Laura Wright 
This movie quickly gained notoriety when it was released. We can expect a host of urban legends and rumors of a “curse” to follow.
It’s no secret that this film stirred a lot of controversy upon its release in 1973. The most intriguing aspect of the topic is the number of strange occurrences which weren’t accounted for. This movie’s filming and productions involved a number of accidents, misfortunes, and even deaths.
The Exorcist was based on a bestselling novel, of the same name, by author Peter Blatty. Blatty stated he based the story on an exorcism from the 1940s. He collected unemployment while he wrote the novel. It was an unbelievable success. The novel stayed on the bestseller lists for 55 weeks, however the translation into a movie was not such a smooth or optimistic task. The movie eventually won 2 Academy Awards, but at a tremendous price to the cast and crew.
The movie’s budget was supposed to be $4 million dollars. However, by the time it was finished, the cost had soared to $12 million. The original schedule required 85 days of filming. The actual time, just for filming in America, stretched out to 224 days. The archeological dig shown at the film’s opening is actually the ancient city of Nineveh, in Hatra, Iraq. The film was released on December 26, 1973.
The truly shocking information came from the arduous process of filming. The first set of the MacNeil home burned down and had to be reconstructed. No one could pinpoint what caused the fire.
Most of the crew thought the experience was simply creepy. Numerous deaths are often linked with the filming. Jack MacGowran, who played “Burke Dennings,” died from flu complications less than a month after its release, on January 31, 1973. A night watchman died while patrolling the set. Linda Blair’s grandfather died during this period.
Valsiliki Maliaros, who played Father Karas’s mother, died on February 9, 1973. Max Von Sydow’s brother is another death that occurred. Other individuals stated to have died as a result of a connection to the film are: Crewman involved with bedroom refrigeration, a cameraman’s newborn, and Lee J. Cobb. These claims associated with these latter mentions can’t be substantiated. Likewise, Ms. Maliaros enjoyed a long and full life prior to her death at 90 years of age.
Aside from two mysterious fires, Ellen Burstyn, who played Regan’s mother “Chris MacNeil,” sustained permanent spinal injuries when she was thrown from the bed. The scream the audience hears when she’s thrown from her daughter’s bed comes from very real pain. Linda Blair also sustained back injuries during the movie.
Linda Blair is perhaps the most pitiable character. At the time, the 13-year-old sacrificed much of her life to star in the movie. Death threats on the adolescent were so severe that Warner Brothers had to hire bodyguards for her for months after its release.
The movie’s release was another media circus gone wild. Religious leaders warned against viewing the movie and were dismissed, but there were some wild reactions in audiences who attended the theaters. “Exorcist vomit bags,” were commonly given out for audience members who became ill while watching the movies. People complained of a variety of physical ailments upon watching the movie, and some even blamed the film for heart attacks.
So, was it cursed? Or is this nothing more than a strange string of coincidences?
