William Peter Blatty
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
'', and for his 1974 screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name. Blatty won an
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, musica ...
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 The Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama is a Golden Globe Award that has been awarded annually since 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Since its institution in 1943, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association i ...
as producer. Born and raised in New York City, Blatty received his bachelor's degree in English from
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
in 1950, and his master's degree in English literature from the
George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...
. Following completion of his master's degree in 1954, he joined the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
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 The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bill C ...
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 a film of the same name, ''
The Ninth Configuration ''The Ninth Configuration'' (also known as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'') is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. The second installment in Blatty's "Fa ...
'' (1980), 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'', which was ultimately critically panned. However, he would go on to write and direct the second sequel, ''
The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel ''Legion'' (1983), and the f ...
'' (1990), which he adapted from his 1983 novel ''
Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
''. His second film as a director, ''The Exorcist III'' would turn out to be both his final directorial credit and his final screenplay credit. Blatty would remain active as a novelist for the rest of his life; some of his later notable novels include '' Elsewhere'' (2009), ''
Dimiter ''Dimiter'' (also released under the title ''The Redemption'' in various parts of the world) is a novel by William Peter Blatty, released on March 16, 2010, through Forge Books. ''Publishers Weekly'' awarded ''Dimiter'' a starred review, calling ...
'' (2010) and ''
Crazy Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
'' (2010).


Early life

Blatty was born on January 7, 1928, in New York City. He was the fifth and youngest child of Lebanese immigrants, Mary (''née'' Mouakad), a devout
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and the niece of a bishop, and Peter Blatty, a cloth cutter. His parents separated when he was a toddler. He was raised in what he described as "comfortable destitution" by his deeply religious mother, whose sole support came from peddling homemade
quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family (biology), family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard ...
jelly in the streets of
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
; she once offered a jar of it to
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
when the President was cutting the ribbon for the
Queens–Midtown Tunnel The Queens–Midtown Tunnel (also sometimes called the Midtown Tunnel) is a vehicular tunnel under the East River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens. The tunnel consists of a pair of tubes, each carrying two ...
, telling him, "For when you have company." He lived at 28 different addresses during his childhood because of nonpayment of rent. "We never lived at the same address in New York for longer than two or three months at a time," Blatty told ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' in 1972. "Eviction was the order of the day." Blatty's mother died in 1967. He attended Brooklyn Preparatory, a Jesuit school, on a scholarship and graduated as class
valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
in 1946. He later attended
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
on a scholarship, where he earned his bachelor's degree in English in 1950. "Those years at Georgetown were probably the best years of my life," Blatty said in 2015. "Until then, I’d never had a home." While studying for his master's degree at
George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...
, Blatty took menial jobs. Initially unable to find a job in teaching, he worked as a vacuum-cleaner
door-to-door Door-to-door is a canvassing technique that is generally used for sales, marketing, advertising, evangelism or campaigning, in which the person or persons walk from the door of one house to the door of another, trying to sell or advertise a p ...
salesman, a beer-truck driver, and as a
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
ticket agent. He earned his master's in English literature from the George Washington University in 1954. He then enlisted in the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
. Mustering out of the Air Force, he joined the
United States Information Agency The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bill C ...
and worked as an editor based in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
, Lebanon. Eventually, his writing talent emerged, and he began submitting humorous articles to magazines.


