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 the character not being born at that time. The original image used in the film had long been a mystery—until now. The photograph, discovered 45 years after the movie's release, has finally come to light.

Alasdair Spark, a retired academic from the University of Winchester, shared the journey of uncovering the original image on Getty's Instagram. He revealed that facial recognition software identified the unknown man in the film's photo as Santos Casani, a London ballroom dancer. 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. Spark's post included a new scan from the original glass-plate negative and 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 forever, their persistence paid off. Spark had been informed by on-set photographer Murray Close, who captured the image of Nicholson that was superimposed over Casani, that the original came from the BBC Hulton Library. Knowing that Hulton acquired Topical Press in 1958 and that Getty took over in 1991, Spark searched through Getty’s vast collection. This 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 clarified that the photo, dated correctly by Kubrick as from 1921, did not feature any speculated celebrities, bankers, financiers, or presidents, nor any devil worshippers. Instead, it depicted a group of ordinary Londoners enjoying a Monday evening, as described by the Overlook Hotel's manager in the film as "all the best people."

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