Oh! Calcutta! is an avant-garde theatrical revue, created by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan. The show, consisted of sketches on sex-related topics and  debuted Off-Broadway in 1969 and then in London in 1970. It ran in London for over 3,900 performances, and in New York initially for 1,314. Revivals enjoyed even longer runs, including a Broadway revival that ran for 5,959 performances, making the show the longest-running revue in Broadway history at the time.

The show sparked considerable controversy at the time, because it featured extended scenes of total nudity, both male and female. The title is taken from a painting byClovis Trouille, itself a pun on “O quel cul t’as!” French for “What an arse you have!”.

Below is the video version which was filmed for closed circuit distribution was produced in 1971.

The video below was filmed as a  pay-per-view video production which played on closed-circuit TV in select cities in 1971, and was released theatrically in 1972; in both cases many cities and municipalities banned its showing.  Itwas edited at TeleTape studios in New York City. This was the same company that originally shot and edited Sesame Street..

The clip below is the closing act with cast and technical credits.

A young Bill Macy of “Maude” fame is in the cast. “Oh Walter!”

TRIVIA:  John Lennon wrote the first draft of the musical sketch number “Four in Hand” in which a newcomer to a masturbation game can’t seem to think of anything to masturbate to.