William Peter Blatty

Writing

William Peter Blatty

Born 1928-01-07 · New York, New York, USA

William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel The Exorcist and for his screenplay for the 1973 film adaptation. Blatty won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Exorcist, and was nominated for Best Picture as its producer. The film also earned Blatty a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama as producer. Born and raised in New York City, Blatty received his bachelor's degree in English from Georgetown University in 1950, and his master's degree in English literature from the George Washington University. Following completion of his master's degree in 1954, he joined the United States Air Force and served in the Psychological Warfare Division where he attained the rank of first lieutenant. After service in the air force, he worked for the United States Information Agency in Beirut. After the success of The Exorcist, Blatty reworked his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! into a new novel titled The Ninth Configuration, published in 1978. He went on to adapt the novel into the 1980 film, which was also his directorial debut. At the 38th Golden Globe Awards, the film won Best Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture. Blatty refused to have any involvement with the first sequel to The Exorcist; it was critically panned. He directed the second sequel, The Exorcist III (1990), which he adapted from his 1983 novel Legion. His second film as a director, The Exorcist III was his final directorial credit and final screenplay credit. Some of his later novels include Elsewhere (2009), Dimiter (2010) and Crazy (2010). Description above from the Wikipedia article William Peter Blatty, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

The Exorcist poster
7.7

When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.

The Exorcist

1973

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael poster
6.7

Pauline Kael (1919–2001) was undoubtedly one of the greatest names in film criticism. A Californian native, she wrote her first review in 1953 and joined ‘The New Yorker’ in 1968. Praised for her highly opinionated and feisty writing style and criticised for her subjective and sometimes ruthless reviews, Kael’s writing was refreshingly and intensely rooted in her experience of watching a film as a member of the audience. Loved and hated in equal measure – loved by other critics for whom she was immensely influential, and hated by filmmakers whose films she trashed - Kael destroyed films that have since become classics such as The Sound of Music and raved about others such as Bonnie and Clyde. She was also aware of the perennial difficulties for women working in the movies and in film criticism, and fiercely fought sexism, both in her reviews and in her media appearances.

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

2019

The Ninth Configuration poster
6.4

Army psychiatrist Colonel Kane is posted to a secluded gothic castle housing a military asylum. With a reserved calm, he indulges the inmates' delusions, allowing them free rein to express their fantasies.

The Ninth Configuration

1980

The Curious Case of Inspector Clouseau poster
7.0

DA-DUN DA-DUN DA-DUN-DA-DUN-DA-DUN-DA-DUN-DA-DUUUUN Henry Mancini’s iconic score, Peter Sellers’ bumbling Inspector Clouseau, and those unforgettable animated opening sequences - delve into the history of the Pink Panther films, the pink diamond hunting comedy-mystery franchise that was a smash hit, made a megastar of Peter Sellers and spawned an empire. Paul Joyce’s typically thorough and entertaining documentary focuses on star Peter Sellers’ creation of a comedy icon and his relationship with director Blake Edwards. Hosted by Burt Kwouk, who played Clousea’s manservant and martial arts sparring partner Cato, and featuring interviews with Mark Kermode, Herbert Lom (Chief Inspector Dreyfus), Graham Stark (Pepi) and more, THE CURIOUS CASE OF INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU is a must-see... if you can catch it!

The Curious Case of Inspector Clouseau

2002

The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist poster
7.4

A behind-the-scenes retrospective made for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic horror film, The Exorcist. Includes interviews with Linda Blair and the other stars of the film, along with commentary from the director and writer on some of the deeper meanings behind the elements they used to terrify their audiences, and previously unreleased footage including make-up tests and deleted scenes.

The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist

1998

No artwork available
NR

An Oscars special featuring interviews with a few of the nominees and the writer and director the year's breakout hit, The Exorcist (1973).

Oscars, Actors and The Exorcist

1974

The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now poster
NR

Friedkin and Roizman talk about the film's Georgetown locales, and side-by-side comparisons between the 1973 locations and their modern 2010 counterparts are examined.

The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now

2010

No Place to Land poster
3.5

A cropduster pilot finds himself caught between two women—one who loves him and the other, who doesn’t handle rejection well, who’s out to destroy him.

No Place to Land

1958

Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist poster
6.0

2010 documentary on William Friedkin's 1973 horror classic, featuring the never before seen on set footage of cinematographer Owen Roizman.

Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist

2010

No artwork available
5.3

An investigation into the reports of houses in Hollywood that are supposedly haunted by the ghosts of dead movie stars.

