Historic Films Stock Footage Archive: LB-16

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03:08:47 1.53	Interview with lively animated transvestites, drag queens, cross dressers, female impersonators Kevin and Arthur who are later joined by Steve Rubell. (for better complete version use LB-38)
03:08:58 12.59	Interviewer Let me ask you something Speaker 2 they can do whatever they want. Speaker 3 00:14 Sort of like a potporri like a perfume they sell in Bergdorfs. Too sensible on a Saturday afternoon at 2:00 Interviewer Do you think you have, you feel you have any unusual hangups? Speaker 3 Yes I don't have breasts and I have a lot of pubic hair for a male Speaker 2 00:31 My arms are very hairy but my breasts do stick out sometime, embarrasses me so Speaker 3 00:37 I have a beach pro I can't wear a tube Bikini. Norma Kamali joins me and she says, no. My mother thinks i'm homosexual. I tell her look I'm living with a girl who is quite stunning but I have nothing else to wear, i'm poor but I look well in tube tops and chignons.
03:09:46 61.41	Interviewer what is very sexual about this place Speaker 3 01:05 you and your camera too and this gentleman laughing and this gorgeous girl i can slap her senseless. Speaker 2 No it's very sexual. Speaker 3 It is sexual sexual of course. Just go, it's very sexual Interviewer You mean many grown men want to do what you want to do Speaker 3 Oh yes, then I saw you in that should do 01:26 this you don't even need to (unclear audio) Interviewer Well, you when did you recently shave your head? Speaker 2 About a month ago I did it for my birthday. I was visiting my parents and I said Mother I'm gonna get myself a birthday presens. Interviewer Arthur, do you have a nickname? Speaker 2 No, Arthur. Interviewer Do you have a nickname? Do you have any unfulfilled fantasies? Speaker 3 01:52 Yes, I like breasts and a jockstrap. But the two don't connect so I wear Chanel number five and spikes, same difference. Sort of like, like Audrey Hepburn and Sabrina Breakfast at Tiffany's lots of jelly donuts. I think everybody wants to be a jelly, excuse me i have too much perfume on. A jelly donut at Tiffanys in the morning at 5. I think, i'd love to be in the Bronx right now.
03:11:02 136.62	Interviewer Do you think they can strike up really interesting or lasting relationships Speaker 3 Only, only at Studio. Speaker 2 lasting? What is a lasting relationship? Interviewer Well, I don't know. It seems the trend in New York is a fast moving fast pace. People change daily. Is there any? Yes, you may say anything you'd like. Speaker 3 Studio has taken New York for two years. And I've studied in New York and I live in New York. And I think that I think it'll go on. Go go on, sort of like Anna May Huang. I think it'll go on as long as it's a persistent persistence. I'm a speech therapist. Today. Excuse me. I have a telephone call. Interviewer Oh thank you. Thank you.
03:11:41 176.14	Speaker 3 Ok It's not resolved. Speaker 2 Show up Speaker 3 No, I think that I think that they would be um upset. But I think that they would know that the world is changing that we're all going to be that we're all going to end by Champagne and Quaaludes. I think it will end this way. By the way, Kansas City Dorothy was wonderful. I loved it. Yes. Interviewer Do pPeople look at you strangely in this attire? Speaker 3 only our doorman Interviewer Does it ever embarrass you or inhibit you? Speaker 2 No, if we were embarrassed, we would not look like this Speaker 3 03:36 No because most of the doormen show us pictures of their wives and say I only wish. Speaker 2 I wish. Interviewer Do people ever insult you or rude to you? Speakers 2&3 No Speaker 2 They're petrified Speaker 3 They think we escaped from a Broadway show. Interviewer Basically New York people are very open and very courteous and Speaker 3 no no that's not true. Only at Studio. we truly feel at home here. We pay rent sort of $14 is rent I think you know. Interviewer once or twice a week and go out every night. Speaker 4 Steve Rubell
03:12:52 246.89	Speaker 4 Steve Rubell she does her own clothes. Ii was all over the world. I'm happy. Very happy. Wait'll you see Interviewer I understand you're doing some changes with the Studio. Steve Rubell Major major. it'll be like a new woman Interviewer A new woman? A new woman to me. I understand you're going to put on new bizarre concerts and go into music and shows Speaker 4 Steve Rubell The sets can be unbelievable. It's a new, in the back. Yes and people will be on it Interviewer Are you going to have wonderful characters like Kevin and Arthur? Steve Rubell Are you kidding? Speaker 3 He's my husband. Don't tell anybody Interviewer Do you think that without the bizaare characters that make up New York. Reel pauses.
