Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of The Shining has long been celebrated for its haunting imagery, none more so than the chilling final shot: a photograph from the Overlook Hotel’s 1921 Fourth of July ball, prominently featuring Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) amidst a crowd of partygoers from a time before he was born. This iconic image, with Nicholson digitally inserted into a real historical photograph, had left the original source shrouded in mystery—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 detailed the journey to uncover the image on Getty's Instagram. He shared that following facial recognition software identifying the unknown man as Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer, he could confirm the photo was 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 also showcased a newly scanned version of the image from its original glass-plate negative, accompanied by supporting handwritten documents.
Spark, alongside New York Times staffer Arick Toller and numerous dedicated Redditors, embarked on an extensive search to locate the image. Initially, it seemed their efforts might be in vain, as cross-references to Casani and other potential leads did not pan out. The fear grew that the photo might be lost to history forever.
Spark revealed that on-set photographer Murray Close, who captured the image of Nicholson that was superimposed over Casani, had mentioned the photo 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 decided to delve into Getty's vast archives. This search 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, "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 revelation is sure to delight fans of The Shining. Stephen King's novel, released in 1977, has been adapted into two notable versions: Kubrick’s iconic film and Mick Garris’ book-accurate 1997 miniseries.
