Advertisement

Police Arrest 9 In Welles Raid

Cambridge police shut down the Orson Welles Cinema's first night of a special $6-a-person showing of "Oh, Calcutta" yesterday evening, arresting theatre officials and confiscating equipment and money.

Police arrested nine persons, including one Harvard student and teaching fellow Peter A. Jaszi '68, and seized projection equipment, tape sound track, tickets, posters, and $1400 in cash.

The showing of "Oh, Calcutta" was a video-taped New York performance being shown in 83 theatres across the country yesterday. Cambridge police and seven men from the Middlesex County District Attorney's office viewed the first performance, then arrested the nine on two counts of "immoral and obscene entertainment." All nine were released on $1000 bail each.

"There were some lines you could get a kick out of it if it wasn't so filthy," said Cambridge detective sergeant Duncan S. McNeil, who coordinated the raid. "I've attended stag shows and there wasn't much more in those than in this."

Others arrested besides Jaszi were: Ted Chin-Fan I., Orson Welles general manager; Ted C. Uzzle '71, projectionist; Dean L. Gitter '56, president and owner; and Robert Payne, manager.

Advertisement

Advertisement