The Shining, Part 4: The Gold Room

 

The Gold Room is entered three times during the movie, and each time it provides insight into the influence the Overlook exerts on Jack and his situation. In this room, we first meet Dick Halloran, a very important character who, like Danny, possesses "The Shining." In the end, he will be in contact with Danny using this very ability. Also, in the Gold Room, we first see Lloyd, a personification of the forces behind the hotel's ghostly presence. During the third scene in this part of the hotel, we see someone Jack takes for the previous caretaker, a man named Delbert Grady.

At this point, it's important to note that when Halloran makes his appearance, he shakes hands with Jack. As they do this, they mirror one another in their posture, and this happens at exactly 24:42 in the movie.

Additionally, it's worth mentioning something about the opening credits of the film. We see that the name of the actor playing Danny appears on the screen at the 42-second mark. Furthermore, Danny's first line in the movie is delivered at exactly 04:20, reinforcing the significance of the number 42 in his representation.

Jack Nicholson’s name appears at the 24-second mark, giving us that the number representing Jack is 24 and also that Jack is mirroring Danny.

The name of the actor interpreting Halloran appears in the middle of the screen at the second 48 that is the same second that we first hear a mention to Toni in the 04:48

As the movie progresses, these numbers and details will become more clearly explained. For now, it is important to recognize that these details play a significant role in unfolding a second layer of meaning, which, from the perspective of this book, is even more important than the main story line. 

As a curiosity and confirmation of the significance of these numbers in the movie’s timestamps, I will provide some key landmarks that demonstrate that coincidence is not a plausible explanation for their presence.

The shining episodes happened mostly during this seconds: 

1. Bloody elevator at 11:42.

2. First time apparition of twins at 21:42.

3. Danny in front of 237 door at 42:42.

4. Second time apparition of twins at 49:42.

In the case of Jack the number is 37:

1. Looking into the maze at 39:37.

2. First time Lloid apparition at 1:04:37

3. Lady in 237 appears to Jack at 1:12:37

4. Jack enters The Gold Room for a third time at 1:22:37

5. Jack emerges to kill Halloran at 2:08:37

The list obviously goes on with very important moments for the movie taking place at times related with these numbers, both for Jack and Danny.

During this first Gold Room scene Jack and Wendy are separated, Ullman takes Jack with him and Halloran takes Wendy and Danny to the kitchen. This is not the first time that Ullman tries to do tat, minutes before, he invites Jack to follow him, but Jack answer to him: 

First we better collect my family.

This is a proof that Jack really cares about his family when he first arrives at the hotel and that,  it is only after the ghostly forces start acting upon him, that he surrenders and loses control of himself.