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Richard Grinell, Coventry, England
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THE EXORCIST LETTER

4/3/2014

 
The final confirmed letter mailed by the infamous Zodiac Killer to the San Francisco Chronicle on January 29th 1974 has been commonly referred to as the Exorcist Letter. This sixty-one word correspondence appeared to mock the 1973 movie The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and based on a novel by William Peter Blatty published in 1971, chronicling the demonic possession of a twelve-year-old girl, Regan MacNeil. William Peter Blatty spent long nights in a secluded Lake Tahoe cabin crafting images of good and evil, religion, faith and the afterlife, that would eventually go on to make movie history and court its fair share of controversy along the way. 

The letter is short, reminiscent of much of the Zodiac Killer's later contact with authorities, but as well as mentioning The Exorcist movie, the letter, in rather disjointed fashion, breaks into a Mikado recital once again, recalling memories of the Little List Letter mailed three and a half years previously on July 26th 1970. But this time the foreboding 'Tit Willow' seemed contemplatory in this context, possibly marking the end of the Zodiac reign - and to this day is still often quoted as the murderer's epitaph. The third and final section issued the usual threat of more murders, capped off with Asian style symbols in the form of a cryptic message. Like much of his later correspondence there is little substance here, but we will attempt to delve a little deeper into the Exorcist Letter and find any links that may be relevant or otherwise, as to why he wrote the letter in the first place. This is not a theory, just an examination into where the Zodiac Killer may have been drawing his inspiration.       
PictureGroucho Marx : I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
The Little List Letter mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on July 26th 1970 heavily featured the Gilbert and Sullivan stage play, The Mikado. One section loosely quotes 'a more humane Mikado',  followed by the more extensive paraphrasing of Act 1 Part 5a, 'As some day it may happen'. The curious thing, is that the Zodiac Killer's version of the Little List mimics closer to the Groucho Marx version in the Bell Telephone Hour (1960) than the original Gilbert and Sullivan play. Visit here for the full audio collection: Gilbert Sullivan-The Mikado audio. A thread at the Zodiac Killer Site Forum also covers this topic in detail. Groucho Marx would possibly appear again, depicted in the American Greetings Card or Eureka Card, mailed by either the Zodiac or a copycat in the December of 1990.

The Eureka Card was reminiscent of the Halloween Card mailed some 20 years earlier. It begins with the words FROM YOUR SECRET PAL CAN'T GUESS WHO I AM YET?  WELL, LOOK INSIDE AND YOU'LL FIND OUT...  and once opened stated ... THAT I'M GONNA KEEP YOU GUESSIN'! HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ANYWAY. The scene portrayed on the Christmas card  was of a snowman disguised in a Groucho Marx style nose and glasses. In front of the snowman was a rabbit or hare apparently gazing up at the wintry scene. One cannot help thinking the Zodiac Killer chose his cards for a reason.

Another interesting connection was noted on viewing the Tom Hanson Zodiac movie from 1971, in that the killer wore a Groucho Marx style nose and glasses in one scene from the movie. View the scene and thread at ZodiacKiller.com. But this was not the only possible film connection to the Groucho Marx disguise featured on the 1990 Eureka Card.  
PictureGroucho Marx disguise in Terror Train (1980)
Terror Train was released in 1980, directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Johnson and David Copperfield. During New Year celebrations at the students fraternity house Sigma Phi, a prank backfires on Kenny Hampson (Derek MacKinnion). Mentally scarred by the event, this forms the basis of revenge when the students responsible for the prank board a private train hosting a fancy dress party, exactly three years later. On boarding the train one of the students is stabbed, but his friends believing it is a prank, continue along unconcerned. The killer collects the victim's Groucho Marx mask, follows them onto the train and seeks his revenge, one by one. The movie was primarily a thriller/slasher, filmed in Canada from November 21st to December 23rd 1979 and released by Twentieth Century Fox in the October of 1980.

But can we connect Groucho Marx to the Exorcist Letter? Not directly, but by association. The Zodiac Killer described The Exorcist as, "the best satirical comedy that I have ever seen". Well, this may not be the case, however, the genesis of the movie may well have been born with the help of a comedy genius - that of Groucho Marx. The Exorcist author, William Peter Blatty, was a close friend of Groucho Marx, and there was an intention by Marx to dress as the priest Father Lankester Merrin from the movie and appear on the set of the Exorcist film, but due to scheduling matters the comedic entrance never materialized. But in one episode of the popular You Bet Your Life series, hosted by Groucho Marx, William Peter Blatty was a contestant and walked away with a prize of $10,000. When he was asked what he was going to do with the money, he stated he was to take some time off  to work on a novel. That novel was the acclaimed inspiration for the movie The Exorcist.  

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Groucho Marx was a lifelong fan of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, appearing as Ko-Ko in a production of the Mikado, on NBC's Bell Telephone Hour in 1960. He also recited Tit Willow in 1960 and on the Dick Cavett Show on March 20th 1970. Wikipedia. Therefore, Groucho Marx can be associated through the Little List Letter mailed on July 26th 1970, the Exorcist Letter on January 29th 1974 and the Eureka Card in the December of 1990. However, there is a little more background.

