It is a mystery that has perplexed fans of The Shining, one of the greatest horror films ever made, for 45 years.
Just what is the truth behind the haunting final scene? In it, the camera slowly closes in on a black and white photo of 1920s partygoers in a grand ballroom. But where was the photo taken and who were the revellers?
It has always been known that the photo was an original, albeit one that was doctored slightly. The face of Jack Nicholson, who plays a deranged caretaker in the 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick, was superimposed over that of the man at the front of the group, suggesting he is a reincarnation of an earlier hotel employee.
It was once suggested the photo showed a secret gathering of the US elite, former president Woodrow Wilson among them. Others thought they were devil worshippers.
But thanks to British researcher Alasdair Spark, who spent months poring through archives, it has been revealed the picture was actually taken in a hotel next to Kensington Palace.
