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81-738: 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 1973 screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name . 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

162-440: A 2-2-2 seat configuration on Boeing 767s, 2-3-2 on 787s, and 2-4-2 on 777s. Upgraded dining is served on china dinnerware with free alcoholic beverages. Passengers are provided with Saks Fifth Avenue blanket and pillow, along with an amenity kit. The first aircraft with these seats were flying in mid-2018, and the full service launched in 2019. During the interim period, these seats were sold as part of Economy Plus. Economy Class

243-553: A cocktail snack with a beverage is served shortly after takeoff, followed by a main course and dessert. Longer international flights feature a pre-arrival meal, which usually consists of a light breakfast or sandwich. Economy Plus seats are located in the front few rows and exit rows of the economy cabin on all aircraft and have 2 inches (5.1 cm) more recline and at least 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) of additional pitch, totaling 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm) of recline and 35 to 37 inches (89 to 94 cm) of pitch. Economy Plus

324-489: A conversion to paperless flight decks and projected that by the end of the year, 11,000 iPads will have been deployed to all United and Continental pilots. Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg), will replace approximately 38 pounds (17 kg) of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks, and weather information. The green benefits include reductions in paper use, printing, and fuel consumption. The shift to

405-422: A day and finish the novel in the expected 10 months. As he wrote, the story, which Blatty originally envisioned taking place largely in a courtroom, instead moved to the locations of the events recounted and become darker, with the possessed Regan masturbating with a crucifix and screaming obscene words at the priests trying to cast the demon out, all to make the evil more uniformly repulsive to readers. Aspects of

486-483: A diabolical personality claiming to be the devil, he turns to the local bishop for permission to perform an exorcism on the child. The bishop with whom he consults does not believe Karras is qualified to perform the rites, and appoints the experienced Merrin—who has recently returned to the United States—to perform the exorcism, although he does allow the doubt-ridden Karras to assist him. The lengthy exorcism tests

567-591: A former neighbor of the Blattys in California, may have been the basis for the Chris MacNeil character. The last name is similar; "Neil" may be an anagram of "Laine." Another correspondence between life and art: at the time Blatty knew MacLaine, she, like Chris MacNeil, had a married European couple as household staff. In addition, Blatty incorporated quotes from McLaine into the novel's dialogue. According to research from

648-439: A gradual series of poltergeist -like disturbances in their rented house, for which Chris attempts to find rational explanations, Regan begins to rapidly undergo disturbing psychological and physical changes: she refuses to eat or sleep, becomes withdrawn, and increasingly aggressive and violent. Regan contorts her body to bow and bend in impossible directions, at one point following around her tutor Sharon, hissing and squirming like

729-566: A home." While studying for his master's degree at George Washington University , Blatty took menial jobs. Initially unable to find a job in teaching, he worked as a vacuum-cleaner door-to-door salesman, a beer-truck driver, and as a United Airlines 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 . Mustering out of

810-621: A humorous look at both his early life, and his work at the United States Information Agency in Lebanon . 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 quiz show You Bet Your Life , winning $ 10,000, enough money to quit his job and to write full-time. Thereafter, he never held

891-517: A major aircraft maintenance center in San Francisco, and call centers in Houston and Chicago. On September 24, 2020, United Airlines announced that it will roll out a new COVID-19 testing program for passengers from October 15 that year. Initially, testing was only available for passengers traveling to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport. The pre-merger United logo, commonly nicknamed

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972-466: 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 (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

1053-484: A novel based on the Doe exorcism since he had written about it as a college student, even as he became successful as a comic novelist and screenwriter in the early 1960s, but his agent talked him out of doing so when he raised the subject. But after seeing the film version of Ira Levin 's Rosemary's Baby in 1968, Blatty told his wife that he wanted to write a story like that. He liked the way director Roman Polanski had kept

1134-608: 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

1215-541: A regular job. He then published the comic novels: John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (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 [S. J.] Perelman "; but significant sales were lacking. It

1296-743: A result, the combined airline would keep the United name but discontinue using the tulip logo and use the Continental Airlines " globe " identity and livery instead, designed in 1991 by the Lippincott company. United's earliest slogan, "The Main Line Airway", emphasized its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, and was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies", which was in use until 1996 in its first iteration. The "It's time to fly" slogan

