The Shining quotes
44 total quotesDanny Torrance
Dick Hallorann
Jack Torrance
Others
Wendy Torrance
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Grady Twins: Hello, Danny. Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever... [shots of their bloody corpses]... and ever... and ever.
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HereÅ› Johnny !
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Hotel Guest: Great party, isn't it?
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Stuart Ullman: Construction started in 1907. It was finished in 1909. The site is supposed to be located on an Indian burial ground, and I believe they actually had to repel a few Indian attacks as they were building it.
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Danny: Do you really want to go and live in that hotel for the winter?
Wendy: Sure I do. It'll be lots of fun.
Danny: Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, there's hardly anybody to play with around here.
Wendy: Yeah, I know. It always takes a little time to make new friends.
Danny: Yeah, I guess so.
Wendy: What about Tony? He's looking forward to the hotel, I bet.
Danny: [as Tony] No I ain't, Mrs. Torrance.
Wendy: Now, come on, Tony, don't be silly.
Danny: [as Tony] I don't want to go there, Mrs. Torrance.
Wendy: Well, how come you don't want to go?
Danny: [as Tony] I just don't.
Wendy: Well, let's just wait and see. We're all going to have a real good time.
Wendy: Sure I do. It'll be lots of fun.
Danny: Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, there's hardly anybody to play with around here.
Wendy: Yeah, I know. It always takes a little time to make new friends.
Danny: Yeah, I guess so.
Wendy: What about Tony? He's looking forward to the hotel, I bet.
Danny: [as Tony] No I ain't, Mrs. Torrance.
Wendy: Now, come on, Tony, don't be silly.
Danny: [as Tony] I don't want to go there, Mrs. Torrance.
Wendy: Well, how come you don't want to go?
Danny: [as Tony] I just don't.
Wendy: Well, let's just wait and see. We're all going to have a real good time.
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Danny[possessed by Tony]Redrum … Redrum … Redrum …
Wendy: Danny, stop it.
[Wendy sees it written backwards on the door, and in the mirror it spells "murder". Only then they hear Jack chopping on the door with an ax. Wendy and Danny escapes into the bathroom. Wendy then locks the door and clears out the toiletries on top of the toilet's tank to open the window. Jack manages to break through parts of it.]
Jack: Wendy, I'm home.
[He unlocks the door and lets himself in. In the bathroom, Wendy clears out some snow to make room for Danny. She slides him out to safety. When Wendy attempts to escape the same way, she finds herself trapped in the bathroom as the window's opening isn't big enough to let her through.]
Jack:[Advancing in the bedroom] Come out. Come out, wherever you are.
[In the bathroom, Wendy opens the bathroom window again and attempts to escape from there, but she is still stuck.]
Wendy: Danny, I can't get out. Quick, get him out. Run.
[Danny runs out and Wendy grabs the bread knife to defend herself behind the wall and nearby the shower. Inside the bedroom, Jack notices the bathroom door locked and smiles intently knowing his family is there.]
Jack: Little pigs. Little Pigs, let me come in. [gets no answer] Not by the hair on your chinny chin-chin. Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!
[He uses the ax to chop open the bathroom door open and Wendy screams in terror as she begs him to stop. After breaking down parts of the door, he peers in to see her]
Jack: Here's Johnny!
[As he attempts to reach in the bathroom to open the door, Wendy slices his hand]
About The Shining (film)[edit]
Wendy: Danny, stop it.
[Wendy sees it written backwards on the door, and in the mirror it spells "murder". Only then they hear Jack chopping on the door with an ax. Wendy and Danny escapes into the bathroom. Wendy then locks the door and clears out the toiletries on top of the toilet's tank to open the window. Jack manages to break through parts of it.]
Jack: Wendy, I'm home.
[He unlocks the door and lets himself in. In the bathroom, Wendy clears out some snow to make room for Danny. She slides him out to safety. When Wendy attempts to escape the same way, she finds herself trapped in the bathroom as the window's opening isn't big enough to let her through.]
Jack:[Advancing in the bedroom] Come out. Come out, wherever you are.
