10 Iconic Movie Moments The Director Didn't Understand
7. Stanley Kubrick Was Unaware Of The Meaning Behind The Shining's Most Well Known Moment
The Shining needs little introduction. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of the famed Stephen King novel is deeply atmospheric, chilling and is powered by Kubrick's direction (as deeply problematic as it was for Shelley Duvall), Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's score and gripping performances from Jack Nicholson and the aforementioned Duvall.
As incredible as Nicholson was in the feature, his most seminal moment almost missed out on being in the movie due to Kubrick's lack of knowledge on what it referenced. The "Here's Johnny!" line was adlibbed by Nicholson, who did it as a homage to Johnny Carson's then-popular introduction to his talk show.
Kubrick was unfamiliar with the talk show because he lived in England when Carson rose to prominence and almost left it on the cutting room floor due to his notoriously meticulous nature as a filmmaker.
While the line may not completely stand out to some younger viewers today, Nicholson's chillingly giddy delivery more than highlights Jack Torrance's increasingly feral threat to Wendy Torrance.