Question 1

True or false: The original novel was based on a real exorcism case from 1949 in St. Louis.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Author William Peter Blatty was inspired by a documented 1949 exorcism of a 14-year-old boy in Maryland, often called the 'Roland Doe' case.

Question 2

True or false: Several crew members reported strange accidents and fires during filming, fueling rumors of a curse.

Accepted Answer

True. True. A series of unexplained accidents—including a fire that destroyed the set except for Regan's room—led to persistent 'cursed set' legends.

Question 3

True or false: The film was nominated for Best Picture but lost to 'The Sting' because it was too controversial.

Accepted Answer

False. False. It was nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture, but lost to 'The Sting'—not due to controversy, but because awards voters preferred a lighter film.

Question 4

True or false: Max von Sydow was only in his forties when he played the elderly Father Merrin with heavy makeup.

Accepted Answer

False. False. Von Sydow was 43 during filming, but the makeup made him look 80. This is actually true—it's a common misconception that he was much older.

Question 5

True or false: The actress who played Regan did all her own stunts, including the spider walk.

Accepted Answer

False. False. Linda Blair did most stunts, but the spider walk was performed by a contortionist named Linda R. Hager, not Blair.

Question 6

True or false: The film was banned in several countries for being too scary, not for blasphemy.

Accepted Answer

True. True. In the UK, some local councils banned it for causing 'severe psychological distress' in viewers. Blasphemy wasn't the primary concern.

Question 7

True or false: The film's tagline 'Who will survive and what will be left of them?' was written by Stephen King.

Accepted Answer

False. False. The tagline was written by Warner Bros. marketing executive Stephen Frankfurt, not Stephen King. King was a fan but had no role in the campaign.

Question 8

True or false: Director William Friedkin purposely fired a gun on set to get genuine scared reactions from the cast.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Friedkin fired a blank pistol without warning during a tense scene to shock actors, capturing authentic terror on camera.

The Exorcist Trivia Questions