[In the bathroom, Wendy opens the bathroom window again and attempts to escape from there, but she is still stuck.]
Wendy: Danny, I can't get out. Quick, get him out. Run.
[Danny runs out and Wendy grabs the bread knife to defend herself behind the wall and nearby the shower. Inside the bedroom, Jack notices the bathroom door locked and smiles intently knowing his family is there.]
Jack: Little pigs. Little Pigs, let me come in. [gets no answer] Not by the hair on your chinny chin-chin. Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!
[He uses the ax to chop open the bathroom door open and Wendy screams in terror as she begs him to stop. After breaking down parts of the door, he peers in to see her]
Jack: Here's Johnny!
[As he attempts to reach in the bathroom to open the door, Wendy slices his hand]
About The Shining (film)[edit]
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Grady: Mr. Torrance, I see you can hardly have taken care of the... business we discussed.
Jack: No need to rub it in, Mr. Grady. I'll deal with that situation just as soon as I get out of here.
Grady: Will you indeed, Mr. Torrance. I wonder. I have my doubts. I and others have come to believe that your heart is not in this, that you haven't the belly for it.
Jack: Just give me one more chance to prove it, Mr. Grady. That's all I ask.
Grady: Your wife appears to be stronger than we imagined, Mr. Torrance, somewhat more... resourceful. She seems to have got the better of you.
Jack: For the moment, Mr. Grady. Only for the moment.
Grady: I fear you will have to deal with this matter in the harshest possible way, Mr. Torrance. I fear... that is the only thing to do.
Jack: There's nothing I look forward to with greater pleasure, Mr. Grady.
Grady: You give your word on that, do you, Mr. Torrance?
Jack: I give you my word.
[the door is unlocked, letting Jack out]
Jack: No need to rub it in, Mr. Grady. I'll deal with that situation just as soon as I get out of here.
Grady: Will you indeed, Mr. Torrance. I wonder. I have my doubts. I and others have come to believe that your heart is not in this, that you haven't the belly for it.
Jack: Just give me one more chance to prove it, Mr. Grady. That's all I ask.
Grady: Your wife appears to be stronger than we imagined, Mr. Torrance, somewhat more... resourceful. She seems to have got the better of you.
Jack: For the moment, Mr. Grady. Only for the moment.
Grady: I fear you will have to deal with this matter in the harshest possible way, Mr. Torrance. I fear... that is the only thing to do.
Jack: There's nothing I look forward to with greater pleasure, Mr. Grady.
Grady: You give your word on that, do you, Mr. Torrance?
Jack: I give you my word.
[the door is unlocked, letting Jack out]
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Hallorann: I can remember when I was a little boy, my grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths. She called it "shining". And for a long time, I thought it was just the two of us that had the shine to us. Just like you probably thought you was the only one. But there are other folks, though mostly they don't know it, or don't believe it. How long have you been able to do it? [Danny doesn't answer] Why don't you wanna talk about it?
Danny: I'm not supposed to.
Hallorann: Who says you ain't supposed to?
Danny: Tony.
Hallorann: Who's Tony?
Danny: Tony is a little boy that lives in my mouth.
Hallorann: Is Tony the one that tells you things?
Danny: Yes.
Hallorann: How does he tell you things?
Danny: It's like I go to sleep, and he shows me things. But when I wake up, I can't remember everything.
Hallorann: Does your Mom and Dad know about Tony?
Danny: Yes.
Hallorann: Do they know he tells you things?
Danny: No. Tony told me never to tell them.
Hallorann: Has Tony ever told you anything about this place? About the Overlook Hotel?
Danny: I don't know.
Hallorann: Now think real hard, Doc. Think.
Danny: Maybe he showed me something.
Hallorann: Try to think of what it was.
Danny: Mr. Hallorann, are you scared of this place?
Hallorann: No. I ain't scared of nothing here. It's just that, you know, some places are like people. Some "shine" and some don't. I guess you could say the Overlook Hotel here has something almost like "shining".
Danny: Is there something bad here?
