Maguire won nearly every week, and according to Curtis, they used Leonardo DiCaprio (unbeknownst to him)as a lure to draw other players. On the surface, everything looked tame. Beginning in 2005, the Viper Room housed some of Hollywood's highest-stakes poker games (via Time), with buy-ins starting at $5,000 and often going much higher. Mind-Blowing Historic Photos. On October 31, 1993, River Phoenix died from a drug overdose outside Johnny Depp's nightclub, the Viper Room. But as Playground to the Starspoints out, despite the evocative name, the Cotton Club had no connection to the wildly famous operation in Manhattan. OnOct. 31, 1993,actor River Phoenix went into convulsions on the sidewalk in front of the club, suffering an overdose due to lethal levels of cocaine and morphine. "[13] Additionally, there is a legal brothel in Brisbane, Australia called "The Viper Room". But theres a chick ghost too, she was texting me once from a dead number. Few movie stars of the early 1990s were as beloved as River Phoenix. The music venue quickly became a gathering spot for. The Viper Room officially opened in 1993. It shatters and I turn around and there is a cop car sitting right at the red light. most haunted cities. Many people associate 8852 Sunset with Cohen's headquarters, Michael's Exclusive Haberdashery, although the haberdashery sat one block east at 8804 Sunset. I feel like in virtually every movie that I made, there was a connection to River in some way. The building went through several name changes, though since the 1940s it remained some sort of nightclub. Donovan eventuallyturned his life around,at least partially due to the encouragement of Johnny Depp, who recommended the singer"take it easy in the future. With a famous owner, the tragic death of a beloved actor and the unsolved disappearance of a business partner, the nightclub is filled with sinister energy. Mobster Mickey Cohen and his cohorts were known to frequent The Melody Room during this time. I tried to steady myself but my legs buckled under me and I fell to the floor.". [7], Despite the death of River Phoenix the year the venue opened, the club became and remained a hangout for Hollywood's most popular young actors and musicians. Despite allusions to the New Orleans jazz scene, the Viper Room catered to rock and metal bands, both well-known and obscure, with a few notable exceptions. Zak Bagans and the crew of Ghost Adventures. It's been 20 years since River Phoenix died on October 31, 1993 at the Viper Room, where the 23-year-old Oscar nominee drank a "speedball" of heroin and cocaine dissolved into a drink before. Id talk out loud to her, and shed text me a response. By 1978, Phoenixs parents had grown disillusioned with the group and returned to the United States. Soon, the Viper Room's siren call attracted a steady stream of A-Listers and music legends. But few in attendance could've predicted the future of the smoke-filled joint, as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers inaugurated the location. They went into a quieter area and were able to capture voices on tape that Viper Room employee Rita Fiora believed to be River when he said, I get confused.. At the time, his parents and four siblings were entirely dependent on Rivers success. Anyone who's anyone in Los Angeles has heard of The Viper Room on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood The now-haunted hotspot rose to its infamy after River Phoenix passed away in the bar on Halloween night in 1993 from an overdose. After all, the actor appeared to be turning the corner. He chased it with Valium. Though his loved ones quickly called 911, it was already too late to save him. Like the Cotton Club, the Greenwich Village Inn bore a famous name a callback to the Greenwich Village Caf located in the 1920's Christie Hotel (the first "modern" luxury hotel, according to the Los Angeles Times). Famous for his acting talent as well as his good looks, he seemed like he was destined for greatness. After banning photography at the club, John Wayne and Little Richard also made appearances. On the night of his passing, River drank a speedball a highly toxic mix of heroin and cocaine dissolved into his drink. The Viper Room has undergone several changes in ownership, and continues to host music of multiple genres, including metal, punk rock, and alternative rock. Dana Plato Was A Beloved Teen Idol In The '70s And Early '80s Then She Was Found Dead At 34, Researchers In New Zealand Have Identified The Largest Penguin In History, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. By 2001, a court case was on the horizon, with Fox fully prepared to testify against Depp. While filming the movie Dark Blood in Utah and New Mexico, Phoenix had reportedly stayed sober for two