The Exorcist: Unearthed New York Times article recounts chaos and panic of audiences experiencing 1974 horror film

Security guards at the theatre recall being bribed by people wanting to skip the queues

A New York Times article detailing the frenzy that ensued after The Exorcist was first released in theatres across New York City has been rediscovered.

The 1974 article, titled “They Wait Hours – To Be Shocked”, is circulating online after it was posted by a user onto the link-sharing site Reddit.

William Blatty’s classic horror film terrified people across the world with its chilling story of Regan, a possessed little girl, and the battle to save her from the devil – coupled with a handful of special effects that would be unlikely to raise even an eyebrow today.

The NYT piece describes the chaos at New York City's theatres and the unprecedented mania that the film caused.

The article paints apocalyptic scenes of crowds waiting hours to see the film.

“.... People stood like sheep in the rain, cold and sleet for up to four hours to see the chilling film about a 12-year-old girl going to the devil,” wrote the article’s author, Judy Klemeswurd.

“They lighted bonfires at their waiting post on Second Avenue, between 59th and 60th Streets, to keep warm."

Security guards at the theatre recall being bribed by people wanting to skip the queues. Scalpers received upwards of $50 for a pair of tickets – an equivalent of almost $300 today given inflation.

So desperate were people to see The Exorcist that a “riot” ensued at one cinema when “it looked like they weren’t going to make it inside after a four-hour wait”.

Klemeswurd remembers “the stale odour of vomit” in the cinema when describing the immediate reactions of moviegoers watching the film for the first time.

Vomiting, fainting, nausea, trembling... the list reads like a list of possible side effects on a label for medication. The article also reports the occurrence of heart attacks and even a miscarriage.

The graphic portrayal of Regan's demonic possession is indelible, the likes of which hadn't been seen before in mainstream cinema. Scenes in which the little girl spider-walks down the stairs, spins her head 360 degrees, and projectile vomits a clumpy green substance (filmmakers used pea soup) are undoubtedly some of cinema’s most iconic and memorable moments.

Screenings of the R-rated movie were packed long after it premiered on 26 December 1973, despite the mixed reviews it received.

Although The Exorcist was seminal for the horror genre and shattered box-office records, The Exorcist was met with criticism from a number of high-profile critics, including those from The New Yorker, The Times and Newsweek.

People were as disgusted with The Exorcist’s explicit visuals as they were captivated by them, particularly those who had read Blatty’s book on which the film was based.

“I wanted to see how the girl’s face becomes contorted and how she emits a foul odour from her mouth and I want so see how they show her masturbating with a crucifix. I can’t really believe they could really show that,” said one 22-year-old viewer.

“There’s a little bit of morbid curiosity in all of us,” said another moviegoer on the film's overwhelming popularity.

In 1974 The Exorcist became the first horror movie to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, among 10 other nominations including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress.

Although it did not win the coveted Best Picture accolade, Blatty’s disturbing tale has had an undeniable influence on horror in cinema, and continues to scare viewers long after the film's special effects went out of date.