LITERARY ORIGINS

The idea for The Exorcist originated from Washington, DC, articles in 1949.

The tale of a supposedly true exorcism case caught the eye of Georgetown University student William Peter Blatty, who decided to write a novel about demonic possession. However, it wasn't until 1967, with his screenwriting and literary career taking off, that Blatty was able to interest a publisher in his idea.

Blatty completed his novel in 1970 and it was published by Harper & Row in 1971. The book was a smash hit, spending 55 weeks on the "New York Times" Bestseller List.

FILMMAKERS AND CAST

After negotiations for a film version starring Shirley MacLaine (on whom Blatty had modeled the Chris McNeil character) fell through, he sold the rights to Warner Bros., with himself attached to write and produce.

Many top directors were offered the project but turned it down, including Stanley Kubrick, who later directed another horror adaptation, "The Shining" (1980), for Warner Bros. They finally hired William Friedkin, who had just won the OscarÆ for directing "The French Connection" (1971).

Friedkin decided to cast relative unknowns, including prize-winning playwright Jason Miller in his first screen role, to aid the realism of the story. Linda Blair won the part of Regan after Friedkin tested over 600 young actresses in a nationwide search.

THE PRODUCTION

The budget for the film was originally about $4.2 million, but escalated to over $12 million due to the special effects and the rigors of the production.

Most of the film was shot on soundstages in New York, with exteriors shot in and around Washington, DC. Regan's bedroom was built inside a refrigerated set which went down to 20 degrees below zero, allowing the actors' breath to show and giving the appearance of unearthly cold.

The levitation scenes were accomplished by rigging Blair to wires descending through tiny holes in the ceiling and painted to be invisible.

Regan's guttural, demonic voice was dubbed in by veteran actress Mercedes McCambridge ("Giant" [1956]). In the head-swiveling scene, cinematographer Owen Roizman had the idea of showing the dummy's breath, which added to the realism of the scene.

The scenes of Regan undergoing tests in a hospital were filmed in actual labs at NYU Medical Center. Regan's famous "green vomit" scene was actually performed by an adult actress, Eileen Dietz, because makeup artist Dick Smith felt it was too difficult to rig for Blair.

The opening scenes of the film were shot in Iraq, with cinematographer Billy Williams taking over for Roizman.

Warner Bros. wanted to release the film at Christmas in 1973 and the extended shoot forced Friedkin to expedite editing and post-production. Composer Lalo Schifrin originally wrote music for the film. However, Friedkin decided to use classical pieces and Mike Oldfield's famous "Tubular Bells."

AWARDS AND REWARDS

"The Exorcist" was released on December 26, 1973, just in time for Academy AwardÆ consideration. The movie was a monster hit, grossing around $160 million in the U.S., and at the time was the second-biggest moneymaker in history, behind "The Godfather" (1972). The Exorcist won the Golden GlobeÆ for Best Film (Drama) and received 10 OscarÆ nominations, winning for Adapted Screenplay and Sound.