1377-455: A short comic adaptation of this film. In February 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a two-part adaptation of the novel by Robert Forrest produced and directed by Gaynor MacFarlane and starring Robert Glenister as Father Karras, Lydia Wilson as Regan, Teresa Gallagher as Chris MacNeil, Karl Johnson as Detective Kinderman, Bryan Dick as Father Dyer, Alexandra Mathie as The Demon and Ian McDiarmid as Father Merrin. A stage adaptation of

1458-566: A single air operator's certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration on November 30, 2011. On March 3, 2012, United and Continental merged their passenger service systems, frequent-flier programs, and websites, which virtually eliminated the Continental brand with the exception of its logo. On June 27, 2019, the parent company's name changed from United Continental Holdings to United Airlines Holdings . In early 2024,

1539-428: A snake. Chris initially mistakes Regan's behavior for the result of repressed anger over her parents' divorce and absent father. Coupled with these events are disturbances at the local Holy Trinity Church, which has been desecrated on several recent occasions. Detective Kinderman begins investigating Father Karras, as they exchange disturbing stories of black mass Catholic theology and 1960s film stars. At this point in

1620-510: 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

1701-500: A trained archeologist who worked on several notable digs. Aspects of the novel were inspired by an exorcism performed by the Jesuit priest, Fr. William S. Bowdern , who formerly taught at both St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School . Recent investigative research by freelance journalist Mark Opsasnick indicates that this was the real 1949 exorcism of a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland , whom Opsasnick refers to using

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1782-405: Is United's international business class product. The Polaris seat converts into a 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) flatbed and has multiple storage areas, multiple charging ports, lumbar support, and improved dining and amenities. Polaris seats can be found on all Boeing 757-200s , Boeing 767s , Boeing 777-300ERs , and Boeing 787 Dreamliners , and internationally configured Boeing 777-200ERs . On

1863-494: Is a Star Alliance member, customers reaching certain qualifications are entitled to certain benefits which may be used across the entirety of the Star Alliance network. Premier Silver customers are given Star Alliance Silver status, while Premier Gold customers and higher are given Star Alliance Gold status. United Club is the airline lounge associated with United Airlines and United Express carriers. The United Club replaced

1944-618: Is a member of the Star Alliance and has codeshare agreements with the following airlines: As of 25 November 2024 , the United Airlines fleet consists of 992 mainline aircraft, making it one of the two largest commercial airline fleets in the world, along with Delta Air Lines. United Airlines operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing narrow-body and all Boeing wide-body aircraft. Additionally, United operates more widebody aircraft than any other U.S. carrier. Polaris

2025-480: Is available on all aircraft and usually has a pitch of 31 inches (79 cm) and a recline of 2 to 5 inches (5.1 to 12.7 cm). Economy seats on Airbus A321, Boeing 737 MAX, Boeing 767, Boeing 787, and Boeing 757-200, and most Boeing 777 aircraft feature a personal touchscreen television at the back of each seat. Some Airbus A319, A320, Boeing 737, Boeing 757-300, and domestically configured Boeing 777-200 aircraft feature only personal device entertainment streamed from

2106-479: Is complimentary for all MileagePlus Premier members. Premier 1K, Platinum and Gold members may select an Economy Plus seat when booking, while Silver members can select an Economy Plus seat at check-in. Basic Economy is available on select routes. Intended to be United's lowest fare, Basic Economy fares provide most of the same inflight services and amenities as standard Economy. With Basic Economy, passengers do not get to select their seats. They are often placed in

2187-514: Is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and is studying ancient relics. After discovering a small statue of the demon Pazuzu (an actual ancient Assyrian demon), a series of omens alerts him to a pending confrontation with a powerful evil, which, unknown to the reader at this point, he has battled before in an exorcism in Africa . Meanwhile, in Georgetown , a young girl named Regan MacNeil

2268-504: Is living with her famous mother, actress Chris MacNeil, who is in Georgetown filming a movie. Chris has rented a house for her and Regan to reside in during the filming. Regan finds a Ouija board in the basement of the home, which she uses to communicate with an entity who identifies itself as "Captain Howdy". As Chris finishes her work on the film, Regan begins to become inexplicably ill. After

2349-507: Is the successor to Speed Lines, which Varney had founded by 1932 and whose name changed to Varney Speed Lines in 1934. VAL flew the first privately contracted air mail flight in the U.S. on April 6, 1926. In 1927, William Boeing founded Boeing Air Transport to operate air mail routes under contract with the United States Post Office Department . In 1929, Boeing merged his company with Pratt & Whitney to form

