With its disturbing focus on the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl, horror movie The Exorcist has terrified audiences around the world ever since it hit the big screen in 1973.
Yet few realise that the film - and Peter Blatty's novel of the same name - were inspired by the true story of a months-long exorcism of a 14-year-old boy by Jesuit priests in Missouri in 1949.
The teenager, who was given the pseudonym Roland Doe to protect his identity, was born into a German Lutheran Christian family and initially lived with his parents in Prince George's County, Maryland.
As an only child, Roland was dependent on adults for company, in particular his Aunt Harriet, who was a spiritualist and introduced him to the Ouija board.
The boy's parents began to notice strange occurrences such as his bed shaking, furniture moving across the room and scratching noises coming from inside the walls. (more...)
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