Buzz
For those who have followed Mytour over the past two years, it’s no secret that The Exorcist holds a special place in my heart as one of my all-time favorite horror films. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it, and I’m always captivated by the fascinating trivia surrounding the movie. After revisiting it yet again last night, I felt inspired to share a collection of intriguing tidbits about the film—perfect timing as Halloween approaches, and I’m planning a future piece on real-life exorcisms.
This compilation draws heavily from IMDB and MovieMistakes, as they encapsulate the insights shared by the director and cast. There’s little I can add to their comprehensive accounts (hence my upcoming focus on exorcism). Make sure to watch the movie at least once this Halloween. These details pertain to the original release, which I highly recommend over the newer version, as the added scenes disrupt the film’s delicate balance.
3. Facts 1 – 5
1. The young priest who hears Father Karras’ confession at the film’s conclusion is (and remains) an actual Catholic priest, Reverend William O’Malley. To capture his genuine shock in the final scene, director William Peter Blatty unexpectedly slapped him and shouted “action!” Father O’Malley continues to teach at Fordham University to this day.
2. During the first day of filming the exorcism sequence, Linda Blair’s profanity-laden performance was so unsettling for the refined Max von Sydow that it caused him to forget his lines.
3. The film includes brief, unsettling cutaways designed to disturb the audience. The most iconic is the demon face (shown above), which belongs to Eileen Dietz, known for her roles in Happy Days and General Hospital. This image remains one of the most haunting moments of the movie and still sends chills down my spine.
4. In the controversial scene where Regan uses a crucifix inappropriately, Eileen Dietz (mentioned earlier) was used for the moment when Regan strikes her mother. Director William Friedkin opted for a double with a stronger physical presence for the backshot. Linda Blair performed the crucifix scene, though she later admitted she wasn’t fully aware of the implications of the shocking act.
5. The bone-chilling scream of the demon exiting Linda Blair’s body was created by recording the sounds of pigs being driven to slaughter.
2. Facts 6 – 10
6. Ellen Burstyn sustained a lifelong spinal injury while filming. During the scene where she is forcefully thrown away from her possessed daughter, a harness yanked her abruptly, causing her to land on her tailbone. Her genuine scream of pain was captured on camera, enhancing the scene’s authenticity.
7. The bedroom set was kept frigid with four industrial air conditioners, dropping temperatures to between 30 and 40 degrees below zero. The extreme cold caused perspiration to freeze on the cast and crew. Once, the air was so saturated with moisture that a light layer of snow formed on the set before filming began, eliminating the need for artificial breath mist often seen in modern films.
8. Upon its initial UK release, several town councils banned the film entirely. This led to the unusual phenomenon of “Exorcist Bus Trips,” where resourceful travel companies arranged transportation for groups to nearby towns where the movie was being screened.
9. During the film’s initial 1974 release, a viewer fainted and fractured his jaw on the seat in front of him. He later sued Warner Brothers and the filmmakers, alleging that subliminal imagery in the movie caused his collapse. The studio settled the case out of court for an undisclosed amount. The film’s intense impact led to paramedics being called to theaters to assist audience members who fainted or became hysterical.
10. When adjusted for inflation, The Exorcist would rank as the highest-grossing R-rated film in history.
5. Facts 21 – 25
21. Following the film’s release, Linda Blair received death threats from religious extremists who accused the movie of “glorifying Satan.” As a result, Warner Bros. provided her with bodyguards for six months to ensure her safety.
22. The entity possessing Regan MacNeil is identified as Pazuzu, though this name is never explicitly mentioned in either version of ‘The Exorcist’ or its restored edition. Throughout the film, Pazuzu deceives Father Damien Karras by pretending to be the Devil himself, a claim later debunked through conversations with Father Lankester Merrin.
23. To create the sound effect of Regan’s projectile vomiting, Mercedes McCambridge used a mixture of chewed apple and raw egg, which she regurgitated during recording.
24. The search for a suitable actress to portray Regan was so challenging that director William Friedkin reportedly considered casting adult dwarf actors for the role.
25. The production was plagued by eerie incidents, including the deaths of nine individuals connected to the film and a mysterious fire that destroyed the set over a weekend. Actors Jack MacGowran (Burke Dennings) and Vasiliki Maliaros (Father Karras’ mother) passed away before the movie’s release.
4. Facts 16 – 20
16. One of the film’s most iconic moments, featured on posters and DVD/VHS covers, draws inspiration from René Magritte’s 1954 painting “Empire of Light” (“L’Empire des lumières”). This is the scene where Father Merrin exits a taxi and stands before the MacNeil house, illuminated by an unsettling glow.
17. Linda Blair sustained a back injury during filming when a rig malfunctioned while she was being tossed around on the bed.
18. Linda Blair earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress before it became public knowledge that Mercedes McCambridge, a previous Supporting Actress winner, had voiced the demon. Although the nomination couldn’t be revoked under Academy rules, the controversy over Blair receiving credit for another actress’s performance diminished her chances of winning.
19. Eileen Dietz, uncredited, served as Linda Blair’s double for the vomiting scenes and later filed an unsuccessful lawsuit seeking recognition. Makeup artist Dick Smith crafted a complex setup using heat-formed plexiglass fitted around Dietz’s face, with a hidden nozzle in her mouth to expel the “vomit.” The intricate design, fed by tubes embedded in the plexiglass, left Dietz barely able to swallow or close her mouth.
20. The famous “Exorcist steps,” a set of 75 (or 74, with one being very small) stone steps at the end of M Street in Georgetown, were padded with half-inch-thick rubber for the scene depicting Father Karras’ death. The stuntman performed the fall twice, and Georgetown University students charged spectators around $5 each to watch the stunt from nearby rooftops.
1. Facts 11 – 15
11. Because of its controversial content, the film was unavailable on video in the UK until 1999, when the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) finally approved an uncut version for release.
12. The green substance Regan projectile-vomits at Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) is actually thick pea soup, specifically Andersen’s brand. The crew experimented with Campbell’s but found it didn’t achieve the desired visual effect.
13. Director William Friedkin requested Reverend Thomas Bermingham, the film’s technical advisor, to perform an exorcism on the set. Bermingham declined, fearing it might heighten tension. Instead, he visited the set to offer a blessing and a reassuring talk to calm the cast and crew.
14. Gonzalo Gavira was enlisted to design numerous sound effects after William Friedkin admired his work in El topo (1970). One standout effect, the eerie sound of Regan’s head rotating 360 degrees, was created by twisting an old leather wallet from a sound crew member in front of a microphone.
15. William Peter Blatty’s novel was inspired by a reportedly real exorcism in 1949, conducted partly in Cottage City, Maryland, and Bel-Nor, Missouri. Local newspapers covered a minister’s speech to an amateur parapsychology group, where he claimed to have expelled a demon from a 13-year-old boy named Robbie over a six-week period.