Hallorann: Well... you know, Doc, when something happens, it can leave a trace of itself behind. Say like, if someone burns toast. Well, maybe things that happen leave other kinds of traces behind. Not things that anyone else can notice, but things that people who "shine" can see. Just like they can see things that haven't happened yet. Well, sometimes they can see things that happened a long time ago. I think a lot of things happened right here in this hotel over the years... and not all of 'em was good.
Danny: What about Room 237?
Hallorann: Room 237?
Danny: You're scared of Room 237, ain't ya?
Hallorann: No I ain't.
Danny: Mr. Hallorann, what is in Room 237?
Hallorann: Nothing. There ain't nothing in Room 237. But you haven't got no business going in there anyway, so stay out. You understand? Stay out!
Danny: I'm not supposed to.
Hallorann: Who says you ain't supposed to?
Danny: Tony.
Hallorann: Who's Tony?
Danny: Tony is a little boy that lives in my mouth.
Hallorann: Is Tony the one that tells you things?
Danny: Yes.
Hallorann: How does he tell you things?
Danny: It's like I go to sleep, and he shows me things. But when I wake up, I can't remember everything.
Hallorann: Does your Mom and Dad know about Tony?
Danny: Yes.
Hallorann: Do they know he tells you things?
Danny: No. Tony told me never to tell them.
Hallorann: Has Tony ever told you anything about this place? About the Overlook Hotel?
Danny: I don't know.
Hallorann: Now think real hard, Doc. Think.
Danny: Maybe he showed me something.
Hallorann: Try to think of what it was.
Danny: Mr. Hallorann, are you scared of this place?
Hallorann: No. I ain't scared of nothing here. It's just that, you know, some places are like people. Some "shine" and some don't. I guess you could say the Overlook Hotel here has something almost like "shining".
Danny: Is there something bad here?
Hallorann: Well... you know, Doc, when something happens, it can leave a trace of itself behind. Say like, if someone burns toast. Well, maybe things that happen leave other kinds of traces behind. Not things that anyone else can notice, but things that people who "shine" can see. Just like they can see things that haven't happened yet. Well, sometimes they can see things that happened a long time ago. I think a lot of things happened right here in this hotel over the years... and not all of 'em was good.
Danny: What about Room 237?
Hallorann: Room 237?
Danny: You're scared of Room 237, ain't ya?
Hallorann: No I ain't.
Danny: Mr. Hallorann, what is in Room 237?
Hallorann: Nothing. There ain't nothing in Room 237. But you haven't got no business going in there anyway, so stay out. You understand? Stay out!
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Hallorann: Mrs. Torrance, your husband introduced you as Winifred. Now, are you a Winnie or a Freddy?
Wendy: I'm a Wendy.
Hallorann: Oh, that's nice. That's the prettiest.
Wendy: I'm a Wendy.
Hallorann: Oh, that's nice. That's the prettiest.
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Jack: Hi, Lloyd. A little slow tonight, isn't it? [laughs]
Lloyd: Yes it is, Mr. Torrance. What'll it be?
Jack: I'm awfully glad you asked me that, Lloyd. Because I just happen to have two twenties and two tens right here in my wallet. I was afraid they were gonna be there until next April. So here's what: you slip me a bottle of bourbon, a little glass and some ice. You can do that, can't you, Lloyd? You're not too busy, are you?
Lloyd: No, sir. I'm not busy at all.
Jack: Good man! You set 'em up and I'll knock 'em back, Lloyd. One by one. "White man's burden", Lloyd, my man, white man's burden. [Jack opens his wallet and finds that it's empty] Say, Lloyd, it seems I'm temporarily light. How's my credit in this joint, anyway?
Lloyd: Your credit's fine, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: That's swell. I like you, Lloyd. I always liked you. You were always the best of 'em. Best god-damn bartender from Timbuktu to Portland, Maine. Or Portland, Oregon, for that matter.
Lloyd: Thank you for saying so.
Jack: Here's to five miserable months on the wagon, and all the irreparable harm that it's caused me.
Lloyd: How are things going, Mr. Torrance?
Jack: Things could be better, Lloyd. Things could be a whole lot better.
Lloyd: I hope it's nothing serious.