2430-491: 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 (1980), Ordinary People (1980), and Raging Bull (1980). In 1983, Blatty wrote Legion , a sequel to The Exorcist which later became the basis of the film The Exorcist III . At first he was unable to set up the production because he wanted to direct

2511-651: The Danny Kaye film The Man from the Diners' Club (1963), and the Warren Beatty / Leslie Caron film Promise Her Anything (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 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

William Peter Blatty - Misplaced Pages Continue

2592-611: The Federal Aviation Administration announced in March 2024 that it would increase safety oversight of United Airlines following a string of safety-related incidents. As of November 2024 , United Airlines offers nonstop flights to 73 countries and 144 international and 214 domestic destinations, or regions across all six inhabited continents. It flies to more destinations across the globe than all other U.S.-based airlines put together. As part of its hub-and-spoke transport model, United currently operates seven hubs : United Airlines

2673-698: 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

2754-721: The Loudun possessions and the Louviers possessions throughout the story, mostly when Fr. Karras is researching possession and exorcism to present the case to his superiors. He also has one of his characters tell a brief story about an unnamed fraudulent medium who had studied to be a Jesuit priest. This story can be found in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research , Vol. 114. 1930, in an article about fraudulent practices by Daniel Dunglas Home . It has been speculated that Shirley McLaine ,

2835-574: The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) which then set about buying, in the space of just 28 months, Pacific Air Transport , Stout Air Services , VAL, and National Air Transport , as well as numerous equipment manufacturers at the same time. On March 28, 1931, UATC formed United Air Lines, Inc., as a holding company for its airline subsidiaries. In, 1961 United Airlines completed its merger with Capital Airlines absorbing 7,000 employees and all of Capital’s routes and aircraft to become

2916-535: The United States and all six inhabited continents primarily out of its seven hubs, with Chicago–O'Hare having the largest number of daily flights and Denver carrying the most passengers in 2023. Regional service is operated by independent carriers under the brand name United Express . United was formed by the amalgamation of several airlines in the late 1920s, the oldest of these being Varney Air Lines , created in 1926 by Walter Varney who later co-founded

2997-597: The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in the Chicago Loop. On May 31, 2012, United opened its operations center, which occupied twelve floors there. In 2019 United renewed its lease at Willis Tower, originally ending in 2028 and now set to expire in 2033, and plans to construct a roof deck and a 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m ) dining hall on the fourth floor. The former headquarters campus at Elk Grove Township

3078-581: The Willis Tower , 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. In 2007, United had moved its headquarters from Elk Grove Township , a suburb of Chicago, to 77 West Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop after receiving US$ 5.5 million in incentives from the City of Chicago. Then in 2010, United accepted the City of Chicago's offer of US$ 35 million in incentives, including a US$ 10 million grant, for United to move its remaining 2,500 employees out of Elk Grove Township to

3159-793: The public domain in 2000, but the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 extended its copyright another 20 years until January 1, 2020, when it officially entered on the Public Domain. United announced that it would continue to use "Rhapsody in Blue" as its theme song following the merger with Continental. Because over 98 percent of United's greenhouse gas emissions are from jet fuel, its environmental strategy has focused on operational fuel efficiency initiatives and investments in sustainably produced, low-carbon alternative fuels . On August 23, 2011, United Continental Holdings, Inc., announced

3240-450: The "tulip", was developed in the early 1970s by the designer Saul Bass as part of a new brand image. The logo represented the airline's monogram as well as a modernized version of the airline's shield logo which had been adopted in the 1930s, but fell out of use by the late 1960s. The ribbon-like rendering has also been said to symbolize the motion of flight. In 2010, United announced they would be merging with Continental Airlines and as

3321-595: The 757s, Polaris is configured in a 2-2 seat configuration, so window passengers do not have direct aisle access. On widebody aircraft, the cabins are configured to provide aisle access to every passenger, with 767s featuring a 1-1-1 seat configuration while 777s and 787s have a 1-2-1 seat configuration. Polaris passengers check in at separate counters and can use priority security screening lanes where available. In-flight services include pre-departure beverages, table linens and multi-course meals. Passengers are also given priority with boarding and baggage handling and access to

