Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation of The Shining boasts one of the most chilling final scenes in cinematic history: 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. This image, where Nicholson was digitally inserted into a real photograph, had long remained a mystery—until now. After 45 years since the film's release, the original 1921 photograph has finally been uncovered.
Alasdair Spark, a retired academic from the University of Winchester, shared the fascinating journey of tracing this iconic image on Getty's Instagram. He explained, “Following the earlier identification by facial recognition software of the unknown man in the photograph at the end of The Shining as Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer, I can reveal that the photo was one of three taken by the Topical Press Agency at a St. Valentines Day Ball, 14 February 1921, at the Empress Rooms, the Royal Palace Hotel, Kensington." Spark's post also showcased a new scan from the image’s original glass-plate negative and additional handwritten documents corroborating the photo's history.
Spark, along with New York Times staffer Arick Toller and dedicated Redditors, embarked on a challenging quest to locate the image. “It was starting to seem impossible, every cross-reference to Casani failed to match. Other likely places that were suggested didn’t match,” Spark noted on Getty. “There were some places we could not find images for and we started to fear that meant the photo might be lost to history, and never be found.”
Further insights from Spark revealed that on-set photographer Murray Close, who captured the image of Nicholson superimposed over Casani, had mentioned sourcing the original from the BBC Hulton Library. Aware that Hulton had acquired Topical Press in 1958 and that Getty had taken over in 1991, Spark delved into the agency's vast collection. Their efforts paid off, revealing that the image was licensed to Hawk Films, Kubrick’s production company, on October 10, 1978, specifically for use in The Shining.
Spark concluded, “Joan Smith had said the photo dated from 1923. Stanley Kubrick had said 1921 and he was correct. The photo doesn’t show any of the celebrities I had speculated on — the Trix Sisters for instance — nor the bankers, financiers or presidents others like Rob Ager have imagined there. No devil worshippers either. Nobody was composited into it except Jack Nicholson. It shows a group of ordinary London people on a Monday evening. ‘All the best people,’ as the manager of the Overlook Hotel said.”
This discovery is sure to excite cinephiles and fans of The Shining. Stephen King’s original novel was published in 1977 and has inspired two notable adaptations: Kubrick’s iconic 1980 film and Mick Garris’ faithful 1997 miniseries.
