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"The Exorcist"
Discover the inspiration behind the "The Exorcist." Read about the true story behind the story, as well as what went into the creation of, arguably, the scariest novel and film ever created!
based on a true story
William Peter Blatty's novel, "The Exorcist," was based on a number of newspaper articles published in 1949, telling of a 13-year-old Mount Rainier, Maryland boy who had been freed by a Catholic priest of possession by the devil through the ancient ritual of exorcism. The notion of demonic possession stuck in Blatty's mind, though he failed to incorporate the information into his work for some 20 years.
The media first became involved in this case when The Washington Post ran an article on August 10, 1949 titled "Pastor Tells Eerie Tale of 'Haunted' Boy." Written in an almost tongue-in-cheek style by reporter Bill Brinkley, the piece tells an "out-of-this-world" story of a local 13-year-old boy. The story came to light when an unnamed minister gave a speech before a local meeting of the Society of Parapsychology at the Mount Pleasant Library in Washington, D.C. According to the minister, the family had experienced a number of strange events in their suburban Maryland home beginning January 18th: scratching noises emanated from the house's walls; the bed in which the boy slept would shake violently; and objects such as fruit and pictures would jump to the floor in the boy's presence. The minister, described as being intensely skeptical, arranged for the boy to spend the night of February 17th in his home. With the boy sleeping nearby in a twin bed the minister reported that in the dark he heard vibrating sounds from the bed and scratching sounds on the wall. During the rest of the night, he allegedly witnessed some strange events—a heavy armchair in which the boy sat seemingly tilted on its own and tipped over and a pallet of blankets on which the sleeping boy lay inexplicably moved around the room. Curiously, the article described the minister as laughing as he related these incidents to his audience. He admonished the boy by saying, "Now, look, this is enough of this...." The article ended by saying that the minister called in the family doctor, who prescribed phenobarbital for the whole family.
On August 11, 1949, The Times-Herald (Washington, D.C.) joined in with an article by William Flythe, Jr. titled "'Haunted' Boy's Parents Tell Of Ghost Messages." The piece noted that the boy's family had found dermographic messages written in a red rash on the boy's body. The article states that when the messages were brought to the attention of the minister involved, "he could detect nothing more than an ordinary rash."
On August 19, 1949 The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) featured an article titled "Priest Freed Boy of Possession By Devil, Church Sources Say." As the first account providing details about an exorcism to the public, the article opened by stating "A Catholic priest has successfully freed a 14-year-old Mount Rainier, Md., boy of reported possession by the devil here early this year, it was disclosed today." While names were withheld, it was revealed that the ritual of exorcism was given after the boy's affliction was studied at both Georgetown University Hospital and St. Louis University. The next day, the same paper ran a follow-up article, citing church sources as saying that during the rite the boy had recited a stream of blasphemous curses, intermingled with Latin phrases.
On August 20, 1949, The Washington Post printed another Bill Brinkley-authored piece titled "Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil's Grip." In the article, Brinkley revealed that it took some 20 to 30 45-minute performances of the ancient ritual of exorcism to finally cast the devil out of the boy. He also wrote that throughout the rite, the young boy would break into violent tantrums of screaming, cursing, and voicing of Latin phrases. (Separately, it was reported that the boy became increasingly rabid, displaying violent seizures and uncontrolled urinating.) The exorcism itself, which according to Brinkley was conducted by a St. Louis priest in his fifties, was first initiated in St. Louis, continued in D.C., and ultimately completed back in St. Louis within the confines of a Catholic church. The article stated that upon the last performed ritual, the boy became quiet and reported witnessing a vision of St. Michael casting the devil out.
