It’s an important rite of passage for each generation to mourn the loss of the cultural norms and trends that defined its youth. Unfortunately, this mourning usually manifests as some iteration of the tone-deaf and demeaning phrase, “Kids today will never understand what it was like to (insert generation-specific cultural norm here).” However, every once in a while, we find ways to tell stories that capture the magic of days gone by without simply complaining about how the next generation is doing things differently. One great example of this kind of storytelling is Marc Saltarelli’s feature documentary, Studio One Forever, which celebrates the historic Studio One club in West Hollywood. The documentary honors the legacy of Studio One while also mourning its loss, inviting viewers from younger generations to briefly step into a time and place they’ll never get to experience firsthand.
Patrons at the Studio One club in STUDIO ONE FOREVER. Photo courtesy of Strike Media.
As one of the most well-known gay clubs in the West Hollywood area in the 1970s and ‘80s, Studio One was a place where many young men found community and embraced their identity during a time marked by homophobia and the devastation of the AIDs epidemic. The club was also known for its backlot music and performance venue which was graced by the presence of stars like Bernadette Peters (Annie) and Chita Rivera (Chicago). Although the club was shut down in the early 1990s, the building remained intact. When a developer began making plans to tear down the building in 2018, former employees and patrons raised their voices in protest, urging city officials to preserve the site as a historical landmark. Saltarelli’s documentary kicks off with a group of men revisiting the site of the former club to share their memories about its heyday, fondly reminiscing about a time before the building was repurposed as a “straight club.”
Former NSYNC singer Lance Bass in STUDIO ONE FOREVER. Photo courtesy of Strike Media.
Studio One Forever brings together present-day interviews and archival footage to pay loving tribute to Studio One, painting a clear picture of the energy, thrill, and sense of community that defined it. Saltarelli, who also edited the film, incorporates a wide range of personal stories from former Studio One patrons and backlot performers to build a compelling narrative about what the club represented to those who passed through its doors. Watching the documentary is like attending a celebration of life for a beloved old friend, the kind where people come out of the woodwork to share stories about how the dearly departed influenced their lives. With photographs of recognizable backlot visitors like Bette Davis (All About Eve) and Cary Grant (Charade) alongside interviews with former patrons who have no particular claim to fame, this documentary positions Studio One as one of those magical places where everyday people might accidentally brush shoulders with their celebrity heroes. It also shows just how impactful this little club was, influencing the lives and careers of people outside of the West Hollywood gay community.
Actress & singer Chita Rivera in STUDIO ONE FOREVER. Photo courtesy of Strike Media.
Saltarelli skillfully intercuts the interviews with archival footage and photographs to create an engaging, easy-to-follow, and well-structured narrative. Starting with the history of the building (which was initially a camera factory), Saltarelli carefully puts each building block into place to create an emotionally satisfying story that culminates with the city of West Hollywood’s decision about what to do with the building. He grounds the film and its many anecdotes with clips of the group of men who reunited in 2018 to revisit the old Studio One building, returning to this group at key points throughout the documentary to help viewers make connections between different sections of the big-picture narrative. A few of these clips feel corny and staged, particularly the scene in which the group visits an archive to look for information about the club. However, these little disruptions in tone don’t detract from the charm and sincerity of the documentary overall. While the group conversations come across as rehearsed, the individual interviews are undeniably genuine.
A print advertisement for the Studio One nightclub, featured in STUDIO ONE FOREVER. Photo courtesy of Strike Media..
While Studio One Forever is mostly uplifting and celebratory, it doesn’t ignore the serious and difficult parts of the club’s history. Saltarelli includes mentions of drug use and underage drinking at select points throughout the documentary, adding a layer of refreshing honesty that lends authority to the film as a whole. Studio One Forever also sheds some light on the role of racism and classism in the club’s legacy. While Studio One was a welcoming haven for many, it was also known to be a racist, sexist, and elitist establishment that used selective ID and dress code policies to turn away women and black patrons. The film offers varying perspectives on this issue, juxtaposing interviews with former patrons who didn’t feel that racism was a problem with clips of historians who insist that it was. As a commemorative and celebratory documentary, it’s difficult for Studio One Forever to address these issues adequately. It acknowledges that there were serious problems with the club owners’ policies but leaves the issue up in the air, quickly slipping back into a more celebratory tone. Perhaps it’s not this documentary’s job to reconcile the discriminatory parts of the club’s history with its more positive legacy, but this section of the film certainly leaves viewers with an unsettled feeling. Hopefully, it will encourage you to do your own digging and learn more. This LAist article by Jonny Coleman is a good place to start.
An archival photo featured in STUDIO ONE FOREVER. Photo courtesy of Strike Media.
While Studio One Forever effectively captures the nostalgic perspective of those who saw the club as a welcoming refuge, it also leaves us with plenty of intriguing questions to investigate (much like the feeling we’re left with after listening to an older relative tell stories). You can feel the genuine love and appreciation that each patron and employee had for the club while also recognizing its flaws, which is an essential part of memory preservation. Unlike the self-important “kids today will never know” stories, Studio One Forever mourns the loss of a time gone by in a celebratory way that’s accessible even to younger viewers who weren’t there.
Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD October 8th, 2024.
Available on digital January 6th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Studio One Forever website.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Video, Reviews, streaming
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