Fifty years ago this week, The Exorcist was released in US cinemas, prompting reports of fainting, vomiting and audience members charging the screen. The film, directed by William Friedkin and adapted by William Peter Blatty from his novel, remains a landmark of horror cinema.
The story follows actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) and her 12-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair), who becomes possessed by a satanic force. Two Jesuit priests attempt an exorcism, culminating in Father Karras (Jason Miller) hurling himself down a famous stone staircase in Georgetown, Washington DC. That staircase now bears an official plaque and is known as the Exorcist steps.
Julie Blatty, widow of the author, recalls seeing the film on its opening day, 26 December 1973, in Chicago. 'Never having stood in line for anything before or since, my father and my best friend and I stood in line for 45 minutes in the cold,' she says. 'We were just blown away by it – absolutely loved it.' She adds that the psychological terror of a mother whose child is in danger was more striking than the head-spinning effects.
Julie later married Blatty on a blind date in Beverly Hills. The couple moved to Bethesda, Maryland, near the Exorcist steps, where tourists often gather. She once revealed her husband's identity to a Japanese family taking photos, much to his embarrassment.
The Exorcist has spawned sequels and imitators, but none have matched the original's shock and controversy. Its legacy endures as a cultural milestone, with the steps becoming a pilgrimage site for horror fans.
