In the film, Jack Nicholson as psychotic, axe-wielding murderer, John 'Jack' Torrance, can be observed wearing an identical jacket to the one in this lot from the scene in which he awakes screaming from his nightmare about murdering his wife and child, through his violent breakdown until his eventual death in the snow outside The Overlook Hotel.

After the huge success of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick began to consider making ...the world's scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience... After reading Stephen King's book The Shining, Kubrick reportedly said This is it!

Filming began on 1st May, 1978, with Jack Nicholson confirmed as the leading actor. Kubrick explained his choice of leading man: I think he's on almost everyone's first-choice list for any role that suits him...Jack is particularly suited for roles which require intelligence. He is an intelligent and literate man and these are qualities almost impossible to act...

Although British audiences gave The Shining an unfavorable reception on its initial release, the film broke all opening box-office records in New York and Los Angeles. Surprisingly, however, despite Jack Nicholson's ...brilliantly crazed performance..., The Shining became the first Kubrick film not to receive a single nomination at the Academy Awards. Now, over twenty years since its initial release, The Shining has acquired cult status and the image of Jack Nicholson in his burgundy jacket appearing through a splintered door panel has become one of twentieth century cinema's most iconic images.
At the end of filming, this jacket was presented to a plasterer who worked on The Overlook Hotel interior sets at Elstree who subsequently gave it to the current vendor.