The Exorcist, which is known for its cinematic achievements and is also considered as the scariest movie of all time, was based on a true story. This 1973 horror film centered around the real-life exorcism of Roland Doe and set the standard for a true horror movie in Hollywood.
It was also nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award and contributed to an impressive total of 10 Oscar nominations. The story revolves around a 12-year-old girl named Regan (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by an ancient demon. William Peter Blatty originally published the book The Exorcist in 1971, and the author wrote his novel and the film’s screenplay inspired by a real-life exorcism that took place in 1949. A teenager named Roland Doe was reportedly possessed by an evil spirit. We share all the details of the real events that inspired The Exorcist:
Who was Roland Doe and what happened during his exorcism?
Roland Doe, a boy from Maryland, began experiencing strange phenomena such as scratching behind bedroom walls at the age of 14. According to The Guardian, Doe’s family contacted their pastor, Reverend Luther Schultz.
In March 1949 Schulze contacted the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory and wrote to them that “chairs shook with (Doe) around and one threw (her) out. Her bed shook whenever she was in bed.”
Schultz further stated that “the picture of Christ on the wall shook” when Doe got closer. Doe rushed Roland to Georgetown University Hospital, but they were unable to help him. After this, the family sought help from the Catholic Church for an exorcism, confident that it could free their son from his frightening symptoms. Furthermore, an August 20, 1949 story in the Washington Post revealed that in his hometown and in St. Louis, MO, Doe had undergone between 20 and 30 performances of the ancient ritual of exorcism. It also stated that Doe was freed from demonic possession by a Catholic priest and felt that it was the most remarkable experience in religious history.
Some of the reported incidents found that words appeared to be etched on Doe’s skin and that his bed would slide across the floor or bang against the wall while he was asleep. This would wake him up. In addition, the boy began screaming and swearing. He also spoke Latin phrases- a language he had never read. When the priest reached the climax of the ritual he said ‘In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I cast you (the devil) out.’
Although the article used church representatives as sources, some still questioned the authenticity of the report and how it was depicted in the book and film. In 2023, film critic Nate Segaloff shared with Vanity Fair during the 50th anniversary of the film’s release that the events took place over a few months in 1949, and were not like the film.
The author of The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear said, “There was certainly no vomiting, air floating, or heads spinning, but there may have been chairs tilting, beds shaking, and words scrawled on the boy’s body — possibly done by him himself. Some believe he was faking it to get out of school and miming Latin prayers to mock the pastor.”
The fate of Roland Doe: what happened after the exorcism?
Doe went back to a quiet life after witnessing an exorcism at age 14 because of the fake name used in the press. Doe died in 2020 at age 85 and his identity was publicly revealed as Ronald Edwin Hunkeler. When he grew up, he became an engineer for NASA and helped with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 and other space missions. Hunkeler’s partner, a 29-year-old woman who asked not to be named, shared with the New York Post that Doe always feared he would be found out to be the boy who inspired The Exorcist.
He said, “On Halloween, we would always leave the house because he felt like somebody would come to his house and find out where he lived and never let him have any peace. His life was very bad with worry, worry, worry.” He elaborated that Hunkeler’s experience wasn’t entirely demonic. “He said he wasn’t possessed, it was all made up, and he was just a bad boy.”
Is Doe’s house haunted? Let’s find out
In 2015 a paranormal reality show, Exorcism: Live!, went to the St. Louis home where Doe lived during the treatment in 1949. They examined the home with psychic mediums and religious professionals and then “exorcized” any spirits that remained in the home. Producer Jody Towe told PEOPLE that their theory was that after Rowland’s exorcism, all demonic activity in St. Louis moved to the house and has remained there ever since.
Tovey stated that, “Other parts of St. Louis are haunted as well. … At one point Roland was taken to the local St. Louis hospital and an exorcism was performed there as well.” He also alleged that hospital staff who worked there at the time told many outrageous stories. He stated, “Whenever they tried to wreck the wing that Roland was in, the wrecking ball went out of control and hit another building!”
Was the original Exorcist movie cursed?
Public reaction to the film after its release was strong, with some people vomiting and fainting in theaters. Viewers reacted strongly to seeing Reagan’s head rotating on his neck. Blair faced strong criticism for demonizing the main character.
The Exorcist had a reputation for being cursed because the set had unusual problems during production. The set caught fire before the cameras started rolling, delaying reconstruction by six weeks. Actors Blair and Max von Sydow lost family members within a short time of filming. There were reports that other crew members suffered injuries, including Blair and Ellen Burstyn, who played Regan’s mother. In the end, director William Friedkin had a priest brought on set to bless the production. Friedkin said of Castle of Frankenstein in 1974 that he was obsessed with strange and sinister things from the start and that it was the most difficult work of his life.
Is The Exorcist: Believer based on a real-life exorcism?
Christopher Chacon, who consulted on exorcism cases and their portrayal in films, noted that the exorcisms shown in the 2023 sequel The Exorcist: Believer were believable. He revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that he has witnessed similar events in real life. Chacon said that these were real events and the elements we included in The Exorcist: Believer were highly authentic and based on real experiences of people.
Christopher Chacon, after experiencing these phenomena first-hand, explained that even though they can be investigated using scientific instruments, advanced technology often fails to fully understand their complexity. He has observed various phenomena, such as objects moving on their own, dramatic fluctuations in magnetic fields, and temperature changes of 70 to 80 degrees.
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