EXCLUSIVE: Everyone knows Studio 54, the iconic New York nightclub that flourished in the 1970s. But the West Coast claimed its own magnetic hotspot in that era – a place that attracted celebrities and the gay community for a wild time of dancing, drinking and debauchery.
Studio One Forever, directed by Marc Saltarelli, documents a discotheque and cabaret that welcomed the likes of Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Elton John, and Chita Rivera, future notables like writer Bruce Vilanch, and hot young things in skimpy shorts. Gravitas Ventures today announced it has acquired North American distribution rights for the documentary, with plans to release it theatrically in Los Angeles on September 13 and on VOD beginning October 8. Watch the film’s trailer below.
The film includes new interviews with Melissa Rivers, Roslyn Kind, Lance Bass, Thelma Houston and more “as they recount their experiences at Studio One, and what the iconic club stood for as it faces demolition.” Chita Rivera, before her passing in January of this year, sat for an interview recalling her memories of performing at Studio One’s sister club, The Backlot.
Gravitas Ventures
“Studio One Forever shares the journey of Studio One, a beacon of dancing and freedom for gay men looking for identity in a world that saw them as outcasts, as it faces destruction,” notes a description of the documentary. “From merging the gay community and Hollywood elites like Bette Davis and Cary Grant to being at the forefront of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the fight against the AIDS crisis, the venue was more than a vibrant disco haven and blossoming center of nightlife in West Hollywood; it was a movement.”
Bruce Vilanch and David Del Valle narrate the “dive into the history of the historic venue, offering a testament to an era and immortalizing the club’s legacy for future generations.” The film’s soundtrack features Donna Summer, Sylvester, Thelma Houston, Village People, Bronski Beat, and more.
Michael Koth, Studio One devotee, reclines in the club.
Courtesy of Michael Koth
“I’m excited to bring Studio One Forever to audiences through our partner Gravitas Ventures,” Saltarelli said in a statement. “Their enthusiasm to share the journey and cultural importance of Studio One, especially during a time when LGBTQ+ and human rights are being challenged, makes them the ideal partner to bring the inspirational story of this iconic venue to the next generation.”
Bill Guentzler, SVP of acquisitions and operations at Gravitas Ventures, commented, “Gravitas is proud to be bringing the story of Studio One Forever to North American audiences. Through entertaining and revealing narration, interviews, and footage, director Marc Saltarelli expertly captures the importance of not only the space itself, but the essence of the community that was created by its existence.”
The Factory, the nearly century-old building that housed Studio One and The Backlot, was torn down in 2020 to make way for a hotel and retail complex. But the pioneering disco won’t only live on through the documentary. Former West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran, who appears in the film and serves as a producer of the documentary, said the building was carefully dismantled.
(L-R) Lloyd Coleman, Gary Mortimer, Gary Steinberg, Ron Hamill, and John Duran in ‘Studio One Forever.’ Directly behind them towers the Factory building, which housed Studio One and The Backlot.
Gravitas Ventures/Studio One Productions LLC
“It was disassembled piece by piece by piece and put in crates and stored,” Duran told the audience after the film’s world premiere at the Outfest LA Film Festival last summer. “One of the promises we secured out of the developer… is that there be a permanent display and recognition of the history of Studio One with photos and items and video.” He added somewhat wistfully, “I really wanted to preserve the disco, but the sad thing is a lot of our young LGBTQ+ people, they don’t really dance anymore; they Grindr… they Tinder.”
Vilanch, never one to miss the opportunity for a joke, said at the Q&A, “John, by the way, did all his own stunts in the film.”
A sense of the importance of Studio One to the LGBTQ community emerges on the Studio One Forever Facebook page. David M. Rodriguez wrote, “Studio One was my place to go to every Friday and Saturday nights. What awesome memories.” Roger Briggs wrote, “Went there whenever I could. I was free to be me.”
Studio One Forever is directed and produced by Marc Saltarelli and produced by Stephen Israel, Alan Eichler and Michael Alden along with Lloyd Coleman, Gary Steinberg, Steve Masterson, Michael Roth, Chris Isaacson, Loree Gold, John Duran, and Steve Saltarelli. It is a co-production between Studio One Productions and School Pictures with support from Alan Eichler Productions, Observatory Media, Pauleytics Productions, Violet Horizon and a grant from the Mario and Mary Saltarelli Foundation.
Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports and Entertainment Company, is a “leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries… Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America – over one billion homes worldwide.”
Watch the trailer for Studio One Forever here: