High Mass At Purple Onion Two

KTVU news footage from December 8, 1967, with reporter Carlton Cordell, featuring an interview with the playwright John Ignatius Alioto (1945-2021), who explains why he chose to write the controversial play High Mass, structured around the Catholic Mass. Alioto attributes disappointing box office receipts to negative publicity, which he refers to as "injurious rumors." Note that Alioto was the son of Joseph Alioto, who'd just won San Francisco's Mayoral election on November 7 and was a prominent Roman Catholic. Ends with silent views of D'Arcy Harmon and Michael Cristofer acting a scene from High Mass, which opened at the Purple Onion Two on November 22. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks. This 16mm b&w reversal film print was scanned in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in November 2025.