Jack: No. Nothing serious. Just a little problem with the, uh, old sperm-bank upstairs. [chuckles] Nothing I can't handle though, Lloyd. Thanks.
Lloyd: Women. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
Jack: Words of wisdom, Lloyd, words of wisdom. [drinks and pauses] I never laid a hand on him, goddamn it. I didn't. I wouldn't touch one hair on his goddamn little head. I love the little son-of-a-bitch! [s****s] I'd do anything for him, any ****in' thing for him. [angrily] But that bitch...! As long as I live, she'll never let me forget what happened. [pauses and looks around conspiratorially] I did hurt him once, okay? It was an accident. Completely unintentional. Could have happened to anybody... and it was three goddamn years ago! The little ****er had thrown all my papers all over the floor, and all I tried to do was pull him up...! A momentary loss of muscular coordination, all right? A few extra foot-pounds of energy per second, per second... [snaps his fingers]
Lloyd: Yes it is, Mr. Torrance. What'll it be?
Jack: I'm awfully glad you asked me that, Lloyd. Because I just happen to have two twenties and two tens right here in my wallet. I was afraid they were gonna be there until next April. So here's what: you slip me a bottle of bourbon, a little glass and some ice. You can do that, can't you, Lloyd? You're not too busy, are you?
Lloyd: No, sir. I'm not busy at all.
Jack: Good man! You set 'em up and I'll knock 'em back, Lloyd. One by one. "White man's burden", Lloyd, my man, white man's burden. [Jack opens his wallet and finds that it's empty] Say, Lloyd, it seems I'm temporarily light. How's my credit in this joint, anyway?
Lloyd: Your credit's fine, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: That's swell. I like you, Lloyd. I always liked you. You were always the best of 'em. Best god-damn bartender from Timbuktu to Portland, Maine. Or Portland, Oregon, for that matter.
Lloyd: Thank you for saying so.
Jack: Here's to five miserable months on the wagon, and all the irreparable harm that it's caused me.
Lloyd: How are things going, Mr. Torrance?
Jack: Things could be better, Lloyd. Things could be a whole lot better.
Lloyd: I hope it's nothing serious.
Jack: No. Nothing serious. Just a little problem with the, uh, old sperm-bank upstairs. [chuckles] Nothing I can't handle though, Lloyd. Thanks.
Lloyd: Women. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
Jack: Words of wisdom, Lloyd, words of wisdom. [drinks and pauses] I never laid a hand on him, goddamn it. I didn't. I wouldn't touch one hair on his goddamn little head. I love the little son-of-a-bitch! [s****s] I'd do anything for him, any ****in' thing for him. [angrily] But that bitch...! As long as I live, she'll never let me forget what happened. [pauses and looks around conspiratorially] I did hurt him once, okay? It was an accident. Completely unintentional. Could have happened to anybody... and it was three goddamn years ago! The little ****er had thrown all my papers all over the floor, and all I tried to do was pull him up...! A momentary loss of muscular coordination, all right? A few extra foot-pounds of energy per second, per second... [snaps his fingers]
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Jack: It was... the most terrible nightmare I ever had! It's the most horrible dream I ever had!
Wendy: It's okay, it's over now.
Jack: I dreamed that I... that I killed you and Danny. But I didn't just kill you. I cut you up into little pieces. Oh my God! I must be losing my mind.
Wendy: Everything's gonna be all right.
Wendy: It's okay, it's over now.
Jack: I dreamed that I... that I killed you and Danny. But I didn't just kill you. I cut you up into little pieces. Oh my God! I must be losing my mind.
Wendy: Everything's gonna be all right.
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Jack: What do they call you around here, Jeevesy?
Grady: Grady, sir. Delbert Grady.
Jack: Grady?
Grady: Yes, sir.
Jack: Delbert Grady?
Grady: That's right, sir.
Jack: Uh, Mr. Grady... haven't I seen you somewhere before?
Grady: Why no, sir. I don't believe so. [continues cleaning Jack's coat] Ah, it's coming off now, sir.
Jack: Um... Mr. Grady... weren't you once the caretaker here?