William Peter Blatty - Misplaced Pages Continue

3402-607: The Air Force, he joined the United States Information Agency and worked as an editor based in Beirut , Lebanon. Eventually, his writing talent emerged, and he began submitting humorous articles to magazines. 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 . He published his first book, Which Way to Mecca, Jack? in 1960,

3483-597: The Father Merrin character were based on the British archaeologist Gerald Lankester Harding , who had excavated the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls had been found and whom Blatty had met in Beirut. Blatty has stated that Harding "was the physical model in my mind when I created the character [of Merrin], whose first name, please note, is Lankester". Another inspiration was the Jesuit theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ,

3564-574: The Polaris seats of the Boeing 757-200s. Passengers receive priority boarding and baggage handling, pre-departure beverages, complimentary meals and separate check-in desks. In 2015, United released its new domestic first-class seat design. The new leather seats feature cradling headrests, granite cocktail tables, and a tablet stand. These seats debuted on Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 aircraft and were eventually rolled out on all domestic aircraft. In 2019, it

3645-644: The Spanish Book Institute, the Spanish-translated version was the eighth-most popular book sold in Spain in 1975. Cemetery Dance published a special omnibus edition of The Exorcist and its sequel Legion in October 2010, signed by Blatty ( ISBN   978-1587672118 ). A limited edition of 750 copies (with an additional 52 leatherbound copies), it is now out of print . In September 2011, The Exorcist

3726-634: The United Polaris Lounge, United Club or partner airline lounges. United First is offered on all domestically configured aircraft. When such aircraft are used on international services to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (excluding Puerto Rico ), this cabin is branded as United Business. United First seats on narrowbody aircraft have a 38-inch (97 cm) seat pitch , while domestically configured Boeing 777-200s feature fully-flat-bed seats that alternate facing forward and backwards, similar to

3807-435: The artist Jeremy Caniglia . 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". The novel was translated into many languages including Spanish and Bengali. The Bengali translation

3888-632: The audience unsure whether the title character's concerns for her unborn child were genuine or not, but felt the ending was "schlocky", reducing the Devil to a joke. Blatty believed he could improve on the ending of Rosemary's Baby , making the spiritual struggle a more central theme of the story. After he pitched the story to an editor at Bantam Books at a cocktail party, he received a $ 25,000 advance ($ 219,000 in 2023 ) and began writing at his home in Encino, California , taking stimulants in order to write for 16 hours

3969-623: The best picture Oscar. In 1978, Blatty adapted his novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane into a new book titled The Ninth Configuration , 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

4050-828: The company ceased operations and sold its service contracts and equipment to Menzies Aviation . In December 2002, due largely to the post- 9/11 dropoff in air travel, as well as to poor relations between the corporation and one of its key labor unions, the International Association of Machinists , United Airlines filed for bankruptcy. It remained under court protection for more than three years. This enabled it to cut costs ruthlessly. Finally, in early 2006, it emerged from court protection and resumed normal operations. In late 2006, Continental Airlines and United began merger discussions, which concluded successfully in 2010. The carriers planned to begin merging their operations in 2011. The merged airline began operating under

4131-430: The doctors still cannot find a source. Father Damien Karras , who is currently going through a crisis of faith coupled with the recent loss of his mother, agrees to see Regan as a psychiatrist, but initially resists the notion that it is an actual demonic possession, pointing to advances in science which can explain what was previously assumed to be possession. After a few meetings with the child, now completely inhabited by

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4212-523: The film. Blatty's agent, Steve Jaffe, helped package the project with producer Carter DeHaven at Morgan Creek Productions . 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

4293-554: The financial year ending 31 December): United Airlines, Inc., is publicly traded through its parent company, United Airlines Holdings , Inc., which is a Delaware corporation , on the New York Stock Exchange NYSE :  UAL , with a market capitalization of over US$ 21 billion as of January 2018. United's operating revenues and operating expenses comprise nearly 100% of the holding company's revenues and operating expenses. United Airlines headquarters are located at

4374-683: The first order for the 777—128 units worth some $ 22 billion. At the time, United’s order was the largest ever for commercial aircraft. United was the launch customer of the type and was instrumental on the design and systems, working directly with Boeing. In 1994, United founded Kion de Mexico , an aircraft ground services and airline related outsourcing company located at Mexico City International Airport . Kion mainly served United, but also served other airlines including Air Canada , Lufthansa , and US Airways ( Star Alliance members). Services that Kion de Mexico offered included ramp service , customer service , and cargo management . In January 2009,