In 1969, some twenty years later, Blatty began writing "The Exorcist." He finished the project during the summer of 1971. In 1974, Blatty published "William Peter Blatty On The Exorcist From Novel To Film" (New York: Bantam Books, 1974), detailing the research he had conducted in finishing both the novel and the movie. In that book, Blatty told of a letter he composed to the priest who had conducted the actual 1949 exorcism. He also revealed the existence of a diary kept by an attending priest who recorded the daily events of the ongoing exorcism. Blatty wrote that he had asked to see the diary, but that the exorcist declined. However, Blatty maintained that some five copies of the diary existed - including two within the archives of two separate archdioceses - and that he did eventually read a copy of it, although he did not reveal where he had obtained his copy. Blatty also maintained that much of his book was based upon that material.
the novel
Born in New York City in 1928, Blatty attended Georgetown University where he received an MA Degree in English Literature. It was while attending Georgetown that he first heard about the true exorcism case that eventually led him to write "The Exorcist."
After a brief stint in the Air Force, Blatty moved to Los Angeles and began writing screenplays and novels: "A Shot In The Dark," "Which Way to Mecca, Jack?," "John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!," "What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?," and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane."
"The Exorcist" was published in 1971 and spent 55 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List. Blatty also earned an Oscar® for Best Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium and a Golden Globe® award for the screenplay adaptation of his book.
Blatty made his directorial debut with "The Ninth Configuration," winning another Golden Globe® award for the screenplay adaptation of his novel "Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane." Blatty also wrote and directed "The Exorcist III," based on his novel "Legion," starring George C. Scott as Leutenant Kinderman.
the film
Produced by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin (Academy Award winner for "Best Director" for the movie The French Connection), the 1973 film tells the harrowing tale of diabolically possessed 12-year-old Regan MacNeil (portrayed by Linda Blair) and the ensuing battle waged by her mother Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), Father Karras (Jason Miller) and the exorcist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) to free her soul from the devil's grasp. The movie, set in the Georgetown suburb of Washington, DC, deservedly achieved its widespread notoriety for its gut-wrenching scenes of Regan's colorful exhibitions. She vomits, curses, spins her head around and commits various grotesque acts of blasphemy. Mixed in with her ill-mannered behavior are healthy doses of sensational levitation and additional special effects designed to send the weak-at-heart heading for the exits. While critics acknowledged the film's box-office power, reviews seemed equally divided between those who loved the movie and those who hated it. The Exorcist is a disturbing 121-minute film that leaves its audience pained, drained, and entertained. The film was nominated in 1974 for ten Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and was the recipient of two: Best Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium—William Peter Blatty, and Best Sound—Robert Knudson and Chris Newman.
Born in Chicago in 1939, Friedkin started began working in the mailroom at WGN-TV at the ripe age of 16. In the mid-1960s, an award-winning documentary film Friedkin made for WGN caught the attention of David Wolper, who hired him to direct documentaries for ABC.
In 1967, Friedkin directed his first feature film, "Good Times," starring Sonny and Cher. However, his career really took off in 1971 with his critically acclaimed hit "The French Connection," starring Gene Hackman. The film earned five Oscars®, including "Best Director"-William Friedkin. He received his second Best Director Oscar® nomination for "The Exorcist."
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Friedkin directed numerous series, specials, remakes, and made-for TV episodes, including "The Twilight Zone" (1985) and "Tales from the Crypt" (1989).
Most recently, Friedkin has been responsible for such films as "The Guardian," "Jade," and "Rules of Engagement."
Born in St. Louis, Missouri on January 22, 1959, Blair began modeling at the age of six, before moving into acting for the daytime drama, "Hidden Faces" (1968-1969). In 1971, she was cast in her first film, "The Sporting Club", before starring as Regan in "The Exorcist."
Blair's performance in "The Exorcist" earned her an Oscar® nomination and a Golden Globe® award for Best Supporting Actress. Blair later returned as Regan in the 1977 sequel, "Exorcist II: The Heretic," co-starring Richard Burton. She later received acclaim for the telefilms "Sarah T. — Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic" and "Born Innocent." In 1996, she had a cameo appearance in the horror hit "Scream", and later starred on Broadway in the hit revival of "Grease."
Since the mid-1990s, Blair has maintained her place as an animal rights activist and world humanitarian. She was also recently cast for the hit BBC television series, "LA-7."
Born Edna Rae Gillooly in 1932, Burstyn is a native of Detroit, Michigan. Burstyn moved to Texas at the age of 18 to pursue a career in modeling, and later moved to New York City to become a showgirl. In 1956, Burstyn became a regular dancer on "The Jackie Gleason Show". In 1957, she made her Broadway debut in the play, "Fair Game."
Throughout most of the 1960s, Burstyn worked in television on the daytime drama, "The Doctors" and in various Westerns such as "Maverick," "Gunsmoke," The Time Tunnel," and "Iron Horse."
Burstyn earned her first Oscar® nomination (Best Supporting Actress) for "The Last Picture Show," before going on to earn four more Best Actress nominations for "The Exorcist," "Same Time, Next Year", "Resurrection," and "Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore," winning for "Alice." She also won a Tony award for Best Actress in the Broadway hit "Same Time, Next Year."
Throughout the 1980s, Burstyn earned Emmy® nominations for the telefilms "The People vs. Jean Harris" and "Surviving." She also starred in her own self-titled comedy series during the mid-1980s.
Born in New York in 1939, Miller began his career by winning a Tony for Best Play, and the Pulitzer Prize, for writing "That Championship Season" in 1973.
"The Exorcist" marked Miller's film debut as an actor and earned him an Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He later revisited his role as Father Karras in William Peter Blatty's sequel "The Exorcist III." Miller went on to write and direct the big screen version of "That Championship Season." He also wrote the telefilms "Reward" (1980), "A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story" (1989), and "That Championship Season" (1999).
Born Carl Adolf von Sydow in Lund, Sweden in 1929, von Sydow studied acting at the Royal Dramatic Theater School in Stockholm.
Von Sydow started his acting career on the Swedish stage, starring in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Peer Gynt," "Faust," before debuting on the big screen in Alf Sjoberg's "Only a Mother." Von Sydow later teamed up with acclaimed director Ingmar Bergman, making more than a dozen films together, including such classics as "The Virgin Spring" and "The Seventh Seal." Von Sydow's US film debut began with his role as Jesus Christ in George Stevens' "The Greatest Story Ever Told."
Following his role as Father Merrin in "The Exorcist" and "Exorcist III," von Sydow portrayed memorable villains in such films as "Three Days of the Condor," and "Flash Gordon." He also portrayed the Devil in the film version of Stephen King's "Needful Things." In 1988, von Sydow earned his first Oscar® nomination as Best Actor for his performance in "Pelle the Conqueror," which won for Best Foreign Film.
Born Leo Jacob in 1911, Cobb was a native of in New York City. Cobb moved to Hollywood at the age of 17 to pursue an acting career, but later returned to New York study Accounting at City College of New York.
Throughout the next 40 years, Cobb developed his acting career on the stage, screen, and television. He also starred as Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" on Broadway, reprising it in a 1966 telefilm.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Cobb played Judge Henry Garth in the Western series, "The Virginian" and David Barrett on the drama, "The Young Lawyers." Cobb also earned Oscar® nominations as Best Supporting Actor for "On the Waterfront" and "The Brothers Karamazov." Cobb died on February 11, 1976.
Born in Ireland in 1916, MacGowran acting career bloomed during the Golden Age of Irish Theatre. His 1970 one-man show called "MacGowran in the Work of Beckett" earned him an Obie Award for Best Actor.
In 1952, MacGowran began his film debut in "The Gentle Gunman." He also appeared in John Ford's classic, "The Quiet Man," opposite John Wayne. MacGowran later guest starred in such hit British TV series as "The Avengers" and "Danger Man."
After his work on "The Exorcist," MacGowran opened a stage revival of "The Plough and the Stars," but the project was cut short due to his untimely death in 1973.
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The Book:
The Soundtrack:
