The Shining

[nykkieberry]

Why does the character Jack famously sneer 'Here's Johnny!' in The Shining. Obviously he's Jack and the previous caretaker wasn't called Johnny ...is it just a case of himj being known by both names?

[boognish76]

Jack is another name for John. A bit like Henry/Harry. Not sure why though!

[andy hughes]

I would agree with tht as a reason for the 'new' name. The story is that Jack Nicholson ad-libbed the line when the scene was shot, and director Stanley Kubrick liked it so much, he left it in the final cut. Good call I'd say.

[Morrisonker]

its a reference to a american gameshow, not sure of the name. But the voiceover would introduce the host by saying 'heeeeeeeere's Johnny!'. Sorry I can't remember the name of the host or show, but there might be something on www.imdb.com in the trivia section of the page for the shining.

[BenDToy]

Probably Johnny Carson!

[incitatus]

it was the Tonight show, with johnny carson. later taken over by Jay Leno.

[robber1]

To confirm a link to the postings above, I recently watched a program about this and Jack Nicholson ad-libbed that line which did indeed come from the intro to the Johnny Carson show. " Heeere;s Johnny!"

[sft42]

Never in the original book, where he merely says "Here I come now! Here I come now, you pig!" it was according to some an ad lib by Jack Nicholson on the first take and Kubrick liked it so in it stayed....It is as others have said a reference to the voiceover which used to introduce Johnny Carson, the original host of the Tonight Show (now hosted by Jay Leno) on US television.

[Mr Steal]

Just to provide a final link in the chain... the guy who said "Heeeeeere's Johnny" on the Johnny Carson show was Ed McMahon.