So This Is How The World Will End: by Rick Castro 6/8/2020
Have you ever seen that flick, The Exorcist?
I rewatched the extended version, (released 2010) borrowed from my cousin Minguini, (not his real name) on the outdated flatscreen Panasonic TV, one sunny afternoon in Bee’s cabin.
I saw the film when it first came out , (yes I’m that old) waaaay back in 1973.
I was 14, so underage. My best friend Eric Heins hot-wired his mother’s 1964, Plymouth Valiant, (with push button gears) we ditched 5th & 6th periods so we could drive to Westwood to see it. We were very adventurous teens. He invited this girl he had a crush on, Carla Duran. She lived a few houses down from me. Carla wore John Travolta style suits with wide collars. All the high-schoolers thought she was lesbian and were mean to her. Eric was fascinated with Carla and invited her everywhere.
So the three of us drove from Monterey Park to Westwood which seemed like an eternity to get to when you’re fourteen. It was a whole other world with tall buildings, UCLA college campus and privilege. We waiting in line at the Alcove theater for over two hours. When we got close to the box office, Eric asked the 27 year old woman in front of us, wearing a corduroy midi dress and Frye boots, if she would say she was with us so we could get in. She obliged.
The Exorcist, (1973) changed my life. I’d never seen a film that challenged religion in such a visceral way. Besides the obvious story line of demonic possession, good over evil and all that trite, the layers of subplots and background were deep.
For example the director William Friedkin, at the very least, must be bisexual. He was married to Sherry Lansing and Jeanne Moreau. You can’t get gayer than that . He directed the cult classic, The Boys In The Band, (1970) perhaps the first mainstream film depicting gay men, with an almost all gay male cast. The actor that played Queenie Emery, (Cliff Gornan) was straight. Good acting! Friedkin directed The French Connection, (1971) which won him an Academy Award. Not usually my genre of film, (macho cop flick) but the fast pace Cinema vertie and action packed chase scenes were ground breaking.
Writer William Peter Blatty wanted his neighbor Shirley Mclaine to play the lead, but William Friedkin was hesitant. Perhaps Ms. Mclaine was not that into the subject matter, so the role of Chris Macneil went to Ellen Burstyn.
There’s a gay subtext throughout the film. The Lieutenant Kinderman, played by Lee J. Cobb, is obviously gay. He keeps hitting on Father Karras, portrayed by Jason Miller, when they initially meet, first comparing him to John Garfield, then invites him to the movies, Othello, no less. When Father Karras rebuffs him and sarcastically replies, “I’ve seen it.” Lt. Kinderman responds, “I lied, you look like Sal Mineo”. Lt. Kinderman gushes over Chris Macneil, the way queens gushed over Madonna in the 90s. In the last scene, (which was added in the 2010 re-release) Lt. Kiderman asks Father Dyer, (pronounced dire) to the movies, “would you like to go with me to the Crest theater to see Wuthering Heights?” “Who's in it?, asks Father Dryer. “Heathcliff portrayed by Jackie Gleason, in the role of Katherine, Lucille Ball,“ Lt. Kinderman replies full camp. “I’ve seen it, Father Dryer responds drying. They then walk away arm in arm.
In an earlier scene Father Dyer, (William O’Malley) puts a drunken Father Karras to bed, consoles him and removes his shoes. Father Karras Is having guilt-ridden mommy issues. Father Dyer is clearly in love with Father Karras. They may even be having an affair. In the climatic scene where Regan, AKA the devil throws Father Karras down six flights of steps leading to M Street of Georgetown, Karras is left a shattered bloody mess. Father Dyer makes his way through the crowd and tearfully asks him, “do you want to make a confession?”
Watch The Exorcist with modern eyes, you will see all the blatant gay subtext.
In an earlier scene Father Dyer, (William O’Malley) puts a drunken Father Karras to bed, consoles him and removes his shoes. Father Karras Is having guilt-ridden mommy issues. Father Dyer is clearly in love with Father Karras. They may even be having an affair. In the climatic scene where Regan, AKA the devil throws Father Karras down six flights of steps leading to M Street of Georgetown, Karras is left a shattered bloody mess. Father Dyer makes his way through the crowd and tearfully asks him, “do you want to make a confession?”