Career

In the late 1950s, Blatty worked as the public relations director at Loyola University of Los Angeles and as a publicity director at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
. He published his first book, ''Which Way to Mecca, Jack?'' in 1960, a humorous look at both his early life, and his work at the United States Information Agency in
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. The book also tells of his successful masquerade as a Saudi Arabian prince when he got to Los Angeles. In 1961, while still pretending to be a prince, Blatty appeared as a contestant on the
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
quiz show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sh ...
''
You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...
'', winning $10,000, enough money to quit his job and to write full-time. Thereafter, he never held a regular job. He then published the comic novels: ''
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! ''John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!'' is a 1965 American comedy film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty published in 1963. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The film was shot in the Mojave Desert. In the film, an American militar ...
'' (1963), ''I, Billy Shakespeare'' (1965), and '' Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'' (1966). He achieved critical success with these books – Marvin Levin in the ''New York Times'', for example, wrote: "Nobody can write funnier lines than William Peter Blatty, a gifted virtuoso who writes like . J.Perelman"; but significant sales were lacking. It was at this point that Blatty began a collaboration with director
Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...
, writing scripts for comedy films such as: '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), '' What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' (1966), ''
Gunn Gunn may refer to: Places * Gunn City, Missouri, a village * Gunn, Northern Territory, outer suburb of Darwin * Gunn, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet * Gunn Valley, a mountain valley in British Columbia, Canada * Gun Lake (British Columbia), a Canad ...
'' (1967), and ''
Darling Lili ''Darling Lili'' is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written by William Peter Blatty and Blake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It stars Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, and Jeremy Kemp, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by ...
'' (1970), a musical starring
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
and
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...
. Blatty also worked on his own using the name "Bill Blatty" writing comedy screenplays such as those for the Danny Kaye film ''
The Man from the Diners' Club ''The Man from the Diners' Club'' is a 1963 comedy film starring Danny Kaye and directed by Frank Tashlin. It was made by Ampersand and Dena Productions and released by Columbia Pictures. Plot Foots Pulardos is a mobster who intends to flee to ...
'' (1963), and the
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
/
Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...
film ''
Promise Her Anything ''Promise Her Anything'' is a 1965 British-American romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Warren Beatty and Leslie Caron. The screenplay by William Peter Blatty is based on a story by Arne Sultan and Marvin Worth. The sup ...
'' (1965). Other screenplays include the film adaptation of ''John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!'' (1965), and '' The Great Bank Robbery'' (1969). Later Blatty resumed writing fiction. In 1971, he wrote ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
'', the story of a twelve-year-old girl possessed by a powerful demon, that topped ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list for 17 weeks and remained on the list for 57 consecutive weeks. The book sold more than 13 million copies in the United States alone and was translated into over a dozen languages. He later adapted it with director
William Friedkin William "Billy" Friedkin (born August 29, 1935)Biskind, p. 200. is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in t ...
into the
film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
. Blatty went on to win an Academy Award for his ''Exorcist'' screenplay, as well as Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Writing. It also became the first horror film ever to be nominated for the best picture Oscar. In 1978, Blatty adapted his novel ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'' into a new book titled ''
The Ninth Configuration ''The Ninth Configuration'' (also known as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'') is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. The second installment in Blatty's "Fa ...
'', and in 1980 he wrote, directed, and produced a film version, which focused on the question of the existence of God. The film was a commercial flop despite critical acclaim. Movie critic Jerry Stein called it a "masterpiece" in ''The Cincinnati Post,'' and Peter Travers described it as "the finest large-scale American surrealist film ever made" in ''People'' magazine. At the 38th Golden Globe Awards in 1981 it was nominated for three Golden Globes, and won the Best Writing Award against competition that included ''
The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then we ...
'' (1980), ''
Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an upper ...
'' (1980), and ''
Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: My ...
'' (1980). In 1983, Blatty wrote ''
Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
'', a sequel to ''The Exorcist'' which later became the basis of the film ''
The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel ''Legion'' (1983), and the f ...
''. At first he was unable to set up the production because he wanted to direct the film. with producer Carter DeHaven at
Morgan Creek Productions Morgan Creek Entertainment is an American film production company that has released box-office hits including '' Young Guns'', '' Dead Ringers'', '' Major League'', ''True Romance'', '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'', '' The Crush'', '' Robin Hood: ...
. Blatty directed the film. He originally wanted the movie version to be titled ''Legion'', but the film's producers wanted it to be more closely linked to the original. The first sequel, '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), was disappointing both critically and commercially. Blatty had no involvement with it and his own follow-up ignored it entirely. Blatty's son Peter Vincent Blatty died from a rare heart disorder in 2006 at the age of 19. His death was the subject of Blatty's non-fiction book that is "part comic memoir, part argument for life after death", titled, ''Finding Peter: A True Story of the Hand of Providence and Evidence of Life After Death'' (2015). In 2011, ''The Exorcist'' was re-released in a 40th Anniversary Edition in paperback, hardcover, and audiobook formats with new cover artwork. As described by Blatty, this new, updated edition features new and revised material.
The 40th Anniversary Edition of ''The Exorcist'' will have a touch of new material in it as part of an all-around polish of the dialogue and prose. First time around I never had the time (meaning the funds) to do a second draft, and this, finally, is it. With forty years to think about it, a few little changes were inevitable – plus one new character in a totally new very spooky scene. This is the version I would like to be remembered for.
Tor/Forge have also re-published ''The Ninth Configuration'' and ''Legion'', with new, updated cover artwork. ''The Exorcist'' was eventually adapted into a stage play starring
Richard Chamberlain George Richard Chamberlain (born March 31, 1934) is an American actor and singer, who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently appeared in several TV mini-series, such as ''Shō ...
and Brooke Shields in 2012 and a
TV mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. " Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...
some years later. The TV series debuted on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
in 2016. Internationally, the series premiered in Brazil on FX on September 23, 2016, the same day as in the U.S. It premiered in Australia on
showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
on December 4, 2016.


