"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. This image, which prominently includes Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson), was created by superimposing Nicholson onto an existing historical photograph. However, the original image used in the film had long remained a mystery—until recently. The original 1921 Fourth of July ball photograph was discovered 45 years after the film's release, shedding new light on this iconic cinematic moment.

Alasdair Spark, a retired academic from the University of Winchester, detailed the journey to uncover the original image on Getty's Instagram. He revealed that the photograph 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, Royal Palace Hotel in Kensington. The post included a new scan from the image's original glass-plate negative, along with supporting handwritten documents.

Spark, along with New York Times staffer Arick Toller and dedicated Redditors, embarked on a challenging quest to find the image. Despite numerous dead ends and the fear that the photo might be lost to history, their persistence paid off. Spark had been informed by on-set photographer Murray Close that the image was sourced from the BBC Hulton Library. Knowing that Hulton had acquired Topical Press in 1958 and that Getty later took over in 1991, Spark and his team searched through Getty's vast collection. They ultimately found that the image was licensed to Hawk Films, Kubrick's production company, on October 10, 1978, for use in The Shining.

Spark clarified that the photo dates back to 1921, as Kubrick had stated, not 1923 as Joan Smith had suggested. Contrary to various theories, the photograph does not feature any celebrities, bankers, financiers, or presidents, nor does it include any composited figures except for Jack Nicholson. Instead, it captures a group of ordinary Londoners enjoying a Monday evening, echoing the Overlook Hotel manager's comment about "all the best people."

This discovery is a heartwarming moment for fans of The Shining, a film that has captivated audiences since its release. Based on Stephen King's 1977 novel, The Shining has been adapted into Kubrick's iconic movie and Mick Garris' 1997 miniseries, which stayed closer to the original book.