Grady: Why no, sir. I don't believe so.
Jack: You a married man, are you, Mr. Grady?
Grady: Yes, sir. I have a wife and two daughters, sir.
Jack: And, uh... where are they now?
Grady: Oh, they're somewhere around. I'm not quite sure at the moment, sir.
Jack: [takes Grady's cloth and wipes his hand with it] Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here. I recognize you. I saw your picture in the newspapers. You, uh... chopped your wife and daughters up into little bits... and then you blew your brains out.
Grady: [pause] That's strange, sir. I don't have any recollection of that at all.
Jack: Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here.
Grady: I'm sorry to differ with you, sir... but you are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker. I should know, sir. I've always been here.
[Jack chuckles]
Grady: Did you know, Mr. Torrance, that your son is attempting to bring an outside party into this situation? Did you know that?
Jack: No.
Grady: He is, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: Who?
Grady: A ****.
Jack: A ****?
Grady: A **** cook.
Jack: How?
Grady: Your son has a very great talent. I don't think you are aware how great it is, but he is attempting to use that very talent against your will.
Jack: Well... he is a very willful boy.
Grady: Indeed he is, Mr. Torrance. A very willful boy. A rather naughty boy, if I may be so bold, sir.
Jack: It's his mother. She, uh... interferes.
Grady: Perhaps they need a good talking to, if you don't mind my saying so. Perhaps... a bit more. My girls, sir, they didn't care for the Overlook at first. One of them actually stole a pack of matches and tried to burn it down. But I... corrected them, sir. And when my wife tried to prevent me from doing my duty, I... corrected her.
Grady: Grady, sir. Delbert Grady.
Jack: Grady?
Grady: Yes, sir.
Jack: Delbert Grady?
Grady: That's right, sir.
Jack: Uh, Mr. Grady... haven't I seen you somewhere before?
Grady: Why no, sir. I don't believe so. [continues cleaning Jack's coat] Ah, it's coming off now, sir.
Jack: Um... Mr. Grady... weren't you once the caretaker here?
Grady: Why no, sir. I don't believe so.
Jack: You a married man, are you, Mr. Grady?
Grady: Yes, sir. I have a wife and two daughters, sir.
Jack: And, uh... where are they now?
Grady: Oh, they're somewhere around. I'm not quite sure at the moment, sir.
Jack: [takes Grady's cloth and wipes his hand with it] Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here. I recognize you. I saw your picture in the newspapers. You, uh... chopped your wife and daughters up into little bits... and then you blew your brains out.
Grady: [pause] That's strange, sir. I don't have any recollection of that at all.
Jack: Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here.
Grady: I'm sorry to differ with you, sir... but you are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker. I should know, sir. I've always been here.
[Jack chuckles]
Grady: Did you know, Mr. Torrance, that your son is attempting to bring an outside party into this situation? Did you know that?
Jack: No.
Grady: He is, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: Who?
Grady: A ****.
Jack: A ****?
Grady: A **** cook.
Jack: How?
Grady: Your son has a very great talent. I don't think you are aware how great it is, but he is attempting to use that very talent against your will.
Jack: Well... he is a very willful boy.
Grady: Indeed he is, Mr. Torrance. A very willful boy. A rather naughty boy, if I may be so bold, sir.
Jack: It's his mother. She, uh... interferes.
Grady: Perhaps they need a good talking to, if you don't mind my saying so. Perhaps... a bit more. My girls, sir, they didn't care for the Overlook at first. One of them actually stole a pack of matches and tried to burn it down. But I... corrected them, sir. And when my wife tried to prevent me from doing my duty, I... corrected her.
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Lloyd: Good evening, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: Hi, Lloyd. Been away, but now I'm back.
Lloyd: It's good to see you.
Jack: It's good to be back, Lloyd.
Lloyd: What'll it be, sir?
Jack: Hair of the dog that bit me.
Lloyd: Bourbon on the rocks.
Jack: That'll do her.
Lloyd: No charge to you, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: No charge?
Lloyd: Your money's no good here. Orders from the house.
Jack: Orders from the house?
