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- Caption: The Exorcist (1973)
- Description:
"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
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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.
Synopsis
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. - Actor/Actress/Director:
- Movie: The Exorcist
- Id: 10867159
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