months, but sadly, his sobriety did not last. River Pheonix in 1989, photo by Alan Light. Besides the Greenwich, businesses involved in the controversy included La Brea Avenue's Flamingo, known for its drag shows. It was announced earlier this year that the old Viper Room will soon be replaced with a 12-storey building with luxury condominiums, stores, and restaurants. A pesar de la minscula capacidad del lugar con forma de cueva de solo 250 personas, el cartel estelar de esa primera noche cont con Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Evan Dando de Lemonheads y el vocalista de Pogues, Shane MacGowan. Johnny Depp Interviews Hunter S. Thompson at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, California on September 7, 1996. But unlike Phoenix, he regularly used cocaine. [15] In 2016, The Viper Room began issuing cease and desist notices to bootleg merchandise sellers on eBay and other online storefronts. In the 1940s it was converted into a nightclub called the "Cotton Club", entirely unrelated to the Harlem original. [citation needed] In Oliver Stone's film The Doors (1991), the building was used as a filming location for scenes depicting the London Fog, also of West Hollywood. The location invited vice. a lot of fun, finished up doing a double with another lady absolutely blew my mind!!!!. But everything changed in 1951, when local officials folded to pressure to bring the Strip's laws into synch with that of the city. [1] The club became known for being a hangout of the young Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on the night before Halloween in 1993. At just 23-years-old, River was poised to have a successful acting career alongside Leonardo DiCaprio when he collapsed outside of the Viper Room on October 31st, 1993. Regular attendee and card aficionado, Houston Curtis tells it differently in his book,Billion Dollar Hollywood Heist, as highlighted by the New York Post. The club earned a reputation for being one of the few places where the audience often proved more famous than the entertainers. Without a body and minimal evidence, the case remains cold. The Viper Room has also been the site of some rather unsavory activity it was a place that put sex, drugs, and rock n roll on a pedestal. Inside The Tragic Death Of River Phoenix And The Downward Spiral That Preceded It. Fans have left flowers, candles and notes at the spot where he. Given the history of drugs and rock n roll, this is an interesting one to visit. They were very cool about it. From Sacramento, the California Legislature dispatched the Subcommittee on Public Morals to the scene, writes Playground to the Stars. In 1999, Johnny Depp found himself in the middle of a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by his business partner Anthony Fox. The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. It was opened in 1993 and has been famous in the news for various reasons at various times. Johnny Depp was one of the owners (he would give up his stake in 2004). Every Thursday night, the Pussycat Dolls would perform at the club. In the 1970s, the club changed again to Filthy Mcnastys, where rock n roll began to come in. But Rivers tragic passing wasnt the first. The new businesses will be joined by a . Samantha Mathis, Phoenix's girlfriend, and his siblings, Rain and Leaf (a.k.a. With a famous owner, the tragic death of a beloved actor and the unsolved disappearance of a business partner, the nightclub is filled with sinister energy. Cooper says the company continues to research the "highest and best use" of the property. The development, which was announced. The next 18 years saw its rise as a mainstay of the L.A. music scene, featuring performances by Billy Ward and the Dominoes, Bobby Troup, Bobby Short, and many more. To this day, the bar is riddled with rumors of bodies hidden in the walls and ghosts running wild. Weight: 245 g. Dimensions: 203 x 135 x 16 mm. Messed Up Things That Happened At The Viper Room, University of Southern California Libraries. [2] In November 1997, Australian rock star Michael Hutchence played his last public performance in the Viper Room, a week before his suicide. It was established as The Viper Room in 1993 [citation needed] and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp. A few days later, on October 30, 1993, River decided to visit The Viper Room with his girlfriend Samantha Mathis, his brother Joaquin Phoenix, and his sister Rain Phoenix. River Phoenix and his younger brother Joaquin, pictured in the early 1980s. During Ritas decade-long tenure at the Viper Room, shes experienced some pretty unexplainable things: Ive had my hair yanked, a hand on my leg. Though he was wearing shorts, he took the dare, and the window shattered. The drug routine stayed pretty