Lloyd: Drink up, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: I'm the kind of man who likes to know who's buying their drinks, Lloyd.
Lloyd: It's not a matter that concerns you, Mr. Torrance. At least not at this point.
Jack: [Pause] Anything you say, Lloyd! Anything you say!
Jack: Hi, Lloyd. Been away, but now I'm back.
Lloyd: It's good to see you.
Jack: It's good to be back, Lloyd.
Lloyd: What'll it be, sir?
Jack: Hair of the dog that bit me.
Lloyd: Bourbon on the rocks.
Jack: That'll do her.
Lloyd: No charge to you, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: No charge?
Lloyd: Your money's no good here. Orders from the house.
Jack: Orders from the house?
Lloyd: Drink up, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: I'm the kind of man who likes to know who's buying their drinks, Lloyd.
Lloyd: It's not a matter that concerns you, Mr. Torrance. At least not at this point.
Jack: [Pause] Anything you say, Lloyd! Anything you say!
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Ullman: By five o'clock tonight, you'll never know anybody was ever here.
Wendy: Just like a ghost ship, huh?
Wendy: Just like a ghost ship, huh?
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Ullman: Jack is going to take care of the Overlook for us this winter. I would like you to show him around the place as soon as we're through.
Watson: Fine.
Ullman: Jack is a schoolteacher.
Jack: Uh, formerly a school teacher.
Watson: What line of work are you in now?
Jack: I'm a writer. Um... teaching has been more or less a way of making ends meet.
Watson: Well, this ought to be quite a change for you.
Jack: Well, I'm looking for a change.
Ullman: Our people in Denver recommended Jack very highly, and for once I agree with them. Let's see, where were we... ah yes, I was about to explain that our season here runs from May 15th to October 30th and then we close down completely until the following May.
Jack: Do you mind if I ask why you do that? It seems to me that the skiing up here would be fantastic.
Ullman: Oh it sure would be, but the problem is the enormous cost it would be to keep the road to Sidewinder open. It's a twenty-five mile stretch of road, gets an average of twenty feet of snow during the winter, and there's just no way to make it economically feasible to keep it clear. When the place was built in 1907, there was very little interest in winter sports. And this site was chosen for its seclusion and scenic beauty.
Jack: Well, it's certainly got plenty of that.
Ullman: That's right. Now, did they give you any idea in Denver about what the job entails?
Jack: Only in a very general way.
Ullman: Well, the winters can be fantastically cruel, and the basic idea is to cope with the very costly damage and depreciation which can occur, and this consists mainly of running the boiler, heating different parts of the hotel on a daily, rotating basis, repair damage as it occurs, and doing repairs so that the elements can't get a foothold.
Jack: Well, that sounds fine to me.
Ullman: Physically, it's not a very demanding job. The only thing that can get a bit trying up here during the winter is... the tremendous sense of isolation.
Jack: Well, that just happens to be exactly what I'm looking for. I'm outlining a new writing project and, uh, five months of peace is just what I need.
Ullman: That's very good, Jack. Because... for some people, solitude and isolation can, in itself, become a problem.
Jack: Not for me.
Ullman: How about your wife and son? How do you think they'll take to it?
Jack: They'll love it.
Ullman: Great. Well, before I turn you over to Bill, there's one other thing I think... we should talk about. I don't want to sound melodramatic, but it's something that's been known to give a few people second thoughts about the job.
Jack: I'm intrigued.
Ullman: I don't suppose they told you anything in Denver about the tragedy we had up here during the winter of 1970?
Jack: I don't believe they did.
Ullman: Well, my predecessor in this job hired a man named Charles Grady as the winter caretaker. And he came up here with his wife and two little girls - I think they were about eight and ten - and he had a good employment record, good references, and from what I've been told he seemed like a completely normal individual. But at some point during the winter, he must have suffered some kind of complete mental breakdown. He ran amok and... he killed his family with an axe. Stacked them neatly in one of the rooms in the West Wing, and then he... put both barrels of a shotgun in his mouth. Police thought it was what the old-timers used to call cabin fever; a kind of claustrophobic reaction that can occur when people are shut in together over long periods of time.