Watch The Exorcist with modern eyes, you will see all the blatant gay subtext.
And of course there’s the full on camp portrayal of Linda Blair as Regan Macneil. Besides the demonic looks; a cross between Chuckie and Annabelle in a bad Coal Miner’s Daughter wig and frilly bedclothes, she’s constantly mouthing off the most amazing obscenities, voiced by screen legend, Mercedes McCambrige. If you want a complete lesbian camp study watch the film Johnny Guitar ,where Mercedes goes head to shoulder pad with a very macho Joan Crawford in cowboy drag.
mercedes mcambridge & joan crawford-johnny guiltar- 1954
When Dr. Klein, (Barton Heyman) examines Regan for the first time she responds, “keep your fingers away from my goddamn cunt.” He prescribes Ritalin.
When a possessed Regan first meets Father Merrin, (Max Von Sydow) she greats him with the immortal line, “stick yer cock up yer ass, you mother fucking cock sucker.”
The conspiracy theory, subversive elephant in the room comes about during the scene of Angiogram tests Regan must go through with heavy metal medical equipment that look and sound like washing machines.
The radiologist assistant is in only one scene. His lines are, “Regan, can you scoot over here… sit up please.. move over here just for a short time.” The person playing this small role is a man named Paul Bateson. He is a non-actor, in fact is an actual radiologist assistant. He’s obviously gay in that bearded 70s kinda way. If you look at the scene in freeze frame, (which of course I did) he’s wearing a studded leather watch band. A subtle signal to other Leathermen of the era, similar to the hankie code or the green flowers of the Oscar Wilde era. Bateson is later credited as “consultant” in the cult classic film Cruising, also directed by Friedkin.
The very bizarre backstory; director William Freidkin watched Paul Bateson perform a cerebral angiography the previous year before production of The Exorcist. One must assume they were having an affair. Bateson is then cast as his real life profession in the film.
On September 14th, 1977, Variety writer Addison Verrill's beaten and stabbed body was found in his apartment. Thru interviews and a call-in confession to The Village Voice, the police link the murder to Paul Bateson. He is arrested and charged with second degree murder. In a story that ran on the Voice's front page, the caller, (Bateson) recounted the events of the night that ended in Verrill's murder. "I'm gay and I needed money and I'm an alcoholic", he said. After three months of sobriety, he claimed, he had gone out to Badlands, a Christopher Street bar, in the early hours of September 14 where Verrill, whom he did not know, offered to buy him a beer. That beer became several, with the two consuming poppers and cocaine in addition to the drinks. At 3 a.m., they left Badlands and went to the Mineshaft, where they continued their alcohol and drug consumption. The caller told the voice writer he was impressed by how popular his companion was. "I didn't realize he was such a superstar, and I wanted to go home with him". After two hours, they took a taxi to Verrill's apartment. There the two had more alcohol and cocaine. The caller said that afterwards he realized that was as far as Verrill had wanted the relationship to go. "I needed money and I hated the rejection", so, still intoxicated, "I decided to do something I'd never done before". After incapacitating Verrill with a frying pan from his kitchen, the caller recounted, he stabbed the journalist with a knife, although he said he chose the wrong part of his chest. After the killing, the caller said, he took cash, totaling $57 ($240 in modern dollars) and Verrill's Master Charge card, passport, and some clothes. He used the money to buy liquor and was consequently drunk for the entire next day.
In a 2011 interview, director William Friedkin recalls meeting Bateson from both his initial visit to NYUMC and the filming of the angiography scene for The Exorcist, as a "nice young man” who stood out due to the earring and studded bracelet he wore, neither of which were common accessories for men at the time.” As a result of his relationship with Paul Bateson, director William Friedkin decided it was time to make the film adaptation of New York Times reporter Gerald Walker's 1970 novel Cruising.
On September 14th, 1977, Variety writer Addison Verrill's beaten and stabbed body was found in his apartment. Thru interviews and a call-in confession to The Village Voice, the police link the murder to Paul Bateson. He is arrested and charged with second degree murder. In a story that ran on the Voice's front page, the caller, (Bateson) recounted the events of the night that ended in Verrill's murder. "I'm gay and I needed money and I'm an alcoholic", he said. After three months of sobriety, he claimed, he had gone out to Badlands, a Christopher Street bar, in the early hours of September 14 where Verrill, whom he did not know, offered to buy him a beer. That beer became several, with the two consuming poppers and cocaine in addition to the drinks. At 3 a.m., they left Badlands and went to the Mineshaft, where they continued their alcohol and drug consumption. The caller told the voice writer he was impressed by how popular his companion was. "I didn't realize he was such a superstar, and I wanted to go home with him". After two hours, they took a taxi to Verrill's apartment. There the two had more alcohol and cocaine. The caller said that afterwards he realized that was as far as Verrill had wanted the relationship to go. "I needed money and I hated the rejection", so, still intoxicated, "I decided to do something I'd never done before". After incapacitating Verrill with a frying pan from his kitchen, the caller recounted, he stabbed the journalist with a knife, although he said he chose the wrong part of his chest. After the killing, the caller said, he took cash, totaling $57 ($240 in modern dollars) and Verrill's Master Charge card, passport, and some clothes. He used the money to buy liquor and was consequently drunk for the entire next day.
In a 2011 interview, director William Friedkin recalls meeting Bateson from both his initial visit to NYUMC and the filming of the angiography scene for The Exorcist, as a "nice young man” who stood out due to the earring and studded bracelet he wore, neither of which were common accessories for men at the time.” As a result of his relationship with Paul Bateson, director William Friedkin decided it was time to make the film adaptation of New York Times reporter Gerald Walker's 1970 novel Cruising.
director jeffery schwarz- paul bateson-
On March 11th, 2020, (just a week before I fled to Bee’s cabin) director Jeffery Schwarz asked if he could interview me for a documentary he was directing about the leather scene and the film Cruising. On a rainy morning, at the home of Jeffery Schwarz, I spoke on camera about my admiration of the film, and then stunned Schwarz when I brought up my knowledge of Paul Bateson as the inspiration for the film. “How did you know this?, Schwarz asks incredulously. “I’m a fetish person, I politely replied, whatever I’m obsessed with I find out about.” The following day I emailed director Jeffery Schwarz. Here are my messages and his responses-
Hallo Jeffery,
I'm so mad I was late! There was so much more I wanted to tell you.
Ok, here is the image of Paul Bateson. Maybe you’re insulted that I thought you looked like him… I didn’t mean it to be. Sorry!
The backstory is, when I watched The Exorcist way back in 1973- I noticed him! Somehow my gaydar picked up that he was gay.
When youtube started posting all The Exorcist scenes and threads I became obsessed and found out all about him. This is how a fetish person works- the fixation leads to exploration- to gratification to enlightenment.
I'm a VERY good researcher. Please let me know if I can help in anyway.
BTW- what’s the name of your doco?
Hi, Rick - I emailed you yesterday to thank you for such a great interview. We got plenty of good stuff. And I’m not insulted at all - Paul was a good looking guy but not someone you’d want to bring home, obviously! The movie is currently titled MINESHAFT: THE CRUISING MURDERS. I hope we can get this done next year and I’ll keep you posted.
Best wishes,
Jeffrey
Hay Jeffrey,
Glad you’re not insulted about my comparison.
Ok wow- so the subject of the film is the murders and not the making of Cruising?
At the time you told me it was about the making of Cruising and the impact on the gay community. This new title sounds more mainstream and reality show driven. I really hope you don’t vilify the leather community. Paul Bateson was not part of it. He was not into leather, had a history of alcoholism, and as you know they didn’t even have sex.
So there was no kink, just murder.
Also they met at BADLANDS, (more of a dive bar) not The Mineshaft. They only went to The Mineshaft for a drink, so the premise of the title is incorrect.
sincerely,
rick castro
Art imitates life, imitating art. Then life inspires art, and a fib becomes a reality, which will become a doco about murder inspired by real life events that become art.
So this is how the world will end.
copyright- rick castro- 6/2020
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