4455-448: The former United Red Carpet Club and Continental Airlines Presidents Club prior to United Airlines' merger with Continental . United Polaris lounges are exclusive lounges only available for long-haul Polaris business class travelers, as well as long-haul first and business class travelers on Star Alliance carriers. Amenities include à la carte dining, shower facilities, and sleeping pods. The key trends of United Airlines are (as of

4536-477: 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 into the film version . 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

4617-418: The novel Burke Dennings has been killed, with his head turned completely around. "Could another human being have done it? Yes, but he'd have to be an exceptionally powerful man." After several unsuccessful psychiatric and medical treatments (X-rays, medication, temporal lobe analysis) Regan's mother, an atheist , turns to a local Jesuit priest for help as Regan's personality becomes increasingly disturbed and

4698-616: The novel was written by John Pielmeier and premiered at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in July 2012. It was directed by John Doyle and starred Brooke Shields , David Wilson Barnes, Richard Chamberlain, Emily Yetter, Harry Groener , Roslyn Ruff, Manoel Felciano , Tom Nelis, and Stephen Bogardus . The play made its UK premiere at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in October 2016, co-produced by Bill Kenwright . The new production

4779-783: The onboard WiFi system. Some Boeing 737 aircraft feature DirecTV. United plans to add a personal touchscreen television at the back of each seat on all Airbus and Boeing aircraft by the end of 2025 as part of its United NEXT interior. Food is available for purchase on domestic, Caribbean, and some Latin American flights. These include snacks, fresh meals, and snack boxes, depending on flight time and distance. Meals are complimentary on all other international flights. Beverages and small snacks are complimentary in economy class on North America flights. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase on North America flights but are complimentary on long-haul international flights. On flights where meals are served,

4860-554: The predecessor to Continental Airlines . In 1997, United became one of the five founding airlines of Star Alliance , of which it remains a member today. Since its merger with Continental in 2010, United consistently ranks as one of the world's largest airlines ; it is currently first by the number of destinations served and second in terms of revenue and fleet size. United traces its roots to Varney Air Lines (VAL), which Walter Varney founded in 1926 in Boise, Idaho . Continental Airlines

4941-585: The priests both physically and spiritually. When Merrin, who had previously suffered cardiac arrhythmia , dies during the process, completion of the exorcism ultimately falls upon Father Karras. When he demands that the demonic spirit inhabit him instead of the innocent Regan, the demon seizes the opportunity to possess the priest. Karras heroically surrenders his own life in exchange for Regan's by jumping out of her bedroom window and dies, regaining his faith in God as his last rites are read. Blatty had considered writing

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5022-486: The pseudonyms Robbie Mannheim and Roland Doe. The boy was sent to his relative's home on Roanoke Drive in St. Louis where most of the exorcism took place. However, according to the journalist: "There is simply too much evidence that indicates that as a boy he [Roland Doe] had serious emotional problems stemming from his home life. There is not one shred of hard evidence to support the notion of demonic possession". Blatty refers to

5103-404: The purchase of Pan American World Airways’ Pacific Division for $ 715 million.  After experiencing continued financial losses, Pan Am sold its routes between the United States and London to United.  On December 9, 1991, Pan American ceased operations after 64 years of operations.  United Airlines acquired its Latin American operations for $ 135 million. In 1990, United Airlines placed

5184-607: The rear of the aircraft. Carry-on luggage is not allowed; however, passengers may bring a smaller personal item that can be placed under the seat in front of them. Passengers booking in Basic Economy cannot use some MileagePlus and Premier member benefits, such as complimentary upgrades. MileagePlus is the frequent flyer program for United Airlines. Published MileagePlus Premier tiers are Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K. Unpublished tiers include United Global Services and Chairman's Circle. As United

5265-414: The second sequel, The Exorcist III (1990), which he adapted from his 1983 novel Legion . 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 (2010) and Crazy (2010). Blatty

5346-604: The streets of Manhattan ; she once offered a jar of it to Franklin D. Roosevelt when the President was cutting the ribbon for the Queens–Midtown Tunnel , 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 in 1972. "Eviction

5427-453: The world’s largest commercial airline. In 1973, United Airlines became the first civil airline to carry an active President of the United States , when then-president Richard Nixon was on board of a regularly scheduled flight from Washington D.C to Los Angeles . The aircraft used, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 , therefore received the callsign " Executive One". On February 11, 1986 United Airlines began service to 13 Pacific cities after

