia?
BTW, if the reunion is an employees only type of affair, would anyone be interested in taking this hot young 61 year old as a guest? ;)
[img]http://antirand.org/me.jpg[img]

Hello Ron. Those are some wonderful memories you have of Studio One. Have you scrolled back and seen all the memories and pictures here?

Tell me, what is this HBO special "An Evening at Studio One's Backlot?" When did that air and when was it filmed? Love to see that someday.

Wow a Studio One reunion of sorts.
I started in Boston in 1974 and worked at a club there called Cabaret After Dark at first as a door man then as spotlight operator for the showroom. I was suggested for the spotlight position by Archie Webb. Archie moved back to LA so I took over the lights in the showroom. That's where I first met Wayland and Madame and Michael Greer. The club was owned by Ron Larson who also owned After Dark in LA. Well making a long story short without going into all kinds of well....stories. I ended up moving to LA in 1975. I looked up Archie Webb and he was working the stage lights at Cabaret in LA. (that big spider building). I went to visit him and again I got a job doing the spotlight. Archie left Cabaret and again I ended up doing the lights. Well about a year later I saw Archie at Studio One and he was doing the lighting in the Backlot. Guess what? There I was sitting next to Archie in the light booth doing the spot. Then guess what? Yes Archie moved to San Fran and I was doing lighting at the Backlot. I worked at Studio One from about 78 to 85. I became friends with Wayland and Charles Pierce. Did lighting for Wayland, Charles, Joan Rivers, Morgana King, Phyllis Diller, Bernadette Peters, oh I can go on and on.
I look back at Studio One as a college. I learned so much there. I did see Joe Garcia about 2 years ago. Same old Joe Garcia, he looked great. I have so many stories. I met one of my best friends at Studio One, Bob Ruane. He started as a busboy in the Backlot. He went on to open a few clubs in San Diego and I talk to him every few months.
I always appreciated Scott Forbes and how proud he was of Studio One. He, for the most part, let me do what I wanted in the Backlot with the lights and stage. What a workspace to learn. Working with Broadway lighting designers who occasionally came in to do Bernadette’s, Earth Kitts etc lighting. I think it was in 1984 where I came up with an idea to do a game show in the Backlot Wednesday nights at 9 right after Dynasty. The show was called Best Friends and I still have some of the tapes. I also have a tape from one of the big Halloween shows in the big tent in the parking lot.
I also have one of the first HBO specials "An Evening at Studio One's Backlot. They mean so much.
I loved working with everyone there. It was such a great experience. On one of the occasions that Wayland and Madame were there in 1985 I was asked to go on the road with Wayland. I did, and was his lighting and sound person (as well as sometimes dresser and road manager) for 3 years. I became friends with Charles Pierce and continued doing his lighting in LA up until 1991. I treasure the memories and to this day when I go to the Factory I find myself standing in the same places that I did back then waiting for Scott to come up to me and say Hi Ronnie (one of the few people I let call me Ronnie).
I remember about a year before Scott passed I saw him at 24 Hour Fitness working out I approached him and he said Hi Ronnie and I asked him if he'd ever think about doing a Studio One reunion night. He asked me if I thought there would be enough people to attend. I said hell yes. He asked me if I'd help. I said yes. That was it until I read the news one morning in the LA Times at a Starbucks.
If there is a reunion it should be a few days. Turn Ultra Swede back into the Backlot for one night and I'll be up in that booth announcing. Ladies and gentlemen the Studio One Backlot Theatre is proud to present Miss Julie Budd!
And finally from my old announce script I still have. "We'd like to thank you for joining us here in the studio one Backlot theatre and we'd like to remind you of some of our coming attractions, (up coming shows and dates) Thank and drive safely Goodnight everyone.
It was an Honor to say that.
Sorry I went on for so long. Let's talk!
Ron Hamill

And none of you guys remember my old friend Ben Wilson, or his friend Will Geer?

Hahaha. "Chiffon wrinkles". I love it! All those costumes guys wore...then and now...and you get them out of them and what do you have? Insecure little boys wanting to be men. We've all been there I guess. God bless us, everyone!
You know what they say about men with big cars and big hats, and everything else that is big, except the thing that matters. One of my best friends...to this day, always lowers his voice an octave when he meets a new man, but he can dress and act more Carol Channing than the best of them. Plus, his legs go up more than the shuttle does!

