20 Things You Didn't Know About The Exorcist
11. The Film Is Based On A Real Exorcism
Author William Peter Blatty wrote the book that the film was adapted from in 1971. It was based on an exorcism performed in 1949 by Priest William S. Bowden, on a boy dubbed Roland Doe.
Roland's family allegedly begun experiencing supernatural events after the death of his favourite aunt. The first attempt at exorcising a potential demon from the boy was halted after he had managed to slash the attending priest's arm with a bedspring.
Bowden was called to the boy's house with a colleague. They claimed to have witnessed Roland's mattress shake, heard him speak in a guttural voice that wasn't his own and display an aversion to anything sacred in the house, or on the priest's persons. Bowden was given permission to perform another exorcism, and although Roland allegedly broke another priest's nose during the proceedings, it seemed successful
Despite much scepticism and the true identity of Roland Doe never being revealed, the events of the 1949 exorcism have become legendary. Bowden was later interviewed by Blatty for his account of the exorcism whilst researching his book.