The Midnight Files - The Exorcism of Roland Doe

Dive into the true story behind The Midnight Files’ most infamous case: the 1949 exorcism of “Roland Doe,” a teenager whose terrifying encounter with a haunted Ouija board and levitating furniture inspired William Peter Blatty’s best‑selling novel and, later, the landmark 1973 film The Exorcist. In this episode, we’ll unpack the documented signs of demonic possession—mysterious knocks from within the walls, guttural voices speaking Latin, and beds shaking without explanation—and trace how Father Raymond Bishop and a team of Jesuit priests battled to free the tormented boy. We’ll also explore Hollywood’s transformation of those events: from Blatty’s dramatized narrative to William Friedkin’s groundbreaking cinematic vision, and how The Exorcist forever changed the way we see evil on screen. Tune in as we separate myth from fact and reveal the real horrors that inspired a cultural phenomenon.