"Shining's Iconic Final Shot Photo Found After 45 Years"

Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation of "The Shining" is renowned for its haunting final scene, featuring a photograph from the Overlook Hotel’s 1921 Fourth of July ball with Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) prominently displayed, despite being born long after the event. The original image used in the film had faded into obscurity until recently, resurfacing 45 years after the movie's release.

Retired academic Alasdair Spark detailed the journey to uncover the image on Getty's Instagram. He explained that facial recognition software identified the unknown man in the photograph as Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer. Spark revealed that the photo was one of three captured by the Topical Press Agency during a St. Valentine's Day Ball on February 14, 1921, at the Empress Rooms in the Royal Palace Hotel, Kensington. Alongside the revelation, a new scan from the original glass-plate negative and supporting handwritten documents were shared.

Spark, along with New York Times staffer Arick Toller and dedicated Redditors, embarked on a challenging quest to locate the image. Despite initial setbacks and dead ends, their persistence paid off. Spark had been informed by on-set photographer Murray Close, who superimposed Nicholson's image over Casani's, that the original photo came from the BBC Hulton Library. Knowing that Hulton had acquired Topical Press in 1958 and that Getty later took over in 1991, Spark searched through Getty's vast collection. They discovered that the image was licensed to Hawk Films, Kubrick's production company, on October 10, 1978, for use in "The Shining."

Spark concluded that the photo, dating back to 1921 as Kubrick had accurately stated, depicted a group of ordinary Londoners at a Monday evening event, contrary to various speculations about celebrities, bankers, or even devil worshippers being present. The only addition to the photo was Jack Nicholson's superimposed image.

This discovery is sure to delight fans of "The Shining." Stephen King's original novel, published in 1977, has been adapted into Kubrick's iconic film and a more book-faithful 1997 miniseries directed by Mick Garris.