consistent for all of us. They soon changed their last name to Phoenix, converted to veganism, and moved to California. Even younger talents like Leonardo DiCaprio were shaken by the news. A celebrated rock 'n' roll dive According to witnesses, a tabloid cameraman bore the brunt of the attack after Lee allegedly threw him to the ground, damaging the man's hip. Though the nightclub eventually reopened, many regulars said that it was never the same again. Whatever the cause, it spelled the end for the Rue Angel, which succumbed to heavy smoke, water, and flame damage. Despite the much-publicized death, the Viper Room persisted as a star-studded hangout throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The ring often included other actors such as Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon. Visitors to the club today say yes, and the stories that still emanate from this serpentine structure surely corroborate those claims. And during Prohibition, the back rooms of local businesses never quit pouring booze. The Viper Room was once the base of an underground poker ring, reportedly founded by actor Tobey Maguire. River Phoenix (left) with Liza Minnelli (right) in 1991. The city's growing pains came with a resurgence of interest in the unincorporated Sunset Strip's dealings and increasing public scrutiny. By the decade's end, the Greenwich Village Inn closed, and the Rue Angel briefly filled its spot. But according to the Chicago Tribune, a violent scuffle would put a negative spotlight on the Viper Room on Sept. 29, 1996. Curtis claims he and Maguire used Bloom as a distraction so that players wouldn't get alarmed by their losses at the table. Mar 29, 2022. By then, the actor was already a common sight at drug-fueled parties. According to Dollar Times, that's the equivalent of more than $110,000 in 2021. At the same time, an increasing collection of brazen establishments drew Hollywood crowds. Im going back to the bad, bad town, Phoenix said. Despite the much-publicized death, the Viper Room persisted as a star-studded hangout throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Historic documents compiled by West Hollywood'sHistoric PreservationCommission show that a grocery store named Young's Market originally occupied the site at 8852 Sunset, supplying the inhabitants of Sherman, a blue-collar railroad community down the hill. Some locals fear the worst, an encounter with the wrecking ball. He was wheeled out of the Viper Room ona stretcher. The 2003 Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle "Pink Panther Dance" scene was filmed at the club,[citation needed] though the club's name was changed in the film to "The Treasure Chest". Over the years, mainstream stars including Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, and Gwen Stefani, appeared with the girl group. But River Phoenixs death cast a dark shadow on The Viper Room which haunts the venue to this day. The games took place downstairs, overseen by Molly Bloom, a 26-year-old cocktail waitress. So despite its divey and dingey reputation, it was a haven for celebrities to escape the limelight and kick back like civilians. But not all participants of these underground celeb poker games agrees with Bloom's take on the scene. Joaquin, who would go on to star in Walk the Line and Gladiator, desperately called 911 after his brother had seizures on the sidewalk. First, smoke crack or shoot coke directly into a vein for that ninety-second, electric brain-bell jangle., Then shoot heroin to get a grip and come down enough to be able to carry on a conversation for a few minutes before you start the cycle again.. In 1995, alittle more than a year after River Phoenix died from an overdose outside of the infamous club, Johnny Depp threw a birthday party for his then-girlfriend Kate Moss. I went on a tour that went past the Viper Room at one point and the tour guide gave out tickets to the venue (I couldn't go because not 21 but kept the ticket). She is passionate about Princess Diana, the Titanic, the Romanovs, and Egypt amongst other things. At one point in the night, Mathis took a trip to the bathroom. Some say Johnny Depp named the place after a Louisiana jazz club, and others say it refers to pot-smoking jazz musicians of that era. They very politely handcuffed me and sat me on the curb right outside the Viper Room. To see such a promising young actor die so suddenly was heartbreaking, especially for his loved ones. The Viper Room is also featured in the 2004 documentary Dig! Famous for his acting talent as well as his good looks, Phoenix seemed like he was destined for greatness. The club changed its name to "The Poison Room" on January 1, 2006, after they were told by the West Hollywood Viper Room to stop using the name.
