Delbert Grady

**Delbert Grady** is a minor posthumous antagonist in the The Shining franchise. He was the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel between the winter of 1970-1971.

## Biography

### Personality

The Hotel Caretaker is an extremely diabolical, evil, ruthless and most of all murderous entity. When he was once human, he was much like Jack; a formerly kind, lovely, cocky and caring father for his children, but as he went insane, he murdered his family and himself. In addition to being so murderous and so powerful entity, The Caretaker is also incredibly manipulative as he manages to turn Jack into a lunatic psychopath.

The Caretaker is nearly impossible to defeat, and the only way and the only thing that can defeat him is none other than Danny Torrance, who is possessing the titular supernatural ability of The Shining.

### The Shining (book)

#### Background

During the winter of 1970-1971, he went mad and killed his family by killing his two daughters with an hatchet after they tried to burn down the hotel, he then shot his wife with a shotgun before blowing his own head off with it.

#### Main Events

On December 2nd, Jack hallucinates meeting Grady, along with a party full of ghosts while drunk in the hotel’s Colorado Lounge. Grady tells Jack that he must kill Wendy and Danny. He tells Jack that if he punishes Wendy and Danny the way Grady punished his family, they will eventually come to accept the hotel and stop resisting him. He also mentions that Dick Hallorann is on his way to save Danny and Wendy and how the Scrapbook was meant to be found. Grady then disappears while the party is still going on.

Later, after Wendy knocks Jack out with a wine bottle and locks him in the kitchen pantry, it is Grady who lets Jack out—provided that Jack promises to kill Wendy and Danny, not before he berates him.

### The Shining (film)

#### Background

Grady was hired by former manager, Horace M. Derwent, for the caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel. During the winter of 1970, when one of his daughters tried to burn the Overlook, he went fully mad and killed his family by killing his wife and two daughters with an axe before blowing his own head off with a shotgun. The police chalked it up due to "cabin fever" of isolation.

#### Main Events

Manager Stuart Ullman tells Jack Torrance of Grady's story during Jack's initial interview for the caretaker job of the Overlook Hotel for the winter of 1980-1981, in which he is unbothered so he still gets the job. After his job interview, he brings his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny with him. A month in, the Torrance’s (Jack and Danny) have weird experiences.

After Jack leaves room 237 and talking to Wendy, he gets mad and wonders himself to the gold room, unlike last time, Jack sees there is a party happening. He regroups and chats with Lloyd. That’s when a waiter walks into Jack, dumping all the drinks on him. The waiter apologizes and takes Jack to the bathroom to clean him up. There, they have a friendly conversation, before Jack recognizes him as Charles/Delbert Grady, the previous caretaker, and reminds him of what he did. Grady then claims that he "corrected" his family and that Jack needs to "correct" his. Jack is then seduced by the hotel, he willingly agrees to kill his family. First breaking the radio, then the snowcat.

Later, after Wendy overpowers Jack and locks him in the pantry, Grady calls to Jack through the door and wakes him up. Grady tells Jack that he is willing to release him from the pantry if Jack is still willing to do his duty. Jack said he is. The door to the pantry opens, but Grady is nowhere in sight.

### The Shining (miniseries)

#### Background

Grady was hired by manager Stuart Ullman, for the winter caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel. During the winter of 1996, he went mad and shot himself with a shotgun.

## Murders committed by Delbert Grady

#### *The Shining (novel)*

1. Grady Twin #1 - Hacked to death by Delbert Grady with an hatchet. Revived as a ghost.
2. Grady Twin #2 - Hacked to death by Delbert Grady with an hatchet. Revived as a ghost.
3. Mrs. Grady - Head shot off by Delbert Grady with a shotgun.

#### *The Shining (1980)*

1. Grady Twin #1 - Hacked to death by Delbert Grady with an axe. Revived as a ghost.
2. Grady Twin #2 - Hacked to death by Delbert Grady with an axe. Revived as a ghost.
3. Mrs. Grady - Decapitated by Delbert Grady with an axe.

## Appearances

* The Shining (book)
* The Shining (film)
* The Shining (miniseries)
* Doctor Sleep (book)
* Doctor Sleep (film)

## Trivia

* In the scene where Jack is talking to Grady, it looks like he was a ghost, and Jack was just looking at the mirror.
* Although the Overlook Hotel is the Greater-Scope Villain of *The Shining*, Grady can also be considered the Greater-Scope Villain as well, because he was responsible for Jack's rampage and having the Overlook Hotel to possess Jack into killing his family the first place.

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