'Debbie Does Dallas:' Adult film causes stir in Times Square in 1979 | The Vault
NEW YORK (WABC) -- There was nothing like Times Square in the 1970s!
The adult film "Debbie Does Dallas," starring Bambi Woods as Debbie, dressed in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' outfit, caused quite a stir when it was screened in Times Square in February 1979.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, which had nothing to do with the making of the film, were less than thrilled about the film. They claimed that Debbie "is not a cheerleader and never has been," and tried to shut down the film for months.
As ticket buyers flocked to New York's Pussycat Theater, they were surprised to find out that a majority of the staff had been arrested.
Eyewitness News reporter Josh Howell arrived at the theater as federal marshals dragged out the management of the complex. The marshals blamed the arrests on the theater's refusal to stop screening the film.
Even after closing its doors -- the superintendent was not arrested -- management insisted to the news cameras they did nothing wrong. The superintendent was not arrested, and he closed the doors for the night.