Hey Gary do you remember the New Generation on Santa Monica. Kinda raunchybut fun. The Jaguar was the first leather place I ever went to.It was 1967. It was dark and full of leather guys. I was fresh out of Akron Ohio. I felt very intemadated. Then I asked the bartender to give the guy at the end of the bar a drink. He smiled and tipped his motorcycle hat and started to walk tword me in a very butch manor and I thought what a great catch. Then he opened his mouth to say thanks and sounded a lot like Carol Channing a very nellie. I guess they wear leather because chiffon wrinkles. So I went back to the discos and had a ball.
I remember seeing Sylvester at the Farm. He wasn't performing. He hadnt recorded anything at that time. He was with a group called The Cockettes.

Still a predominantly gay hangout but the name is now Bentley's!!!!

BINGO!! That's it Arnie...the Garden District!
Thanks for jogging my memory. LOL

Gary,
Are you thinking of The Garden District????

Hey Arnie...After Dark (Oliver's) on La Cienega...with the piano bar? I loved working there. Once Martha Raye called me down to the waiter's little window (we were "friends" and I had been in her house many times) and when I leaned down to hear her, she said "come closer...I need to tell you something" When I did, she stuck a bottle of poppers in my nose! LOL And the heavy set lady who played the piano would get drunk and always managed to drive home to Simi Valley (where she grew pot)!
Tomboyes: I remember the Four Star and the sign on Barney's Beanery too!
I am still trying to remember the name of the bar up the street from Oliver's where we used to drink and have dinner....it had a patio out front too.
Anyone recall the name of that place?

Hollywood was such a great place in the 60s.I first moved to 866 Westmount near Santa Monica and LaCienega, then to Apain Way off Lookout Mountain in Laurel Canyon. Disco clubs were opening rapidly. They werent called discos but were the beginning. Remember when the Millionairs club turned gay, all the old Hollywood straight crowd,didnt like the fact that it was gay. Then half of them ended up in clubs like studio one,Ginos on Melrose. Does anyone remember The Four Star? It was on Santa Monica near the Troubador. A club owned by a gay man named Doug Weston. I know Stonewall was a historic moment, but there was a lot happening before then. Remember the sign Faggots Stay Out, At Barny's Beanery. I remember a friend of mine Becky Lewis was working there and asked me not to bring my gay friends in. So we would get tanked on booze and reds and tui's and go into Barnys just to get her goat.

OMG, Gary - Ciro's? Where the Comedy Store is now. 1969. I was only in there once. Too many rooms and when you are on seconals or tuinals (quaaludes didn't come until around '74) it was more than a little difficult to maneuver!!!! I was just talking with someone last weekend about the Gallery Room. It was Cabaret on LaCienega at some point and the After Dark that was on Beverly Blvd. mysteriously burned down one night. HA!! The one that was on LaCienega always brings a laugh to me because I was in there one night and had to pee and all the urinals were busy so I stepped into a stall and on the wall in front of me was the dispenser for toilet seat covers and on the metal someone had written "free ponchos" and it cracked me up!

Someone asked about Fred Harris. If it's the guy I am thinking of, he lived in the (very nice then and now) Mediteranian Village on not-particularly nice Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa. Golden Blond, as "straight acting" as they come. He had a taste for younger "not-so-straight acting" men. I can remember one of his BFs once driving me nuts because he wouldn't stop talking about Cher and her $20000 turquoise steering wheel. I couldn't stand Cher! LOL! Used to see him at the Boom a lot. Haven't seen him in 20 or more years. No clue what happened to him.

And of course, some of us used to always close the Gallery Room on Santa Monica Blvd. Being a bartender at Studio One, we were "known" and sometimes as soon as we hit the door to the bar, our drinks would be placed at our usual seats by the time we got to the stools! LOL

Vodka & tonic coming up just for you Jack!
I actually do miss those days of tossing those bottles around and making all those weird drinks. I can't remember half of what I used to make. Haha.
Cabaret sounds familiar, but that is not the one I am thinking of...I will have to look thru my notes and maybe do a list of the old hang-outs that we used to go to back then. Remember Ciro's, the Mocambo, the Trocadero, the Garden of Allah,
Schwab's Drug Store?
So, maybe I'll head back to Palm Springs in 2-3 weeks. I hope you will be around so we can meet again. And see if Phil Riley will be able to meet too.
Between this site and Facebook, I have really been hooking up with lots of old friends, and that is really neat.

