King famously hated Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, which is now seen as one of the scariest movies of all time. That wasn't the case during its 1980 release, with The Shining's tepid response even resulting in two Razzie nominations, including one for Kubrick as "Worst Director." Time has been extremely kind to the director's adaptation of Stephen King's book, however - even if the author disagrees.
For King, Kubrick made far too many changes to the source material, and felt the 1980 supernatural thriller was literally too cold. He also thought that Jack Nicholson's Jack had no arc, and appeared to be totally out of his mind from his first scene. Regardless, Nicholson's performance is iconic, as is his delivery of The Shining's most famous line.
Why The Shining's "Here's Johnny" Line Remains So Impactful
In a movie loaded with unforgettable sequences (such as Danny encountering the ghost twins or the elevator of blood), Jack smashing up the bathroom door with an axe is still the most iconic. At this stage in the story, Jack has been truly driven to madness by the ghosts inhabiting the Overlook Hotel, and is determined to murder Danny and his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall).
After Wendy locks herself inside a bathroom, Jack smashes through the door, sticks his head in the hole, and utters "Here's Johnny!" This Shining scene is so effective for multiple reasons, from Nicholson's darkly hilirious delivery to the truly unsettling look he gives Wendy as he peers through the hole.
Actor Henry Thomas played the ghost of Jack Torrance in the 2019 sequel Doctor Sleep, with the character credited as "The Bartender."
It's both scary and funny, giving audiences a small reprieve from the scene's intensity before it picks up again. In 2013, a study (via The Guardian) labeled the "Here's Johnny!" moment as the scariest scene in screen history, with heart monitors used to gauge how petrified 10,000 viewers were during sequences in movies like The Exorcist. With a 28% increase in the average heart rate, "Here's Johnny!" was the clear winner.
"Here's Johnny" Isn't In The Shining Book
Kubrick was notorious for his perfectionism, often demanding dozens of takes from his performers. It was during one such take that Nicholson ad-libbed "Here's Johnny!", which came from Ed McMahon's opening catchphrase on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. At that time, The Tonight Show was one of the biggest TV shows in America - though Kubrick himself apparently wasn't aware of it or what the catchphrase was referencing.
It's unknown if Jack was supposed to say another line at that moment, or if he was meant to say anything at all. Regardless, Kubrick clearly loved the take, as it made it into the final version of The Shining. Needless to say, this line didn't come from King's book either, and the author himself would probably have viewed Jack quoting a talk show as completely out of character.
A Lot Of Viewers Won't Even Get The Shining Quote, And It Doesn't Matter
It's been over 45 years since The Shining debuted, and nearly 35 years since Johnny Carson himself stepped down from The Tonight Show. So, it's little wonder the majority of younger film fans simply don't get the context behind Jack's "Here's Johnny!" and just assume the character is making some strange joke.
At this point, The Shining's use of "Here's Johnny!" is even more famous than its source, so really, it's fine that the reference goes over the heads of the average Gen Z viewer. It works perfectly fine in the context of the scene, which has been referenced, memed and parodied into oblivion at this point, with the most loving version featured in The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror V" from 1994.
Source: The Guardian
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Release Date
May 23, 1980
Runtime
144 minutes
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Birthdate
September 21, 1947
Birthplace
Portland, Maine, USA
Height
6 feet 4 inches
Notable Projects
The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, It, The Stand, Misery, The Dark Tower, Mr. Mercedes, Carrie
Professions
Author, Screenwriter, Producer, Director, Actor
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.
English (US) ·