03:13:50 305.06	Kevin and Arthur drink pose for the camera on the sofa. Interviewer Why do you feel there's more freedom in New York to express oneself than anywhere else in the world? Speaker 2 Why? Because there's so much of everything in New York. It's sort of like a mecca. Everyone comes here to do whatever they want. So people are used to having the assortment of everything. Interviewer Why do you dress the way you do? Speaker 2 Because it looks wonderful. They never see this. Interviewer on the dance floor, do you think people dress up for the sexuality of what they see? Do you think it is sexually stimulating for the participant? As well as it's Speaker 3 Definitely, it's very sexual. My nipples are like erasers. I think Studio is a very sexual place because most men wear jockstraps and brassieres. We don't know what Interviewer you think it says that we need the participators as well as the viewers. Speaker 3 Yeah. Then they wouldn't come Interviewer Why do you think people come here? Speaker 1 06:27 I think especially homosexuals, excuse me darling. I think homosexuals are originally this macho syndrome. And when they see what we do, publicly, they joke behind their closet doors. And that hasn't happened. Like ? in Summer of '42S
03:15:30 405.45	Interviewer what do you do in the daytime, Speaker 3 I work at Bloomingdale's. Speaker 2 I paint my lips. Speaker 3 I work for Moaet Jewelers, Monet that's m-o-a-e-t. in the foyer, anybody convinces me but I was fired Speaker 2 In real life? I thought we were in real life? No actually, I'm a makeup artist, hairstylist freelance. Speaker 3 07:08 I'm known as Blake in Studio 54 It's sort of adrogynis is sort of like a male lesbian. Interviewer Do you ever see any unusual characters out here that you admire? Speaker 2 Oh yes. Speaker 3 The three of you. I think you're Marvelous. Speaker 2 No, I do. I see quite a few I really admire Interviewer you seen any costumes that you think are very exciting that that you can remember offhand? Speaker 3 No, not really Speaker 2 the the woman I forget her name but she wears very little she's always very exposed.
03:16:32 467.02	Speaker 3 She looks like Sunshine Nudist Camp, it's marvelous Interviewer Why do you think this place is sexually stimulating? Speaker 3 because I think that um it has the truly most beautiful people in New York and they attract the most beautiful of course it's sexual every disco is sexual. They say i'm a boy but I say i'm a homo Speaker 2 we look like this on the subway. Interviewer You think you're lonely you think you're searching for anything? Speaker 2 to meet other lovely people Speaker 3 Like we are still can contribute to fashion and still contribute to Quaaludes and alcohol, ok Interviewer Do you think the styles that say people like yourself wear in discos set the trends and fashions throughout the rest of the country and the world? Speaker 2 ...sets the trend. Speaker 3 I think we're actually ill. But um we do it well, we've taped Bufferin early in the morning, Interviewer but there's an enormous amount of fashion that is picked up from discos. Do you think people like yourself contribute to that? In what manner? Do you think that the bizarreness of the characters wearing the clothing Speaker 2 Yes because they can dress up and feel like they're contributing something to fashion Interviewer you think disco will continue to grow like it's been growing in the last three years? Speaker 2 I think for a while but like anything good, and definitely has to see its end. Speaker 3 as long as there are people who are interested such as yourself in interviewing, I mean truly public people or people in the in the eye of the ? I think that I think it will Yes I do.
03:18:05 560.44	Interviewer If we were to show this film in Kansas City, do you think people would like you or dislike you? Speaker 3 I think they would absolutely mob us as Negroes Speaker 2 I think they'd think i was alien . Interviewer do you find it difficult getting a cab home at night. Speaker 2 No no there's always a limousine waiting Interviewer How often do you go out in the night life Speaker 2 Once twice a week. Speaker 3 We only perform as transvestites at Studio because I truly feel it's appreciated. But usually I go out as a lesbian during the week. Speaker 2 on a construction... Interviewer Where else do you patronize? Speaker 3 Oh our home, St. Patrick Cathedral on Sunday. We wear habits, not good habits but bad habids. And we um we go to Ice Palace we go to soccer Interviewer Oh speaking of the most famous disco steve rubell enters the interview. and takes a bow and sits down. Interviewer Steve, we're talking to two of your regular and wonderful clientele here that love you so much. We're just talking about the way they dress up and feel so comfortable in your establishment. You think this happens anywhere else in the world?
03:19:26 641.43	Steve Rubell No no I can make a lot more money a lot more ways but this is why I love Interviewer you don't feel you're making enough money at studio 54 Speaker 4 Rubell ? has some things to say. I like the potty Film interrupts.
03:20:04 678.53	Talking with Mark the doorman as he stands high picking people to go into club. Doorman we look for hot people Interviewer Hot people? Ever have any confrontation with people? Doorman Mark Oh sure, every once in a while. I try to settle it outside though it's much easier
03:20:29 703.53	Interviews with people trying to get into club.
03:20:52 726.53	Interviews with people outside Studio 54 (for better complete version use LB-40B)
03:21:40 774.53	Doorman Mark lets people into club.
03:21:47 781.53	Steve Rubell outside Studio 54 (for better complete version use LB-40B)
03:22:03 797.93	end reel.