Was it Cabaret? The place was owned by Ron Larson. It was the disco with the claw arch entry. No longer there it's been torn down. Hi Gary I'll have a vodka tonic please..
Jack

Haha. Jack, you are funny! A "quaalude"? Remember, I told you that in all those years, I never once had a aquaalude at Studio One. Now, drinks and maybe some poppers..., but that's another story.

Yes, Arnie...there was an After Dark on Beverly Blvd...the one I worked at used to be Oliver (right on La Cienega), and for some reason, it was ALSO called After Dark, but they were not connected. Bizarre huh? And what was that gay bar up the street we used to hang out at too???

does anyone have a quaalude?

If I remember correctly, The Gas Station didn't last too long and Johnny Bernstein was the dj there. I moved to LA in '67 and my best friend (to this day) was the dj at The Factory when it opened. Other than Sammy Davis Jr. none of the other Rat Packers had any interest in it. Anthony Newley and some other stars of the day were co-owners and many of the other money people were in the business but not celebrities. I was there almost every night of the week and they had the best hamburger with peanuts in them. I'm losing my memory!!! Wasn't After Dark on Beverly Blvd just east of LaCienega and owned by Ron who had previously owned the Bitter End West on Santa Monica Blvd. I fthat's correct I was the dj who opened that club. Just want to make sure I'm not confusing it with what used to be the Millionaires Club on LaCienega and San Vicente which was where Thank God It's Friday was filmed. The Farm and The Stampede, staples on Santa Monica Blvd for what seemed like a hundred years. Memories, memories, beautiful golden threads to hold on to!!

Does anyone remember The Zoo & also Forced Heat. Those were some fantastic places in the day.

Hey Tomboyes.
I sure remember The Stampede, and Ginos on Melrose, but not the other ones. Of course the Whiskey was right up the street from where I first worked when I came to the strip. I was a bartender at the Windjammer, which later became the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Did you ever go there? Chuck Landis had the strip club next door...can't recall the name of that place...(Key Largo, or the Largo Club?) and a stipper, "Stormy Weather" used to come over for a drink during the day and we would have some laughs. I believe the strip club became the Roxy and I saw the original "Rocky Horror Show" there. It was awesome! Those really were the days!
After the Windjammer, I worked at Oliver's (which became After Dark), a showroom club father south on La Cienga, and then I opened Studio One in the Backlot. Love to hear more of your memories too.
I think you are right about some of the Rat Pack owning the Factory.
And give me some bartenders in uniforms!!
Gary

The Gas Station would have definitely been my kind of place. Did the bartenders wear gas station uniforms? I can just see the old historic gas pumps with the lit glass shells on top (for one brand, literally in the shape of a shell). My father, who began working in gas stations in about 1926, once told me how these used to be hand pumped, and there was a 5 gallon glass jar used for measurement. Ah, those were the days. ;)

I was never in the building when it was called Studio One. I was in Hollywood in 67 till 71. Studio One was called the Factory. I believe it was owned by a couple of the Rat Pack. I was working at the Whiskey on Sunset. The Factory had just started to allow the gay community to come in and boogie and we had a ball there. They would let gays in and called it Artist and Model night. Then gay clubs opened constantly in 67. The Stampede, The Farm, Starwood, The Gas Station, Ginos on Melrose. Great time to come out.

Thanks Gary it too was a pleasure seeing you after so many years. You haven't changed a bit. Still the same wonderful guy I had working for me. What a bartender you where. So professional. It was as if 30 some years never passed us by. Thanks for coming and looking me up,and for those kind words spoken. You are a treasure.
Jack wheeler

Well, I went to Palm Springs a couple weeks ago and met with Jack Wheeler, who was the original (and BEST) manager of S.O. back in the early days. We had a great lunch and talked for a couple of hours about the good ole days. He was even wearing a Studio One t-shirt so I would recognize him...didn't have any trouble knowing him...he has hardly changed. I will be going back there once it cools down a bit and once again see Jack and hopefully Phil Riley too! It is wonderful connecting again after all these years, and I hope many of us can also get together at the Club for some kind of reunion and see who remembers who...and what! LOL

Gary Mortimer

Jude, You can send an email too this address if you are interested in being interviewed for the Documentary. Here it is..
studio1project@hotmail.com
Jack

Having a Studio One Tribute Night at The Factory sounds like a great idea. It should be lots of fun. Is there a date scheduled for it yet?

Also, there's been mention of a Studio One Documentary that's supposedly in the works. Did it ever materialize? If not, is it still being done? If there's still time to participate in the project, I'd be interested in getting involved.

In follow-up to my last post:
I truly feel that the prevailing atmosphere at any given time was largely due to the mix of people who happened to be on staff. Their commitment to the club and their relationship with eachother would set the tone for what anyone in attendance would ultimately experience. I am so proud to say that I was an employee of Studio One during a very important time in its history. I was lucky enough to be right there in the center of it all when a lot of very exciting things were taking place.

It seems like most of the people who posted comments here are from the very early days of the place. Although I can relate to a lot of the experiences I've read about, I wanted to highlight an era that occurred a little bit later. There are distinct differences in the way the place was run, that occurred in response to the changing times. Scott strived to keep things current and fresh, and to do that went to great lengths to give the crowd what they wanted. Whether it was adding an '18 & Over' Night, hiring Go-Go Boys to dance on platforms, or incorporating Video Screens to enhance the Entertainment, the club was always evolving.

Despite the commonality that existed throughout Studio One's entire existence, there were lots of things that were unique to whatever time period you might happen to think of. Some of them were necessary, while others were unavoidable. The place was always changing (both in appearance and feeling) in accordance with the times.

I think it's quite obvious that whatever memories and recollections you have of Studio One, as well as whatever opinions you have of the place, most likely were influenced by the people you encountered when you were there. That's what really made the place so exciting. Of course there was always a few familiar faces you could count on to be there, but there also was that ever-changing dynamic of not knowing exactly who you might run into or possibly meet. There certainly was an array of characters who frequented the place on a regular basis, each with their own unique story to tell. The same can be said in regards to the staff. Each patron and employee had their own degree of drama going on, and brought a little bit of it with them when they entered the club...some more so than others.

In 1987 when I first started, there was a very eclectic (yet fun) group of people working there. Mark Gallo was manager and also Head Bartender. Ruthie ran the front office and did Payroll. Gary Myerscough answered phones and was bookkeeper during the day. Lewis Vanderwyk was DJ, and Bob Byrnes did the lights. Bartenders included Mike Zaloudek, Tom Ogden, Jeff Davis, Larry Finch, Jed Reichlan and myself. Ricky Sweigart was barback. Rusty was in charge of Security. Some of the guys who worked along with him were Scott Mazzeo, Scott Trumbo, Tony Ghrist, and Curtis Hayes. Harry Cormier watched the Front Door, while Kenny Hiefejh worked the Side. There was a kid named 'Tommy' who sold snacks out of a booth near the Saloon, and the busboy was Ernesto. Victor Ibarra was in charge of cleaning and maintenance, and Bernardo Ponce helped set-up the bars every day before the club opened. In the Backlot, John Winkler ran the Sound and Bobby McClure (Bev) did the Lights.

Others certainly were present there as well; Those I've mentioned are the ones that stick out most in my mind. (I hope at least some of the names ring a bell and trigger a fond memory.) I felt that by listing the a lot of those people who were present during THIS particular period, it would be a great way to pinpoint the exact era I'm talking about, and help clearly define a specific point in the chronology of the Club.

Wow. A "tribute night" to the original Studio One?
What fun! That and the documentary that is still in the works. Be nice if the two can "come out" at the same time. (How is the documentary coming, Mark?) Rob, you said you are having copies made of the original t-shirts for us "old" bartenders to wear? I'd love to have one and attend the "party". I opened SO as the bartender in the Backlot. I think I was working at Oliver (which later became After Dark...not the one on 3rd street). Scott had been watching me and...well he asked if I would come work for him at a new club he was opening. I went to the old Factory and when I saw what would become the Backlot I said..."Yes, I'll come work for you, but I want to work this bar!" He said you got it and I loved the few years I did tend that bar.
Ah the memories there. Steve Applegate and I became good friends...had lots of fun away from the club, too. The celebs, the shows, the dinners, the time we got busted because someone let a minor in...how in the world did THAT happen? DUH! I remember standing outside on the street waiting to see what would happen and Scott just said "Don't worry...if they take you all to jail, I'll get you out." Luckily we didn't go to jail! I used to tell Scott when he brought in one of his young things and wanted me to give him a drink..."No way...if you want him to have a drink, you come back behind the bar and serve him yourself." I'm glad Scott listened to me and didn't can me on the spot. Haha.
I hope whoever is still around hears about the party and the documentary. I hope to see Jack Wheeler when I go over to Palm Springs this week. I have a link to Studio One (with the old logo) on my Facebook page so people who remember the club can come here and see all the pictures and stories. I have lots of pictures I posted here too.
My best to all of you guys!
Gary Mortimer

I discovered this site a few months ago, and since then have come back a number of times to read the comments. This however, is the first time that I'm posting one. I worked at Studio One in several different capacities, from 1987 through 1990. I was hired initially as a bartender, and continued working as one the entire time that I was employed there, but I also helped coordinate Cabaret Entertainment in the Backlot, and worked closely with the performers that were booked there. Two artists in particular that brought in huge crowds when I was there were Charles Pierce and Julie Budd. A few other acts that I remember appearing during that time period included Les Stevens, Kenny Sacha, the Amazing Lochlin, Big Ed, and Lois Bromfield, just to name a few.

In April, 1988, I took over the production of Monday Night Live, the weekly Talent Showcase that was featured at the club. The group that had been producing the show up until that point was about to call it quits and relocate to a different venue. Since the series had been an ongoing, steady form of entertainment at the club for quite awhile and had an established audience, I talked Scott into letting me continue producing it. He agreed, and for the next year I ran the show and was responsible for what was presented on stage every Monday Night. That opened the way for me to branch out and produce acts on other nights as well.

The entire time I worked at Studio One was a very exciting period, and a pivotal time in the history of the place. The club was going through a transition and a lot was going on. It was just after Jeffrey Sanker first came to town, when he and Scott teamed up to present Hollywood Boys Club on Friday Nights. It was also when the first White Party in Palm Springs was being planned. (Although a lot of people may have forgotten, Scott played a major part in making it happen!) And besides this, the bar was also going through a major remodeling. Yes, there was a lot going on simultaneously, and I know this because in addition to the other jobs I had there, for a brief period, I was also Scott Forbe's Assistant.

I have many fond memories from those special years in my life, and will post a few when I get a chance.

Wow. I am glad you guys are still leaving notes and memories here on this site. Don't know why, but I have not been getting notices when anyone leaves notes here like I used to get, but glad it is still up and running and gives us all a place to "connect".

I was thinking about the documentary this morning and wonder how it is coming along. Anyone know?
Jack Wheeler: I will call you. I am coming to Palm Springs next Thursday so let's do lunch or something.

Gary Mortimer

Here is a pic of my old friend Ben Wilson. He was born in Selma Alabama in 1942 and died in 1993. Met him the night of my first trip (from Chicago) to LA (and of course Studio One)in 1976.


I have written an elegy for him called Elegy for an Actor. Not sure what would happen if I did the "mp3" tag here. Would everyone hear the piece that opened the page? Don't want that! So please just go to http://antirand.org/elegy.mp3 and download it directly if you want to hear it.

Hi Rob - Saw your post my name is Phil Riley - Started working at
Studio One when it was being modified by Scott in 1973 and stayed on as
doorman/security - then became Steve Applegate's assistant in the backlot from
1974 to 1980. Then went to Universal and worked as a writer for the past 30
years. There are several of us living in the Palm Springs area - maybe we can
car pool and all arrive together - it might be a sad moment but a nice tribute -
to have pictures of all our guys who passed away from HIV. Hoping all good
things for your event even if I sadly can't make it. You can see all my post on
the Disco site either by name or The Mad Pen

All the best

Phil Riley - tried your email but it was returned

Wow! What an amazing site! Found while looking for logos from Studio One online. I'm bartender/manager/sycophant for the current occupant of Studio One, Factory Event Space, but was also a regular reveler at the incomparable Studio One. In fact, I remember mid 70's tagging with my then roommate David Garrison to his optometrist’s office.... Dr. Scott Forbes!, who took us into his private office to ... (you all know why) and ALSO to show us design plans for the club he was opening a few months later.... Studio One. Opening night was magic Yes, I'm probably the oldest bartender in WEHO... not easy keeping up with... (wheeze)... how I hate it, youth and beauty.... too old to depend on surgical steel and silk suture. I remember flaunting the same nose, cheeks and chin as Bo Derrek and Linda Evans.... Have you seen them LATELY? they are OLD WOMEN!! Nowadays I just squeak by... Thanks to my wit (well half of it) and time-honed skills in treachery (that, and pity tips)... (sigh).. Oh, well, the point is... I was looking for logos, because the Factory is planning a tribute night to Studio One later this summer.. along the lines of the Studio54 tribute (one fun event!) Club Axis threw in the 90's. I have an original S O t- shirt I'm having copied for all the bartenders to wear... Robbie Leslie (of Studio54, Saint and Fire Island fame)is booked for DJ... but I'm sure if there are any original Studio One DJ's out there... I would be happy to hook you up. The infamous bartender, Mike Zaloudek (did we ALL mess with him?) and manager, Mark Gallo (he was in Atlas @ Factory last night & looking great), are hoped to attend... in fact.. I invite any past employee(s) to contact me, RobsDesk@sbcglobal.net , if they are interested in being placed on the guest list as honored "celebutantes de nuit". If anyone knows how to contact Michael Solomen, I believe he’s the last surviving owner of Studio One (last address I have is Laguna Bch), I want to make sure he receives an invitation. I will post more info as I get it. (Damn, I'm drooling on my shirt again... "NURSE!") Again, WHAT AN AMAZING SITE!

I thought it was a bit later, 83 at the earliest, that he started working there. In any case, does anyone here remember him? Parrish and I are both wondering whatever happened to him. I last saw him at hi house in Topanga Canyon (or one of those canyons, at any rate) in 1987. He was no longer working at Studio by that time, as I recall. He was doing a lot of painting and had two huge dogs that barked a LOT.
This ring any bells for anyone?

Correction. These photos of Joe Garcia were taken WHILE he was a bartender at Studio One. I'm the photographer who took them in 1981.

Lets see if that tag stuff works:
Images of a very young Joe Garcia who was later a bar boy for Roger and then a bartender at Studio One

Here are two sample photos I took of Joe Garcia. I have many from the shoot we did in Santa Barbara.

http://antirand.org/joe.jpg

http://antirand.org/joe2.jpg

Just listening to Soft Cell which got me in the mood to check in on the site... hadn't been here for a while. I posted here a year or so ago. I once escorted Sylvester to the stage with my Chippendale roommate, whose friends put on a show. Scott had me wear a silver plastic garbage bag so it looked like I was in a spacesuit. All this was so normal then.

I remember Joe and his brother. I worked there at security 1981-84. I randomly saw Joe in Sydney at Mardi Gras 1998. I used to live in Santa Monica and moved to Brisbane, Australia in 1997.

One Halloween, I painted on some of Joe's Indian warpaint make-up for his costume. His brother's name evades me at the moment.

One of these links will lead you guys to my facebook profile to see if any of you remember or know me. I used to hang out there as a fixture. I remember Mike Zaloudek, Jimmy, Jerry (Tall thin blonde bartender), John, Dan and Phil in security. Gary, Ed and Chuck at the front door.

Oh well... here's my facebook link.

http://profile.to/eliotrifkin

What great times I had there in the late 1970's - early 1980's. Does anyone remember Joe Garcia who was a bartender?

Hi, this is Richard Lindemann, one of the light men at studio, i have a new face book that I have contected with a lot of old friends. It is
Richard Lindemann Long beach.

Does anyone recall a handsome lad named Fred Harris? We made heavy eye contact with each other on the dance floor at Studio One one summer evening in '78 and ended up going out for a late breakfast nearby on Santa Monica Boulevard before going back to his place. A real nice guy. He was a law student and might also have been a bartender at Studio One. Does anyone remember Fred or know what happened to him?

Yeah, Granden, thanks Phil. When I knew Scott he was living in Newport Beach, right where Balboa Peninsula veers away from southbound PCH, to the right, within the first block on the left. I met him at a party, where he had come with a date. I heard him say that he lived down the hill from the party, so after he left, I discreetly jumped in my Jeep and followed him down the hill to his home. In the days that followed I drove by his place until the first time I saw him outside. I slowed, shouted a greeting, and our first date was that night. A very sweet, nice guy. I look forward to seeing the photo of Scott. Thank you, Phil.

Imagine all of the intrigues that were taking place in and around Studio One, with its personnel and its patrons often coming together...

Hello Beachcomber - Scott's last name was Granden. He was a handsome and really sweet guy - we ended up dating for about 6 months - I remember the story about the Highway patrolman! I believe he lived in Huntingtom Beach. I have a really nice picture of him somewhere - when I fiind it I will post it.

Phil Riley