Personal life and death

Blatty married four times and had seven children. With his first wife, Mary Margaret Rigard, whom he married on February 18, 1950, he had three children: Christine Ann, Michael Peter, and Mary Joanne. His first marriage ended in divorce after 13 years. His second wife was Elizabeth Gilman, whom he married in 1965. In July 1975 he married his third wife, tennis professional
Linda Tuero Linda Tuero (born October 21, 1950) is an American tennis player and paleoanthropologist. She won six U.S Junior Titles and three U.S. Women's Titles. She reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1971, and won the singles titles at the ...
, with whom he had two children: restaurant entrepreneur Billy and photojournalist J. T. Blatty. Following the
dissolution Dissolution may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books * ''Dissolution'' (''Forgotten Realms'' novel), a 2002 fantasy novel by Richard Lee Byers * ''Dissolution'' (Sansom novel), a 2003 historical novel by C. J. Sansom Music * Dissolution, in mu ...
of his first three marriages, Blatty married Julie Alicia Witbrodt, his fourth wife, in 1983, with whom he had two children. The couple remained together until Blatty's death. After residing for many years in Hollywood and
Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (Chin ...
, Blatty settled in Bethesda,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
in 2000. Blatty was a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. In 2012, he filed a
canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
petition against his alma mater,
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, which he said has been at variance with Catholic Church teaching for decades, inviting speakers who support
abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...
and disobeying
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
's instructions issued to Church-affiliated colleges and universities in 1990. The Vatican rejected the petition in 2014. In a response letter to Blatty, Archbishop Angelo Zani stated that this was because Blatty had not “suffered an objective change” at Georgetown's hands, but acknowledged that Blatty's case constituted "a well-founded complaint". Blatty died of
multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, an ...
on January 12, 2017, at a hospital in Bethesda, five days after his 89th birthday.


Critical studies

Studies of Blatty's work include G. S. J. Barclay's ''Anatomy of Horror: The Masters of Occult Fiction''. Critical essays on Blatty's work include
Douglas E. Winter Douglas E. Winter (born October 30, 1950, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American writer, critic and lawyer. Winter grew up in Granite City, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1975 and became a lawyer in Washington, DC, currently w ...
's essay in ''A Dark Night's Dreaming: Contemporary American Horror Fiction,'' and S. T. Joshi's essay "William Peter Blatty: The Catholic Weird Tale" in ''The Modern Weird Tale: A Critique of Horror Fiction'' (2001). Essays studying all Blatty's novels can be found in Benjamin Szumskyj's '' American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty'' (
McFarland McFarland may refer to: People *McFarland (surname) Places in the United States *McFarland, California, a city *McFarland, Kansas, a city *McFarland, Missouri, a ghost town *McFarland, Wisconsin, a village Other uses * USS ''McFarland'' (DD-237) ...
, 2008).


Awards

Awards include: *The Commonwealth Club Silver Medal for Literature (''The Exorcist'') *The Gabriel Award and American Film Festival Blue Ribbon for ''Insight'' TV series episode "Watts Made Out of Thread?" *Saturn Awards for ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
'', ''
The Ninth Configuration ''The Ninth Configuration'' (also known as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'') is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. The second installment in Blatty's "Fa ...
'' and ''
The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel ''Legion'' (1983), and the f ...
'' *The People's Choice Award for the Oscars – Best Picture Award for ''The Exorcist'' *The Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award *Academy Award, Best Adapted Screenplay (''The Exorcist'') *Golden Globe, Best Screenplay (''The Ninth Configuration'') *Golden Globe, Best Picture (''The Exorcist'') *Golden Globe, Best Screenplay (''The Exorcist'')


Bibliography


Novels

*''Which Way to Mecca, Jack?'' (1959) *''
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! ''John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!'' is a 1965 American comedy film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty published in 1963. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The film was shot in the Mojave Desert. In the film, an American militar ...
'' (1963) *'' I, Billy Shakespeare'' (1965) *''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'' (1966) *''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
'' (1971) *''
The Ninth Configuration ''The Ninth Configuration'' (also known as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'') is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. The second installment in Blatty's "Fa ...
'' (1978) *''
Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
'' (1983) *''Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing: A Fable'' (1996)/Revised and re-released in 2013, retitled ''Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing: A Hollywood Christmas Carol'' *'' Elsewhere'' (2009) – Originally published as a novella in 1999 in '' Al Sarrantonio's 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense'' anthology *''
Dimiter ''Dimiter'' (also released under the title ''The Redemption'' in various parts of the world) is a novel by William Peter Blatty, released on March 16, 2010, through Forge Books. ''Publishers Weekly'' awarded ''Dimiter'' a starred review, calling ...
'' (2010) / Revised and re-released in 2013; also published under the title ''The Redemption'' *''
Crazy Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
'' (2010) *''The Exorcist for the 21st Century'' (2016)


Novelizations of Blatty's screenplays by others, paperback editions only

* * *


Autobiography

*


Nonfiction

* * *


Filmography


See also

*
List of horror fiction writers This is a list of some (not all) notable writers in the horror fiction genre. Note that some writers listed below have also written in other genres, especially fantasy and science fiction. A B C D E F G H I J K L M ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blatty, William Peter 1928 births 2017 deaths American horror writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers American male screenwriters Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners Georgetown College (Georgetown University) alumni American people of Lebanese descent Writers from Brooklyn American writers of Lebanese descent Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners Golden Globe Award-winning producers George Washington University alumni American male novelists Deaths from multiple myeloma Novelists from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state) Catholics from New York (state) Brooklyn Preparatory School alumni Horror film directors Deaths from cancer in Maryland United States Air Force officers