Hollywood Ghost Stories

1986

Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist poster
5.0

Forty years after his novel was published, The Exorcist's author, screenwriter and producer return to where it all began.

Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist

2013

Exorcists: The True Story poster
8.0

This documentary explores the 1949 possession and subsequent exorcism of a boy known as Ronald Doe.

Exorcists: The True Story

2004

Behind the camera

The Exorcist poster
7.7

When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.

The Exorcist

1973

The Exorcist poster
7.7

When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.

The Exorcist

1973

The Exorcist III poster
6.3

On the fifteenth anniversary of the exorcism that claimed Father Damien Karras' life, Police Lieutenant Kinderman's world is once again shattered when a boy is found decapitated and savagely crucified.

The Exorcist III

1990

The Exorcist III poster
6.3

On the fifteenth anniversary of the exorcism that claimed Father Damien Karras' life, Police Lieutenant Kinderman's world is once again shattered when a boy is found decapitated and savagely crucified.

The Exorcist III

1990

A Shot in the Dark poster
7.2

Inspector Jacques Clouseau, smitten with the accused maid Maria Gambrelli, unwittingly turns a straightforward murder investigation into a comedic series of mishaps, testing the patience of his irritable boss Charles Dreyfus as casualties mount.

A Shot in the Dark

1964

The Ninth Configuration poster
6.4

Army psychiatrist Colonel Kane is posted to a secluded gothic castle housing a military asylum. With a reserved calm, he indulges the inmates' delusions, allowing them free rein to express their fantasies.

The Ninth Configuration

1980

The Ninth Configuration poster
6.4

Army psychiatrist Colonel Kane is posted to a secluded gothic castle housing a military asylum. With a reserved calm, he indulges the inmates' delusions, allowing them free rein to express their fantasies.

The Ninth Configuration

1980

The Ninth Configuration poster
6.4

Army psychiatrist Colonel Kane is posted to a secluded gothic castle housing a military asylum. With a reserved calm, he indulges the inmates' delusions, allowing them free rein to express their fantasies.

The Ninth Configuration

1980

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? poster
5.9

A by-the-book Captain is ordered to capture a strategic village in Italy. The Italian soldiers are willing to surrender, if they can have a festival first. The lieutenant convinces the Captain this is the only way. Because of aerial reconnaissance, they must look like they are fighting. To sort this out an intelligence officer is sent in. Meanwhile the festival gets complicated with the Mayors daughter.

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

1966

Darling Lili poster
5.6

World War I. Lili Smith is a beloved British music hall singer, often providing inspiration for the British and French troops and general populace singing rallying patriotic songs. She is also half German and is an undercover German spy, using her feminine wiles to gather information from the high ranking and generally older military officers and diplomats she seduces.

Darling Lili

1970

Gunn poster
5.6

The madam of a floating bordello hires private eye Peter Gunn to prove a gangster killed a crime boss.

Gunn

1967

The Great Bank Robbery poster
6.6

A motley group of phony church leaders attempts to rob a bank controlled by brothers in 1880's Texas.

The Great Bank Robbery

1969

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! poster
3.8

During the Cold War, John Goldfarb crashes his spy plane in the Middle East and is taken prisoner by the local government. His captor, King Fawz, soon discovers that Goldfarb used to be a college football star. So he issues him an ultimatum: coach his country's football team, or Fawz will surrender him to the Russians. Goldfarb teams up with undercover reporter Jenny Ericson, and together they plot to escape their dangerous situation.

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!

1965

Promise Her Anything poster
4.1

A widowed mother decides to go after the child psychologist she works for because she thinks he'll be able to provide for her toddler, the catch is her employer doesn't know about her son and he doesn't particularly care for children despite his profession.

Promise Her Anything

1966

The Man from the Diners' Club poster
5.8

Meek credit card company clerk Ernest Klenk is feeling the pressure of demanding coworkers, new computers, and an upcoming wedding. This stress leads to a big mistake -- the accidental approval of a credit card for mobster Foots Pulardos, who is planning to flee to Mexico with his girlfriend, Sugar Pye, to avoid criminal charges. When Klenk tries to fix his mix-up, he gets dangerously involved in Foots' scheme.

The Man from the Diners' Club

1963

Mastermind poster
4.8

Zero Mostel plays an inspector on the trail of criminals who have captured a robot called Chatze(sp?) played by Felix Silas. The inspector has delusions that he is a great Samurai warrior and the movie flashes back and forth between present day and ancient times.

Mastermind

1976