Iconic Final Shot of The Shining Found After 45 Years

Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of "The Shining" boasts one of the most iconic final scenes in genre cinema: a haunting photograph from the Overlook Hotel’s 1921 Fourth of July ball, prominently featuring Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), who, paradoxically, had not yet been born at the time the photo was supposedly taken. This image was created by superimposing Nicholson onto a real photograph, which had since faded into obscurity—until now. After 45 years since the film's release, the original 1921 Fourth of July ball photograph has finally been unearthed.

Retired University of Winchester academic Alasdair Spark shared insights into the journey of locating this elusive image on Getty's Instagram. He detailed how, following the identification of the unknown man in the photograph as Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer, through facial recognition software, it was discovered that the photo was one of three taken by the Topical Press Agency at a St. Valentine's Day Ball on February 14, 1921, at the Empress Rooms of the Royal Palace Hotel in Kensington. Spark's post included a new scan from the image's original glass-plate negative and supporting handwritten documents.

Spark, along with New York Times staffer Arick Toller and numerous dedicated Redditors, embarked on a challenging quest to trace the image. He noted the difficulty in cross-referencing Casani and the frustration when other suggested sources failed to match. At one point, it seemed as though the photo might be lost forever.

The historian also mentioned that on-set photographer Murray Close, who captured the image of Nicholson used in the film, had indicated that the original picture was sourced from the BBC Hulton Library. Aware that Hulton had acquired Topical Press in 1958 and that Getty later took over in 1991, Spark decided to search through the agency's vast collection. This effort led to the discovery that the image was licensed to Hawk Films, Kubrick’s production company, on October 10, 1978, for use in "The Shining." Spark concluded by correcting previous assumptions about the photo's date and contents. "Joan Smith had said the photo dated from 1923. Stanley Kubrick had said 1921 and he was correct," he stated. The photograph does not feature any of the speculated celebrities, such as the Trix Sisters, nor any bankers, financiers, or presidents as some had theorized. No devil worshippers were present either. The only alteration was the addition of Jack Nicholson. The image simply captures a group of ordinary Londoners on a Monday evening, echoing the Overlook Hotel manager's phrase, "All the best people."

This revelation is sure to delight fans of "The Shining." Stephen King's novel was first published in 1977 and has inspired two adaptations: Kubrick’s iconic film and Mick Garris’ more faithful 1997 miniseries.