The Exorcist

Continuity mistake: Regan sits up in bed as Father Merrin says, "By this sign of the Holy Cross" and she has no frozen vapor coming out of her mouth. In the next shot before her head spins around frozen vapor appears and can be seen all the way down to her blanket. (01:49:35)

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Continuity mistake: As the first part of the exorcism comes to a close, Father Karras picks the blanket up off the floor and covers Regan with it. Father Merrin's red prayer book can be seen on the left night table but in the next shot it's moved and we see his crucifix there instead. (01:53:00)

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Continuity mistake: After the first part of the exorcism, Father Merrin leaves Regan's room and we see his red prayer book and crucifix sitting on the nightstand as he does. He sits on the steps and then goes into the bathroom to take a pill, but later as he goes back into her room he has the book and crucifix in his hand. (01:53:00)

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Continuity mistake: After the first part of the exorcism Father Karras sits on the steps as Father Merrin walks to the bathroom. His coat and purple scarf are draped across the railing but two shots later as Father Karras goes back into Reagan's room the items have disappeared. (01:54:45)

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Continuity mistake: Damien goes back into Reagan's room and takes the towel on the night stand to her right and wipes her forehead with it. He never puts it back on the nightstand but when Father Merrin comes back into the room it's there again. (01:56:15)

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Continuity mistake: When Damien jumps through Regan's window we can see that half of the window frame is still there. But a couple of shots later when Det. Kinderman looks through it almost all the window is knocked out. (02:01:40)

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Continuity mistake: Father Dyer runs to Chris' car at the end of the movie as we see another car coming at them and passing on their left. In the next shot that car has disappeared. (02:05:25)

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Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie Chris calls to Father Dyer from her car and a Volkswagen beetle appears parked in front of them on the right side of the road, even though we've heard no car passing them. (02:05:45)

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Continuity mistake: After Regan's head spins around, her hairstyle around the forehead changes between one frame and another.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: When Father Karras visits his mother, he places his collar edge-wise on the shelf. In the next shot the collar is lying down at a different angle.

Continuity mistake: When Regan throws up green vomit over Father Merrin's purple sash, Damien takes it and his glasses to the ensuite, to wash them, but when he gets there, the glasses are no longer with him.

kh1616

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Chris McNeil goes into the attic to investigate, the size of her candle shrinks at an incredible rate between shots.

Continuity mistake: When Damian goes to visit his mother in her apartment, the bed is on the right side of the front door, but when he leaves, now, suddenly, the bed is on the left side of the front door.

kh1616

Continuity mistake: When Kinderman introduces himself to Karras at the track, he puts his ID in a pocket in his vest. The rest of the time they're talking and walking, he must be wearing a different vest because there's no pocket.

Family5

Continuity mistake: When Regan is in the hospital, to calm her down the doctor gives her an injection in the arm. In one shot her gown is up high on her shoulder, but in the next the gown is down around her upper arm - the doctor can hardly find room to inject her it's so low.

kh1616

Continuity mistake: The first time Father Merrin enters Regan's room, Chris is wearing a fur coat, because Regan's room is so cold, but when Damien closes the door, Chris's fur coat is gone.

kh1616

Continuity mistake: After the exorcism, Regan's wrists are tied together, but are then later seen tied to the bed.

Revealing mistake: You can see wires in the scene where Regan levitates above her bed in the exorcism scene, lifting her up. The way they pull on her dress is also visible.

More mistakes in The Exorcist

Demon: I'm not Regan.
Father Damien Karras: Well, then let's introduce ourselves. I'm Damien Karras.
Demon: And I'm the Devil. Now kindly undo these straps.
Father Damien Karras: If you're the Devil, why not make the straps disappear?
Demon: That's much too vulgar a display of power, Karras.

More quotes from The Exorcist

Trivia: In the scene where Regan's mother is supernaturally blasted away from the bedside, she is being yanked by the crew by a length of rope. After dozens of takes director William Friedkin was still unhappy with the look of the shot and ordered the crew to haul her more fiercely. The scream in the shot that made the cut was of genuine pain and required no dubbing for effect.

More trivia for The Exorcist

Question: What is Chris McNeal's assistant listening to on the radio when Father Merrit arrives?

Answer: When it cuts to Chris MacNeil's PA, Sharon, listening to the radio it's only for about 20 seconds, and all we hear is a voice which presumably belongs to a random radio host or guest who is in the midst of offering motivational advice. This short scene serves to show Sharon's tension with what's going on in the house.

Super Grover

More questions & answers from The Exorcist

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