William Blatty's Secret of His Success

Ralph Sarchie, the main character in "Deliver Us from Evil", which was released on July 2, was interested in horror films. In fact, it was William Blatty's "The Exorcist" that inspired the retired police officer to pursue paranormal cases.

Blatty, son of Lebanese parents, saw his fortunes turned for the better after the publication of his book, its enormous success baffled him.

"When I was writing the novel, I thought I was writing a supernatural detective story that was filled with suspense with theological overtones. To this day, I have zero recollection of even a moment when I was writing that I was trying to frighten anyone," Blatty said.

The native of New York based his story from a 1949 case of a demonic possesion, which he heard when he was a student of Georgetown University. Father Lankester Merrin, one of the book's main characters, was molded from Gerard Lankester Harding, a British archaeologist who discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls and whom Blatty met on one occasion. The first half of the novel ran like a mystery, about an elderly Jesuit priest who led an archaeological dig in northern Iraq. He was into ancient relics, and what he discovered startled him. It was a small statue of Pazuzu, an Assyrian demigod. Past memories came back while staring at the figure, as it was the demon whom he confronted during an expedition in Africa decades earlier. Then he sensed an omen, of what he would deal in the coming weeks.

In Georgetown, Regan MacNeil, a twelve-year-old girl living with her mother, a famous actress named Chris MacNeil, was undergoing physical and psychological changes. Chris was in town to film a new movie, but her work was disrupted by what her daughter was experiencing. The young girl refused to eat or sleep. She became withdrawn. She turned aggressive and violent. Chris was an atheist, so her initial reaction was this was due to her divorce from her ex-husband. Unsuccessful treatments led her to consult a Jesuit priest. Father Damien Karras was appointed, even though he was undergoing a crisis in faith. He didn't believe that there was a possession going on, so he saw himself as Regan's pyschiatrist. But when the signs were too hard to ignore, he turned to the local bishop, who didn't see the young priest fit to perform the process of exorcism. He appointed Merrin, who just came back.

Merrin was old, and the exorcism was both physically and spiritually demanding, which caused his death. Father Karras, who was by his side throughout the proceeding, saw himself alone to do the task. This was his chance to regain his faith.

There were many reasons behind the book's success. It revealed majority of Americans are religious. There was also a fraction of the populace who were interested in demonology. But it was the fact that the story was inspired by an actual event that led many to believe that there may be some truth to the novel. Blatty swore otherwise. The writer who became prolific in many genres would find his legacy in the Horror genre.

"I can't regret 'The Exorcist'," Blatty said. "It's done so much for me and for my family. And it's given me a great deal of freedom to write what I want."