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In July of 1974, vibrant fifteen-year-old Linda Blair made promotional appearances in Japan to promote The Exorcist. Media of these appearances has been hard to track down over the years.
These fantastic rare images have come to my attention, seemingly snapshots or scans of a Japanese magazine. They show a beaming Linda Blair in front of The Exorcist poster in a gifted kimono and traditional fan. She’s also shown at the famous Great Buddha statue in Kamakura, sporting a camera, cup of noodles, handbag, and a fantastic 70s outfit. Interesting to note that Linda wears the scarf around her neck in the photos, something she still likes to wear today. (I could start an Exorcist-themed fashion column… no? Okay… moving on.)
While the actual issue and title of the publication is unclear, I managed to find this cover of Japan Movie Magazine “Roadshow” with Linda wearing the same kimono on the cover– dated February 1975. Unfortunately the scanned cover is quite small. With any luck the correct issue is identified so I can track down scans and translations.
This tour came just a few months after Linda’s public visit to London where the media closely followed her every move ahead of The Exorcist‘s release (and then banning) in the UK. While we’ve uncovered great BBC footage of that visit, I’m not aware of any footage from Japan– though it seems some might exist. This screenshot from Tumblr affiliate Behind The Exorcist also shows Linda promoting The Exorcist in Japan and seems like a possible screengrab.
This investigation is ongoing!
If anyone out there can access more of Linda’s international visits, specifically this Japan tour, please contact me so I can share it with fans.
