On December 26, 1973, The Exorcist, a horror film starring
the actress Linda Blair as a girl possessed by an evil spirit,
made its debut in theaters; it went on to earn a reputation
as one of the scariest movies in history.

The post-holiday release served to help The Exorcist sell
tickets, as most moviegoers had time off.

It was the highest-grossing Christmas week release after
1997’s Titanic, and is still in second place.

William David Friedkin 
(August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023)