William Peter Blatty released a novel in 1966, entitled Twinkle,Twinkle Killer Kane. It achieved little commercial or critical acclaim. View accompaniment. The story centers on a psychiatrist, 'Killer Kane' (Hudson L Kane) and explores faith, humanity and irony. He enters a madhouse to determine if its residents, comprised of soldiers and astronauts are actually mad or just putting on an act. This results in extended interaction with resident Manfred Cutshaw on the concept of God. In the story Kane postulates "every man who has ever lived has been born with desire for perfect happiness. But unless there is an afterlife, fulfillment of this desire is a patent impossibility". It was to be later rewritten and published under the new title 'The Ninth Configuration' in 1980, attempting to explore the marginal line of sanity over insanity. It failed to inspire the public on its cinematic release.    

Robin Smith
1/4/2015 10:30:37 pm

Sometime in 1974 Bruce Davis told/let it be kN0wn that he did N0t want any more correspondence from anything or one Manson. (period) hmm'..this must be when BD saw the 'light!' and realized that CM was a charlatan, a PATSY(Mae Brussell)

Leads one to believe that something happened to cause Bruce to adopt this attitude, a position that to my kN0wledge he has N0t wavered from to this present day hmm.

I would like to kN0w the location of this secluded Tahoe cabin where Blatty wrote Exorcist (there are 1,0000's of them up here)...

somebody here kN0w? or do we need the Google thing!

Robin Smith
1/7/2015 02:21:03 am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIAM PETER BLATTY( 1-7-1938- )Wiki

N0w if Mr Blatty would be kind enough to contact this site and tell us the location of that TAHOE cabin it would be great!

Robin Smith
1/7/2015 02:15:47 am

One commentor, N0 I can N0t give credit!!! cause I can N0t remember...sue me...!!! OK I'm over it:)

ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH, IT IS EASIER TO MEMORIZE

Anyway, this commentor asked the question, "Why did Bruce Davis get his degrees (in prison he has earned several) in Theology N0t Law?

Bruce was heavy into Scientology and the Process.. He spent time in England. Religion seems to play heavy with Bruce pre dating his involvement with Manson.

Apparently Manson got his claws into Davis, as with the rest of his so called converts, with sex and drugs...simple as that. N0t to mention aforementioned were already disposed to disposable lives.

There are discrepancies about exactly when and where Manson and Davis actually met...discrepancies from the beginning.

Robin Smith
3/4/2015 12:13:05 am

All these old TV shows and movies....

ED W Edwards was on theTV shows in the 60's..being paroled by the F.B.I. from Deer Lodge Montana in 1961

KANE was a club/hotel entertainer as early as the mid 40's according to one of the Z searchers that found this info.

Kane and Edwards were in proximity to each other in San Francisco at the time of the Stine murder. Kane living blocks from Mason and Geary where Stine picked Z up.

Ed Edwards Aunt Beatrice was working at a bar at Mason and Geary and lived in PRESIDIO HEIGHTS at the time of the Stein murder.

N0w it looks like Kane and Edwards...could have kN0wn each other!

Robin Smith
3/12/2015 03:00:25 am

Accck!...correction!!!

Ed W Edwards ESCAPED from Akron, Ohio 1955 and was recaptured Jan 20, 1961. He spent 7 yrs in Leavenworth where he met CHARLES MANSON. He was paroled from Leavenworth in 1967.

He spent 1967-1972 in San Francisco where his Aunt Beatrice worked in an Irish bar O'Douls(sp) on the corner of Mason and Geary and lived in Presidio Heights.

Robin Smith
3/10/2015 12:06:37 am

from t.m. ..

Hollywood Oct 22, 1946. Three NY motorists charged with beating up two pedestrians who bawled them out after a near accident, today faced a $40,000.00 damage suit.

James and Kathryn Drance said they were almost run down last )ct 15th while crossing Vine St. They said they shouted, "Why don't you be more careful?" only to have the cars' occupants LARRY KAYE, LARRY KAY and MAX SCHULMAN leap from the auto and assault them.

Max Schulman (March 14, 1919 - Aug 28, 1988) Son of a Russian born house-painter was a sergeant during WWll. Published in 1951 "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" it centered around a SATIRICAL but callow protagonist.

Robin Smith
3/10/2015 04:21:27 am

P.S. More of these 'snippets' are on PEEK THROUGH THE PINES

Connolly
3/13/2018 04:28:51 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G0CjznN35o

Trying to get Larry Kane to commit suicide?


Comments are closed.
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    The Zodiac Killer may have given us the answer almost word-for-word when he wrote PS. The Mt. Diablo Code concerns Radians & # inches along the radians. The code solution identified was Estimate: Four Radians and Five Inches To read more, click the image.
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