5508-640: Was Elizabeth Gilman, whom he married in 1965. In July 1975 he married his third wife, tennis professional Linda Tuero , with whom he had two children: restaurant entrepreneur Billy and photojournalist J. T. Blatty . Following the dissolution 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 , Blatty settled in Bethesda , Maryland in 2000. Blatty

5589-469: Was a Roman Catholic . In 2012, he filed a canon law petition against his alma mater, Georgetown University , which he said has been at variance with Catholic Church teaching for decades, inviting speakers who support abortion rights and disobeying Pope John Paul II '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

5670-619: Was announced that United was increasing first and business class seats "by 1,600" across all their aircraft in their fleet, including the Bombardier CRJ550 for which United is the launch customer of. Premium Plus is United's international premium economy product. Compared to United Economy or Economy Plus, Premium Plus offers more comfort and amenities. Premium Plus recliner seats are wider, have more legroom, and are equipped with leg rests and footrests. Premium Plus seats can be found on all internationally configured widebody aircraft, with

5751-499: Was at this point that Blatty began a collaboration with director Blake Edwards , writing scripts for comedy films such as: A Shot in the Dark (1964), What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), Gunn (1967), and Darling Lili (1970), a musical starring Julie Andrews and Rock Hudson . Blatty also worked on his own using the name "Bill Blatty" writing comedy screenplays such as those for

5832-1167: 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 on January 12, 2017, at a hospital in Bethesda, five days after his 89th birthday. He was interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring . 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 '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 , 2008). Awards include: The Exorcist (novel) The novel

5913-498: Was born on January 7, 1928, in New York City. He was the fifth and youngest child of Lebanese immigrants, Mary ( née Mouakad; Arabic : ماري معقد بلاتي ), a devout Melkite Catholic and the niece of bishop Germanos Mouakkad , and Peter Blatty ( Arabic : بيتر بلاتي ), 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 jelly in

5994-602: Was created in 2004. After the merger of United and Continental in October 2010, the slogan changed to "Let's fly together" until September 2013, when United announced a return of the "Fly the Friendly Skies" slogan in an ad campaign to start the following day. The resurrected slogan would be accompanied by the 1924 George Gershwin song " Rhapsody in Blue " as its theme song, and a voiceover provided by Matt Damon . United had licensed its theme song, "Rhapsody in Blue", from Gershwin's estate for US$ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 2,677,193 in 2023) in 1976. "Rhapsody" would have entered

6075-465: Was directed by Sean Mathias , designed by Anna Fleischle and starred Jenny Seagrove as Chris, Peter Bowles as Merrin and Adam Garcia as Damien. United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a major airline in the United States headquartered at 233 South Wacker Drive in the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois . United operates an extensive domestic and international route network across

6156-452: Was done by the late popular Bangladeshi novelist and screenwriter Humayun Ahmed . In 1973, the novel was adapted by Blatty for the film of the same name and directed by William Friedkin with Ellen Burstyn , Max von Sydow , Lee J. Cobb , Jack MacGowran , Jason Miller and Linda Blair . The screenplay for the film won Blatty an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay . In 1974 famed Japanese horror author Kazuo Umezu also created

6237-721: Was eventually adapted into a stage play starring Richard Chamberlain and Brooke Shields in 2012 and a TV mini-series some years later. The TV series debuted on Fox 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 on December 4, 2016. 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

6318-523: Was gradually annexed into the Village of Mount Prospect , and serves as an IT operations facility, with a new 172,000 sq ft (16,000 m ) data center constructed in 2013. United maintains a large presence in downtown Houston, having leased 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m ) of space (seven floors) for occupancy in 2017. United has training facilities for its flight crews in Denver and Houston,

6399-571: Was inspired by a 1949 case of supposed demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University . As a result, the novel takes place in Washington, D.C., near the campus of Georgetown University. In September 2011, the novel was reprinted by HarperCollins to celebrate its 40th anniversary, with slight revisions made by Blatty as well as interior title artwork by Jeremy Caniglia . An elderly Jesuit priest named Father Lankester Merrin

6480-400: Was re-released as a 40th Anniversary Edition in paperback, hardcover and audiobook editions with differing cover artwork. This new, updated edition featured and revised material, as Blatty writes: "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. It also features all new cover artwork and interiors by

6561-411: 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 in 1946. He later attended Georgetown University 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

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