The "Exorcist" stairs in Georgetown, which did not figure in the actual case that inspired the movie. (Source: Wikipedia user SDC. Image released to Public Domain.)

The "Exorcist" stairs in Georgetown, which did not figure in the actual case that inspired the movie. (Source: Wikipedia user SDC. Image released to Public Domain.)

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The Real Story Behind "The Exorcist"

Maryland
 by
Patrick Kiger

William Peter Blatty, who wrote both the screenplay for "The Exorcist" and the bestselling 1971 novel from which it was derived, was inspired by an actual case in which a 14-year-old boy purportedly was possessed by the devil, which occurred in Prince George's County in 1949.

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Last Updated: March 17, 2023