Jack: Well... that is quite a story.
Ullman: [chuckling] Yeah, yeah it is. Oh, it's still hard for me to believe it actually happened here. But... it did. So I think you can appreciate why I wanted to tell you about it.
Jack: I certainly can, and I also understand why your people in Denver left it for you to tell me.
Ullman: Well, obviously some people can be put off by staying alone in a place where something like that happened.
Jack: Well you can rest assured, Mr Ullman, that's not gonna happen with me. And as far as my wife is concerned, I'm sure she'll be absolutely fascinated when I tell her about it. She's a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict.
Watson: Fine.
Ullman: Jack is a schoolteacher.
Jack: Uh, formerly a school teacher.
Watson: What line of work are you in now?
Jack: I'm a writer. Um... teaching has been more or less a way of making ends meet.
Watson: Well, this ought to be quite a change for you.
Jack: Well, I'm looking for a change.
Ullman: Our people in Denver recommended Jack very highly, and for once I agree with them. Let's see, where were we... ah yes, I was about to explain that our season here runs from May 15th to October 30th and then we close down completely until the following May.
Jack: Do you mind if I ask why you do that? It seems to me that the skiing up here would be fantastic.
Ullman: Oh it sure would be, but the problem is the enormous cost it would be to keep the road to Sidewinder open. It's a twenty-five mile stretch of road, gets an average of twenty feet of snow during the winter, and there's just no way to make it economically feasible to keep it clear. When the place was built in 1907, there was very little interest in winter sports. And this site was chosen for its seclusion and scenic beauty.
Jack: Well, it's certainly got plenty of that.
Ullman: That's right. Now, did they give you any idea in Denver about what the job entails?
Jack: Only in a very general way.
Ullman: Well, the winters can be fantastically cruel, and the basic idea is to cope with the very costly damage and depreciation which can occur, and this consists mainly of running the boiler, heating different parts of the hotel on a daily, rotating basis, repair damage as it occurs, and doing repairs so that the elements can't get a foothold.
Jack: Well, that sounds fine to me.
Ullman: Physically, it's not a very demanding job. The only thing that can get a bit trying up here during the winter is... the tremendous sense of isolation.
Jack: Well, that just happens to be exactly what I'm looking for. I'm outlining a new writing project and, uh, five months of peace is just what I need.
Ullman: That's very good, Jack. Because... for some people, solitude and isolation can, in itself, become a problem.
Jack: Not for me.
Ullman: How about your wife and son? How do you think they'll take to it?
Jack: They'll love it.
Ullman: Great. Well, before I turn you over to Bill, there's one other thing I think... we should talk about. I don't want to sound melodramatic, but it's something that's been known to give a few people second thoughts about the job.
Jack: I'm intrigued.
Ullman: I don't suppose they told you anything in Denver about the tragedy we had up here during the winter of 1970?
Jack: I don't believe they did.
Ullman: Well, my predecessor in this job hired a man named Charles Grady as the winter caretaker. And he came up here with his wife and two little girls - I think they were about eight and ten - and he had a good employment record, good references, and from what I've been told he seemed like a completely normal individual. But at some point during the winter, he must have suffered some kind of complete mental breakdown. He ran amok and... he killed his family with an axe. Stacked them neatly in one of the rooms in the West Wing, and then he... put both barrels of a shotgun in his mouth. Police thought it was what the old-timers used to call cabin fever; a kind of claustrophobic reaction that can occur when people are shut in together over long periods of time.
Jack: Well... that is quite a story.
Ullman: [chuckling] Yeah, yeah it is. Oh, it's still hard for me to believe it actually happened here. But... it did. So I think you can appreciate why I wanted to tell you about it.
Jack: I certainly can, and I also understand why your people in Denver left it for you to tell me.
Ullman: Well, obviously some people can be put off by staying alone in a place where something like that happened.
Jack: Well you can rest assured, Mr Ullman, that's not gonna happen with me. And as far as my wife is concerned, I'm sure she'll be absolutely fascinated when I tell her about it. She's a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict.