The Exorcist is a horror novel written by William Peter Blatty first published in 1971. It is based on a supposedly genuine 1949 exorcism Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit and Catholic school. The exorcism was partially performed in both Cottage City, Maryland [1] and Bel-Nor, Missouri. [2] Several area newspapers reported on a speech a minister gave to an amateur parapsychology society, in which he claimed to have exorcised a demon from a thirteen-year-old boy named Robbie, and that the ordeal lasted a little more than six weeks, ending on April 19, 1949. William Peter Blatty (born January 7, 1928) is an American writer. ... In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the reader. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Harper & Row is an imprint of HarperCollins. ... See also: 1970 in literature, other events of 1971, 1972 in literature, list of years in literature. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... Legion is a 1983 Horror novel by William Peter Blatty, a sequel to The Exorcist. ... William Peter Blatty (born January 7, 1928) is an American writer. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... Cottage City is a town located in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ... Bel-Nor is a village located in St. ... Parapsychology is the study of evidence for paranormal psychological phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis (Parapsychology, n. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ...

Plot summary

An elderly Jesuit priest named Lankester Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and studying ancient demon-worship relics, senses that his discovery of a bizarre sculpture has released an evil force. Meanwhile, a young girl named Regan MacNeil, living in Georgetown, Washington D.C. with her famous actress mother, Chris MacNeil, becomes inexplicably ill. She undergoes a disturbing series of psychological and physical changes. The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

After unsuccessful medical tests and treatment, Regan's mother turns to religion. Regan is examined by priest and psychiatrist Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit at Georgetown University who feels that he has lost his faith. At first he is not convinced of the diabolical nature of the case and attributes the girl's problems to a complex of psychological disorders. In a last ditch effort to appease the mother and hopefully cure Regan's "possession", he turns to the local Bishop, who (after consultation with the Jesuit president of Georgetown) appoints Father Merrin to perform an exorcism with the assistance of the still doubt-ridden and rational Karras. The lengthy exorcism tests the priests, both physically and spiritually, and ultimately restores Father Karras' faith, leading him to give his life to save Regan's. It is interesting to note that the demon possessing Regan went by the name of Pazuzu, an actual ancient Sumerian demigod whom Father Merrin had battled years before, and whose statue he encountered at the archaeological dig in the opening scenes of the novel, shortly after which Regan instinctively-- and ominously-- makes an orange Play-doh figurine of the Pazuzu statue after playing with a Ouija board. Father Karras played by Jason Miller Father Damien Karras a fictional Greek-American character from the novel The Exorcist. ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this section may require cleanup. ... For the photographer, see Weegee. ...

Film adaptation

The novel was made into a successful Academy Award-winning horror film in 1973, with the screenplay written by Blatty. The film originally contained several key sequences from the novel, which were cut prior to release by director Friedkin over Blatty's protests. The deleted scenes—and some new digital effects—were inserted into the re-release subtitled "The Version You've Never Seen" in 2000. Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... DVD cover showing horror characters as depicted by Universal Studios. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... The Exorcist is an Academy Award-winning 1973 American horror and thriller film, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an Exorcisim conducted...

Trivia

• While he was writing the novel, William Peter Blatty was collecting unemployment benefits. [3]

• William Peter Blatty based the character of Chris MacNeil on his good friend Shirley MacLaine. Prior to the 1973 production, MacLaine attempted to have a movie made of Blatty's novel and interested Lew Grade in backing the project, but the plans fell through. According to one of Blatty's subsequent books describing the making of the film, MacLaine's adopted daughter Sachiko was the subject of curiosity and ostracism after the film's release, as it was at once apparent that Chris was meant to be MacLaine, and Sachiko's classmates and even some teachers assumed that Sachiko had been possessed and had perhaps committed the murders and sexual atrocities described in the book.

• According to Rev. Father William O'Malley (who played Father Joseph Dyer in the film), the events depicted in the film are approximately 80% true. He claims the big discrepancies between the movie and reality were: it was a boy who was possessed, not a girl; the possession did not occur in Georgetown, but just outside DC in Cottage City, MD; and the color of the "pea-soup vomit" was not green. He claims that nearly everything else in the movie actually occurred.

• Author William Peter Blatty once won $10,000 on the Groucho Marx television show "You Bet Your Life" (1950). When Groucho asked what he planned to do with the money, he said he planned to take some time off to "work on a novel." This was the result.[4]

• The name of the boy who was subject of the "true" exorcism that inspired Blatty's novel was Ronald Hunkeler. After he was "cured" he went on to attend Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC, graduating in 1954. He was later a scientist with NASA. Understandably, he refuses all interviews regarding his exorcism. At last account, he was rumored to be living in Laurel, MD.

• Blatty followed the novel with a sequel, Legion. The movie Exorcist III was based on this novel and directed by Blatty.

Reverend William OMalley, is an Irish-American, Jesuit Priest,who is considered to be a celeberity of Fordham University. ... Julius Henry Marx, AKA Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... Gonzaga College High School is a prestigious Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, DC. The school is named in honor of St. ... A sequel is a work of fiction in literature, film, and other creative works that is produced after a completed work, and is set in the same universe but at a later time. ... Legion is a 1983 Horror novel by William Peter Blatty, a sequel to The Exorcist. ...

External links

• The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
• St. Louis Exorcism Case
• The Exorcist Fansite
• Washington Post article and interview with Blatty