Filming a crowd scene for The Exorcist
Smile Pinki, directed by Megan Mylan (F’92), won an Academy Award in the Documentary Short category in February 2009. At least three other Georgetown graduates have been nominated, although none were in the Acting category. William Peter Blatty (C’50) won in 1973 in the category of Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from another Medium) for The Exorcist. The movie was based on his best-selling novel of the same name. Mr. Blatty also produced the movie, which was nominated for Best Picture but lost to The Sting. Parts of the movie were shot on the Georgetown campus in 1972. Several Jesuits and faculty members and scores of students served as extras, mainly in crowd scenes. Filming was done in and around Healy Hall, Old North, the Quadrangle, the track, Dahlgren Chapel and on the steps leading from Lauinger Library to 37th Street. Many interior scenes were shot in a wing added to the house at 3600 Prospect Street. In addition to Mr. Blatty, John Guare (C’60) was nominated in 1981 in the category of Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) for Atlantic City and Jonathan ( Jonah) Nolan (C’99) was nominated in the same category in 2001 for Memento.