...a film of terror (and the supernatural)

It's well documented that Stanley Kubrick was a perfectionist: for each of his films, there was exhaustive research, many script revisions, multiple takes for his actors, and in the case of Barry Lyndon, directions for projectionists on the changeover cues and aspect ratio.

Kubrick was equally meticulous while overseeing the design of the poster for The Shining. The designer Saul Bass, a master of the medium, was also sent back to the drawing board.

(click on image to enlarge)

Kubrick's note to Saul Bass regarding the rough art

#1 "Don't like art work, hotel looks peculiar, also art work too spread

out, too sprawling, not compact enough. I don't like the dots for the

logo, it will not look good small, even the size above is difficult to read.

Hard to read."

#2 "Looks like science fiction film, hard to read even at this size."

#3 "Hand and bike are too irrelevant. Title looks bad small. Looks like ink didn't take 

on the part that goes light."

#4 "Maze too abstract and too much emphasis on the maze. Title, see comment #3"

#5 "Maze and figures places too much emphasis on maze, I don't think we should use 

the maze in ads. Title, see #3"

Reply from Saul Bass

Final art