The Shining - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[javier]

Just like "What's Happening"; a popular TV show at the time; all the characters in this have the same name as the actors. Jack Torrance is played by Jack Nicholson; Danny Torrance is played by Danny Lloyd. On the show What's Happening; all the characters; have the same name as the actors as well.

[chad]

This is the first film of Stanley Kubrick's to include the use of a Steadicam. He found the current cameras on-set to be almost obsolete for the type of shots he wanted to achieve during filming. He wanted a free and full range of view, but wanted the shots to be smooth and precise. When a colleague suggested that he use a newly developed piece of technology, Kubrick was hesitant. Kubrick shot with a Steadicam for many days before eventually allowing its usage in the film. Its usage can been seen in the film during such scenes as when the camera is following Danny on his tricycle through the halls of the Overlook Hotel and when he and Jack are running through the Hedge maze near the end of the film. This movie was also one of the first dozen films to use a Steadicam.

[kristina]

Wendy smokes Virginia Slims Full Flavor 120s in the scene where she and the Doctor are discussing Danny.

[harry]

There was no air conditioning on the sets, meaning it would often become very hot. The hedge maze set was stifling. Actor, actress, and crew would often strip off as much of the heavy clothing they were wearing as quickly as they could once a shot was finished.

[frances]

Stanley Kubrick wanted to shoot the film in script order. This meant having all the relevant sets standing by at all times. In order to achieve this, every soundstage at Elstree Studios was used, with all the sets built, pre-lit and ready to go during the entire shoot at the studios.

[terry]

The "snowy" maze near the conclusion of the movie consisted of nine hundred tons of salt and crushed Styrofoam.

[edgar]

Upon seeing the movie, Stephen King reportedly said "I think he set out to make a film that hurts people."

[bessie]

Neither Lia Beldam (young woman in bath) nor Billie Gibson (old woman in bath) appeared in another movie before or after this one.

[michele]

Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind wrote and performed a full electronic score for the film, but Stanley Kubrick discarded most of it and used a soundtrack of mostly classical music. Only the adaptation of the "Dies Irae" ("Day of Wrath") melody (from the traditional requiem mass) during the opening credits, the music during the family's drive to the hotel, and a few other brief moments (such as Halloran's plane trip) survive in the final version. Wendy Carlos once noted that she'd like to see the original score released on CD, but there were too many legal snags at the time. As of 2005, Carlos' score for the film has been remastered, and is a part of "Rediscovering Lost Scores Volumes 1 and 2".

[carla]

Halloran specifically warns Danny to avoid room 237. This counts as baiting as when he finds room 237 later while riding his tricycle, he finds the room locked. He later finds the room open and ventures in, only to reappear later with bruises and his jumper torn.

[toni]

Danny Lloyd is a star of the movie, Loyd is one of the supernatural characters Jack interacts with.

[jesus]

Danny hid the Shining from Jack and Wendy in the book.

[ivan]

One of Stanley Kubrick's favorite films was Eraserhead (1977), directed by David Lynch. Kubrick cited the film as a creative influence during the making of this movie, and screened it to put the cast and crew in the mood he wanted to achieve for the film.

[aaron]

In the source novel, Dick Hallorann survives (though Jack attacks him with a roque mallet, not an axe), and he, Wendy, and Danny escape together. The hotel explodes.

[sandra]

In Stanley Kubrick's original treatment, the resolution was completely different. Originally, instead of being confronted in her room by an axe wielding Jack after he is freed from the storage room by Grady, Wendy goes outside her room to see if Jack has indeed made his escape. He then jumps out and surprises her, chokes her, and smashes her head into the wall. Wendy then takes her knife and stabs him in the stomach, fatally wounding him. As she attempts to crawl away, however, Jack remains alive, crawling in pursuit, in an ensuing struggle, she finally manages to kill him, only to hear the sound of a SnowCat arrive outside. She then attempts to locate Danny, only to find he is not where she left him. Dick Hallorann then arrives at the door, only to encounter Grady. They have a brief conversation about "some business" Hallorann has to finish, to which he then gets hold of an ax, and then manically pursues Danny, much like Jack does in the final film. However, with the knowledge that they both share the same telepathic gift, Danny uses this to his advantage, throwing Hallorann into confusion. Then, just as it seems Hallorann is about to murder the child, Wendy locates both of them, and goes berserk, violently stabbing Hallorann to death. She then retrieves Danny, the two of them then bolt outside into the SnowCat and drive off. The camera would then focus on a scrapbook of the Hotel's history that Jack looked at early in the film, a mysterious hand comes in from off-screen and takes it, followed the sound of receding footsteps. The film would then end.

[duane]

To achieve the smoothness of the opening shots, cameraman Greg MacGillivray secured a wide angle Arriflex camera to the front of a helicopter, then balanced the blades to remove any vibrations. Even the shot where the camera comes down behind the car, passes it out, and goes over the edge, is done via the helicopter.